Mathieu van der Poel clinches brilliant Tour de France stage victory after delivering breakaway to the line

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) romped home for a third Tour de France stage win of his career, having inspired a breakaway that at times appeared to be on its knees. The Dutchman made it to the front multiple times and with the bunch breathing down their neck, was able to reinvigorate the group to ensure they made it to the line. With the victory in their grasp, Van der Poel had the most power left to outsprint rivals including Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility).

The final stage of the week, a hilly course through the Correze department, always looked to favour the break. When a ‘red heatwave alert’ forced organisers to reduce the stage by 30km, that became even more likely, with the vertical metres to horizontals increasing significantly. The reduction brought the intermediate sprint point the same distance closer to the start, which meant the battle to get up the road was delayed while Lidl-Trek controlled the first part of the stage, to ensure Mads Pedersen claimed all 25 available green jersey points.

With that situation out of the way, the fight to make the break was protracted, and the stage was more than a third over before 15 riders, including Van der Poel, Derek Gee-West and Quinn Simmons (both Lidl-Trek), could be said to constitute a settled escape. Pidcock missed the initial move, but he made light work of bridging across. Although the 16 settled, they never really worked as a unit. Simmons took his leave along with Johannessen ahead of the sharp category two climb, serving to attract a smaller, better group to join them including his team-mate Gee-West, Van der Poel and Pidcock.

Despite the absence of any real GC threat - Pidcock and Johannessen were the best placed but both were outside the top 10 and over nine minutes down - the peloton refused to allow them much of a gap. There was some suggestion Netcompany Ineos were concerned about Egan Bernal’s 11th place in the GC, while Lidl-Trek’s pair had the excuse of Pedersen being in the main group behind. Whatever the cause, it placed some strain on the break, and threatened to cause cohesion to collapse altogether.

With 25km remaining, Van der Poel decided to take the stage by the scruff of the neck, attacking the lot of them at the start of the short final climb. That did for the Lidl-Trek riders, and left just Van der Poel, Johannessen, Pidcock and Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) to try to beat the bunch.

The reduced peloton had UAE Team Emirates-XRG riding, but also Ineos, and Lidl-Trek, with Simmons and Gee-West pulling once again for Pedersen.

The gap came down fast, but the road to Ussel ran out faster. As he had all day, Van der Poel was expected to do the lion’s share of the work, but also to lead out the reduced sprint on the gradually uphill finish. The Dutchman led the group through the flamme rouge, and steadily reduced the pace to allow himself somewhere to go the moment he decided to launch the sprint. He waited until 250m to go, and the power he put down was unmatchable. Pidcock and Baudin were immediately out of it, while Johannessen was able to get back on the wheel, but he was never coming past.

Filippo Ganna (Ineos) succeeded in being the best of the bunch, taking advantage of Pedersen going early, with the peloton finishing just six seconds down. All the GC favourites finished together for only one meaningful change to the GC. That was Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) who finished 10 minutes down and slipped out of the overall top 10.

It was a super hard day. The start of the Tour was not great for our team, but I think like always we stayed calm. We have a really nice group here and we kept believing that it would turn around. Maybe not today, but maybe second or third week, so it's really nice to go to the first rest day with a win. It was better in the heat than the first few days when I was really struggling, having difficulty recovering even from the easier days.

Already the past few days I felt a lot better. Of course they were easier days but today I finally had the legs to go for it. I spent a lot of energy trying to keep the break alive. There was a lot of pressure from the bunch. The roads were horrible for a break - headwind the whole way. We fought for it and I'm happy to finish it off.

Pogacar, Evenepoel, Del Toro 11th to 13th, with Vingegaard in 19th, and 32 riders in that group in total.

Beating Pedersen, although the Dane can't be too disappointed with his points haul from the day. The bunch coming in just six seconds down. It was close.

Wow. Every win is deserved, but seldom do you see them won as deservedly as that. He was forced to lead it out, and even though he obliged, the others didn't have close to the power to match him. Johannessen was at least able to get on Van der Poel's wheel, if not on terms, as Pidcock and Baudin faded.

They can't afford to mess around, but they're all gonna watch Van der Poel.

And though the gap falls below 30 seconds, it's still a big not happening from me.

Will it be a small sprint or will one of them attack? Surely the two non-galacticos can't win from a gallop?

Which is about right to me. He's saved this breakaway, as Sean Kelly says.

Obviously the biggest name on campus is the Dutchman, but Tom Pidcock is a bit of a star himself, even if he's not quite MVDP's level. Do Johannessen and Baudin have a chance? You wouldn't have thought so, but stranger things have happened.

And its Van der Poel you have to credit with that. They clearly just needed a kick up the arse, You have to say Lidl-Trek messed this one up, though. 45 seconds the gap. Sean Kelly things it's too late for the peloton. I agree.

And its Van der Poel you have to credit with that. They clearly just needed a kick up the arse, You have to say Lidl-Trek messed this one up, though. 45 seconds the gap. Sean Kelly things it's too late for the peloton.

The gap is back up to almost a minute, and with the terrain to come, I don't see the bunch bringing this back. Apparently Ineos is riding for Ganna which... what?

Not the best time for an ad break, but we return from it to see Pidcock riding on the front of the group of four. He seemed to be stuck in the middle of the cassette and was spinning out, but his cadence now looks to be okay.

What a time to get it, just as things were going well, and the racing was on. He gives his rear derailleur a big kick with his right heel but it doesn't seem to have woken things up.

And Mathieu van der Poel has had enough. He's riding away on Mont Besou. The few who have the legs will chase, which looks like Pidcock, Johannessen and Baudin. Gee is dropped, Simmons doesn't have it.