Lac de Payolle: Briton Stephen Cummings powered away on the Col d’Aspin to claim a second career Tour de France stage win as GC contender Thibaut Pinot cracked in a seventh stage that ended in chaos on Friday.
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Adam Yates, a British rider, was hit by the collapsed arch and reached the finish with a bloodied chin.
Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara, left, and Belgium’s Jasper Stuyven, ride during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 162.5 kilometers (100.7 miles) with start in L’Isle-Jourdain and finish in Lac de Payolle, France, Friday, July 8, 2016.
“He was on his own when it happened, the arch fell in front of him and he did not have time to brake so he did a somersault and fell on his face”, his Orica-BikeExchange sports director Lorenzo Lapage said.
“The doctor is checking him.his shoulder is aching”.
Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, third at 5:13, is well placed to take over the race lead but his Movistar team leader Nairo Quintana and reigning champion Chris Froome will also be aiming to make their mark.
Baguette and butter: British rider Steve Cummings won the stage, which came to a freaky end when an inflatable arch marking the final kilometer collapsed.
A spider in the road is not usually an issue at the Tour de France but, when it is the “kilometre-to-go spider” – as the red inflatable arch is nicknamed – that is a rather different matter. “We get criticism for being poor downhill so why not?”
A group of just 14 riders went over the top together with 16km to ride and Froome immediately darted clear on the descent.
Van Avermaet began the day nearly six minutes clear in yellow, but the Classics specialist was no match for the Col du Tourmalet and was dropped on the famed hors categorie climb mid-way through this challenging 184km stage from Pau, coming home nearly 26 minutes down.
“I’m disappointed”, he said. “It really did feel like just taking the race home and enjoying it”. “They’re the experts and they know what they’re doing so I’ll let them get on with it”. He told the Irish Times at the start of the stage that he is gradually feeling better and hopes to be able to seize a sprinting opportunity later in the race.
The Aspin, which was included in the Tour for the 73rd time, was affronted from its longer southern slope, 12 kilometers at an average gradient of 6.5 percent.
It’s great to be with Mark Cavendish – he’s such a legend and today was a brilliant day.
Cummings was part of a 29-man breakaway featuring Van Avermaet and 2014 victor Vincenzo Nibali.
Froome gritted his teeth as he crossed the line, raising both arms in celebration then pumping his right fist emphatically.
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Having seen fellow Team Dimension Data rider Mark Cavendish triumph on three of the first six days to move within five wins of Eddy Merckx’s all-time record, the 35-year-old formed part of a mass leading group of almost 30 after several attacks before charging down the three-man escape of Matti Breschel, Antoine Duchesne and Daniel Navarro.
