Offredo on the attack from the gun
180 riders started stage 10 of the 104th Tour de France at Périgueux. Defending King of the Mountains Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) wasn't one of them as he withdrew from the race after being injured in a nasty crash during stage 9. Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) attacked from the gun and lamented the absence of breakaway companions until Elie Gesbert (Fortuneo-Oscaro) rejoined him at km 3. There was no reaction until Julien Vermote (Quick-Step Floors) and Lars Bak (Lotto-Soudal) seized the reins of the peloton at km 17 once the gap had reached 5.20. The maximum difference between the duo and the peloton was 5.35 at km 60.
Gesbert and Offredo, at the front all day
Gesbert was first atop the two category 4 climbs of the day while Offredo won the intermediate sprint at Saint-Cyprien where André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) won the first battle of the sprinters ahead of Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors). It was a very scenic stage through the wonderful landscapes of the Dordogne province but not an eventful one like the two previous stages. Gesbert and Offredo were reined with 7km to go as the headwind was not helping them to stay away.
13 stage wins for Kittel since 2013
Lotto-Soudal was the most active team at the head of the peloton in the last five kilometers. But in the final stretch, Kittel was the most powerful sprinter. He won for the fourth time at this year's Tour de France, by one length of a bike ahead of his compatriot John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) to become the German record holder of stage wins at the Tour de France with a total of 13 since 2013. He consolidated his lead in the points classification while Chris Froome retained the yellow jersey.
