John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) won a three-man sprint to conclude the action-packed cobblestoned Stage 9 of the Tour de France on Sunday, while overall contender Richie Porte crashed out of the race.
Yellow-jersey holder Greg Van Avermaet crossed second and increased his overall lead to 43 seconds ahead of Geraint Thomas. Yves Lampaert of Quick-Step finished third.
Four-time Tour champion Chris Froome crossed in the main pack, 27 seconds behind, overcoming a tumble with 45 kilometers to go where a fan had to help him get going again.
Porte crashed 10 kilometers into the 156.5-kilometer leg – before any of the 15 cobblestone sections – and abandoned with an apparent right shoulder injury.
Rigoberto Uran, last year’s runner-up, and Mikel Landa, one of three leaders of the Movistar team, also each crashed and lost time.
It was the first career victory at the Tour de France for Degenkolb.
”You start doubting if you can still do it,” Degenkolb said. ”That is the hardest part to don’t lose the trust in yourself and that you can still be up there. I am so happy that my wife and my family gave me the strength to do this to give it 100 percent and work hard. It is amazing.”
Degenkolb became the third rider to win both Paris-Roubaix and a cobbled stage at the Tour after Roger De Vlaeminck and Bernard Hinault.
The route starting in Arras contained the highest number of cobblestone sections since the 1980 Tour, with nearly 22 kilometers altogether.
After the first rest day Monday, the Tour resumes in the Alps on Tuesday with a 158.5-kilometer leg from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand featuring four serious climbs.
Tour de France 2018 – stage 9 results (Arras Citadelle – Roubaix):
| 1 | John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) | 3:24:26 |
| 2 | Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) | ,, |
| 3 | Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors) | ,, |
| 4 | Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) | +19” |
| 5 | Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) | ,, |
| 6 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | ,, |
| 7 | Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors) | ,, |
| 8 | André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal | +27” |
| 9 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) | ,, |
| 10 | Timothy Dupont (Wanty – Groupe Gobert) | ,, |
| 11 | Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) | ,, |
| 12 | Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) | ,, |
| 13 | Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) | ,, |
| 14 | Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie) | ,, |
| 15 | Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic) | ,, |
| 16 | Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) | ,, |
| 17 | Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) | ,, |
| 18 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) | ,, |
| 19 | Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) | ,, |
| 20 | Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) | ,, |
General classification after stage 9:
| 1 | Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) | 36:07:17 |
| 2 | Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) | +43” |
| 3 | Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) | +44” |
| 4 | Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors) | +50” |
| 5 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) | +01’31” |
| 6 | Rafal Majka (Bora-hansgrohe) | +01’32” |
| 7 | Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) | +01’33” |
| 8 | Chris Froome (Team Sky) | +01’42” |
| 9 | Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) | ,, |
| 10 | Mikel Landa (Movistar) | ,, |
| 11 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) | +01’43” |
| 12 | Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) | +01’48” |
| 13 | Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) | +01’57” |
| 14 | Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) | +01’58” |
| 15 | Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) | +02’03” |
| 16 | Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) | +02’06” |
| 17 | Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) | +02’32” |
| 18 | Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic) | +02’37” |
| 19 | Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) | +02’42” |
| 20 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain-Merida) | +02’48” |
