Mende: Omar Fraile clinched a dramatic win on Stage 14 of the Tour de France.
Belgian cyclist Jasper Stuyven put in a stunning solo ride from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Mende but was caught on the final climb and Fraile powered down the short descent to the finish line for his first ever Tour de France stage victory.
Stuyven, the Trek — Segafredo rider, got free from a breakaway group and managed to build up a lead of nearly two minutes over 19 chasers into the final 10 kilometres.
He was visibly tiring as the group — including triple stage winner Peter Sagan — tried to chase him down and he was caught by Fraile agonisingly close to the finish line.
Stuyven eventually finished third behind Julian Alaphilippe, the winner of stage 10. Sagan came home fourth.
The main yellow jersey contenders all finished in the peloton some 20 minutes behind the front finishers, none of whom are a threat to the general classification hopefuls.
Meanwhile, when it came to speaking out against the “excited” fans accused of sullying the sport during Thursday’s drama-filled climb to the Alpe d’Huez, it was no surprise the maverick Slovakian did not play ball.
“We’re not racing in the stadium or on a track, so it’s a bit difficult to control everybody, especially on the last climb,” Sagan, who won his third stage win of this edition on Friday in Valence, said.
Despite his versatility on several types of terrain, Sagan is used to trailing home among the late finishers on the punishing mountain stages of the Tour.
That means being spat at, pushed or crashing because over-enthusiastic fans get too close for comfort is unlikely to happen to him.
When the peloton’s remnants drag themselves to the summit, they are widely applauded. Sagan, known as one of the most fun riders in the peloton, often replies with one of his trademark wheelies.
But it’s not the same for the men fighting each other for the yellow jersey.
On Thursday race leader Geraint Thomas was booed off the podium after claiming his second successive Alpine stage to reinforce his grip on the yellow jersey following another dominant Team Sky display.
Earlier on the stage, teammate and four-time champion Chris Froome was reportedly spat at and pushed heavily by a man who was later arrested by police.
Both survived to tell the tale, a fate not enjoyed by Italian rival Vincenzo Nibali.
The 2014 champion looked on great form when he got tangled with a bag or camera strap as he raced through billows of smoke from flares deployed by rowdy fans.
Nibali came down hard, broke a bone in his back and, despite finishing the stage only 13 seconds behind Thomas, abandoned late on Thursday evening.
Sagan, who is well on his way to winning a sixth green jersey for the points competition, refused to criticise the fans.
“The people are everywhere. They want to be close to us, and to touch us. Many have travelled many miles to see us,” he said.
“They’re very happy and emotional.
“It’s sad incidents like that happen on the Tour de France, but in these moments the people are not really themselves, because they are excited.”
