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2016 Tour de France Stage 16: Hat trick for Sagan in another photo finish

Sagan inches out Kristoff in Switzerland

July 18, 2016
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There have been several instances of sprints being won by mere inches in the 2016 Tour de France, and on Monday Peter Sagan pipped Alexander Kristoff to take his third win of the race. Chris Froome stayed safe when the peloton split in the final couple of kilometres and stayed safe in yellow.


The road rippled along all day, with only a Cat. 4 climb on offer but also a small, cobbled climb just before the finish line. It was a profile equally suited to a break surviving, a punchy rider getting away or a bunch sprint playing out. The stage would finish in Switzerland, in Bern close to Fabian Cancellara’s house, where the race would stay for two more days.


Instead of a large breakaway, it was only Etixx-QuickStep teammates Tony Martin (Germany) and Julian Alaphilippe (France). The duo ripped away with the three-time world time trial champion in chrono mode out front.


The Etixx men grabbed 6:00 while a chase quartet laboured in vain to catch them, eventually surrendering just before the Swiss border with 108-km remaining. Several teams contributed to the pace-making, including Direct Energie.

RELATED: Oleg Tinkov says that if Sagan wins two more stages he’ll stay in cycling

Besides the escapees and the sprinters, the Swiss wanted to win on their home soil. However…
https://twitter.com/TdFStats/status/755038224872005632
The duo’s teammate Marcel Kittel suffered a mechanical just before the day’s intermediate sprint. Not surprisingly, Sagan added to his green jersey points total by zipping out from the pack to be third man over the line in Ins.

The gap dropped predictably. Martin and Alaphilippe climbed the only categorized ascent of the day, the Côte de Mühleberg, only 30-seconds ahead of the peloton with 26-km to go. The French rider was the first to submit, and Martin’s capture with 22-km remaining spurred Rui Costa’s attack.

Costa, Stage 9 runner-up to Tom Dumoulin on Arcalis, pulled out 15-seconds with 12-km to go. But the Portuguese rider was be run down before the cobbled rise. Classics specialist Sep Vanmarcke (Belgium/LottoNL-Jumbo) attacked on the cobbles. The peloton split in the effort.

But Vanmarcke would be lassoed and the winner would emerge from a sprint. Alejandro Valverde led out on the left, but Sagan and Kristoff when shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the lane.

After the stage, the cycling world wondered if Oleg Tinkoff would keep his word and continue sponsoring the team if Sagan earned three victories.

Tuesday is the 103rd edition’s final rest day before a difficult last week.

2016 Tour de France Stage 16
1) Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Tinkoff) 4:26:02
2) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) s.t.
3) Michael Matthews (Australi/Orica-BikeExchange) s.t.
117) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Direct Energie) +2:54

2016 Tour de France GC
1) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) 72:40:38
2) Bauke Mollema (The Netherlands/Trek-Segafredo) +1:47
3) Adam Yates (Great Britain/Orica-BikeExchange) +2:45
110) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Direct Energie) +2:27:07