FRENCHMAN JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE kept the overall lead after stage 16 of the Tour de France as Caleb Ewan sprinted to his second stage victory.
Geraint Thomas, meanwhile, overcame a fall to finish with the main contenders.
As France experienced a heatwave, defending champion Thomas mistimed a curb and was left with a gash on his left leg after hitting the tarmac hard on the 177km run around the southern city of Nimes.
After his third fall during this Tour, Team Ineos’ sports director Nicolas Portal said Thomas felt fine.
“He’s OK, he needed another bike. All his left side is a bit messed up but nothing serious,” he said.
“We have to refocus after the rest day,” added Portal.
Thomas remains 1min 35sec behind Alaphilippe in the overall standings ahead of three challenging days in the Alps.
He also tumbled after flying over a barrier in the wild atmosphere in Brussels on the opening day, and again on the road to Saint-Etienne on stage eight.
This time the 33-year-old had no problem getting back to the pack on a flat stage with no wind to split the peloton.
Ewan, meanwhile, was following up his victory on stage 11 at Toulouse and with Nimes melting under 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) the Australian was favourite for a repeat performance, this time edging Italian Elia Viviani on the line.
Some fans stayed away due the extreme afternoon heat on this southern French route, but the conditions failed to slow the peloton as it sped past the celebrated regional vineyards and olive groves.
One of the great pre-race favourites Jakob Fuglsang, the Criterium du Dauphine champion, pulled out with 25km to go after falling and hurting his hand.
Dehydration was a major issue, as team cars carried an average of 200 water bottles.
Wednesday’s 17th stage sees the Tour head north towards its Alpine reckoning with a 200km run from the Pont du Gard bridge in the Camargue to Gap, where bonus seconds atop a climb 10km from the finish line ensure further drama ahead of the three much awaited stages that follow it.
Thank Christ for that , the longest bloody goodbye in the history of the planet !!! Finally able to watch a match without commentators verbally making love to him throughout the entire game
Shut up!! I’m sick of reading stupid comments like this… This man has put everything into any jersey he has worn over d past 15 year and never asked for any praise. just because he got a fitting farewell to his international career 2 months ago, some people think that this long goodbye has gone on forever… That’s just the way this season has ended, he didn’t intentionally plan it this way so that people could loathe more praise for him. And of course commentators etc should pay tribute him, if u open your eyes and recognise what he has achieved for his country and the sport, u wouldn’t make such an ignorant comment like this. And all u can say is that your delighted to see him go off injured. Idiot!!
Blah blah blah blah !!! We seen and heard it all before the reality is everyone is sick to the teeth of hearing about it , instead of doing the decent thing and quietly slipping off at the end if last season or even declaring it after today’s match he did it half way through this season a season he has played poorly ( bar maybe the away game to Northampton ) and been injured for the majority of it , today being farcical. Nothing personal against the guy just sick of the longest goodby in the history of mankind
Lol couldn’t agree more.
That was for Luke’s post!!
Here here! Embarrassing how the media goes on about him
Douglas
I hate to see your comment when you reach your teens!!!!
Bad in the Italy game too I presume?! Appreciate the man. Ireland is a specialist nation in begrudgery.
The Italy game ok he was involved in the three tries but isn’t that what he should be doing seeing he is the greatest player that ever played the game , Italy the mighty Italy . Oh don’t forget he gifted them their try as well with a world class clearance . Sure two good games a season is acceptable to you then , all you have to do is look at his performance for the lions to see he just went a season too far , don’t get me wrong he was a great centre but this season seemed selfish in my opinion
Here flash how many times did you play for Munster? Go on tell us again, we all like a good laugh
Luke go on name us one other Irish rugby player who was better?
What ???? Firstly what has my rugby playing days got to do with it and secondly what has Munster got to do with the Irish media and BOD’s never ending retirement saga . Jesus wept that is by far the worst comment ever posted since social media began
Well flash at least he’d have an excuse for his comments then !!
With all the man love emanating from you I’d say you probably play for the Emerald Warriors !!
You’re hilarious Bob !
Yep and your not …
Original – don’t give up the day job if you have the intelligence for one.
Ok Chris I think you need to read the comments again , I didn’t state that he wasn’t or was the greatest Irish player ever . Other people are !!! My point has been made several times in my other comments so instead of getting upset and emotional have a read of them first please. I take it you are in the same primary school class as Douglas who also got a bit carried away tonight , maybe you can both meet up and cry over a ribena remembering BOD’s greatest moments
Yea great come back that … Your hardy in any position to question anyone else’s intelligence
LOL !!!
Looking forward to your goodbye post
Sad way for him to go, thankfully got his fairytale in Paris.
Jeez Ian Madigan got SOME reception when he came on!
Cruel end to his career. That’s the nature of the sport though.
He will still get man of the match..
Least thats the end of him now…
I’m embarrassed for the bellends on this app , we had two of the worlds most influential players in sport from this country in Roy Keane and Brian O Driscoll and the amount of negativity towards them both here really is truly shocking. Call yourselves Irish !!!!
HA HA!!!!!!!!!!
Judging by your photo I don’t think you’ve got anything to laugh at !!!!