Mathieu van der Poel won stage nine of the next Tour de France on Sunday. He raced solo after breaking away from the closing large break. The stage spanned for 202km from the Loire start, with the other end being the the Loire start city.
Tom Pidcock landed in third regardless of a mechanical niggle. A small stone stuck in his drivetrain, freezing the set-up mid-race.
Tadej Pogačar rolled in inside the front group and moaned about the hot weather. The Tour met its hottest spells on the trickier stages.
Meanwhile, cyclists battled with side gusts across the flat country. Some groups tried breaking the peloton before the hilltop finish.
At the line, crowds cheered the breakaway star with gusto. Race staff noted no major crashes on the heavy stage. Race control flagged more heat ahead, as the race travels south.
Team brains insisted the race verdict shapes the gc picture ahead of the hill phase. MvdP kept his slim lead in the points competition. Pidcock jumped several spots on gc despite his ill fortune.
Onwards, the field meets a quieter stage before the décisive climb-heavy run.