Mathieu van der Poel triumphed in stage nine of the upcoming Tour de France on Sunday. He pushed by himself after jumping clear from the last big breakaway. The stage spanned for 202km from the Loire start, with the other end being the Saint-Amand-Montrond city.
Tom Pidcock signed off in third despite a bike issue. A small stone stuck in his cassette, blocking the set-up during the race.
Tadej Pogačar crossed the line inside the front group and grumbled about the hot weather. The Tour faced its most stifling stretches on the tougher roads.
Elsewhere, paddock talk coped with breezes across the open plains. Few groups tried breaking the peloton before the last uphill.
By the finish, crowds welcomed the breakaway star loudly. Organisers noted no major crashes on the full route. Weather forecasts suggested further warmth ahead, as the race travels northward.
Backroom staff said the stage result tilts the gc picture ahead of the mountains. Van der Poel preserved his modest gap in the points race. Pidcock jumped several spots despite his ill fortune.
Going forward, the field tackles a transfer before the décisive alpine stretch.