Tour de France 2017: Matthews outsprints Boasson Hagen, Froome retains in maillot jaune

The 16th stage of the Tour de France takes the riders on a two-faced route to Romans-sur-Isère. Kittel is dropped in the hilly first half before the likes of Greipel and Kristoff end up on the wrong side of a split after cross-winds in the flat and open finale. Matthews outsprints Boasson Hagen and Degenkolb, while Froome retains in the yellow jersey and Dan Martin loses almost 1 minute. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 16th stage 2017 Tour de France

1. Michael Matthews (aus)
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (nor)
3. John Degenkolb (ger)
4. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
5. Christophe Laporte (fra)
6. Jens Keukeleire (bel) s.t.
7. Tiesj Benoot (bel) s.t.
9. Maciej Bodnar (pol) s.t.
10. Romain Hardy (fra) s.t.

12. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
13. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
14. Simon Yates (gbr) s.t.
15. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
16. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
18. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
19. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
29. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 0.51
31. Daniel Martin (irl) s.t.
46. Alberto Contador (spa) + 1.33

GC after 16th stage
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Fabio Aru (ita) + 0.18
3. Romain Bardet (fra)+ 0.23
4. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.29
5. Mikel Landa (spa) + 1.17
6. Simon Yates (gbr) + 2.02
7. Daniel Martin (irl) + 2.03
8. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 6.00
9. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 6.05
10. Nairo Quintana (col) + 6.16

11. Alberto Contador (spa) + 7.10
12. Warren Barguil (fra) + 8.48

Race report
A lot of movement in the opening of the race until De Gendt, Degand, Chavanel and Edet force a gap on the Côte de Boussoulet. Impey bridges across. They crest with a small lead over a group with Matthews. The peloton is close behind as is a group with Kittel, who was dropped on the climb. Chasers and peloton re-group and they accelerate to put more time into the group Kittel, thus chasing down the front group.

Before the plunge down to the Rhone valley the group Kittel is 2 minutes in arrears, a gap that widens to 4 minutes when the riders arrive in the valley. They throw in the towel and the gap balloon further. Meanwhile Nacer Bouhanni managed to get across to the first group with the help of his team-mate Cyril Lemoine en Nils Politt

Greipel, Matthews, Degenkolb, Kristoff and Bouhanni are in the first group; Kittel and Groenewegen in the second.

After a constant threat of cross-winds the lead group splits with 15 kms remaining and Dan Martin, Meintjes, Contador, Greipel, Kristoff and Bouhanni end up on the wrong side of that split.

In the ensuing sprint Michael Matthews edges out Edvald Boasson Hagen and John Degenkolb, while the top 4 finishes safely together. Mikel Landa now sits in fifth after Martin missed the key split.