Paret-Peintre lands first French Tour stage win, Pogacar retains overall lead

Valentin Paret-Peintre became the first French winner on this year’s Tour de France as he edged an enthralling stage 16 on Tuesday, pipping Ireland's Ben Healy atop the mythical 1910m altitude Mont Ventoux summit finish.

- Associated Press

Behind them Jonas Vingegaard attacked overall leader Tadej Pogacar relentlessly but the defending champion tracked the Dane all the way up the 15km ascent to extend his lead by two seconds.

Trailing by 4min 13sec at the start of this stage Vingegaard attacked with 9km to climb on Mont Ventoux, whose eery upper reaches resemble a lunar landscape.

"I didn’t want to push too hard and then let him have me on a counterattack. I kept my rhythm as much as I could,” said Pogacar who has been fighting off a cold this week.

“He attacked many times but I just tried to hold his wheel.”

Vingegaard was knocked off his bike by a motorbike after the finish line but was unhurt, remounting to go and congratulate Pogacar on another fine battle.

“He seemed okay,” Pogacar said later.

The battle for the overall lead, however, was eclipsed by a frantic fight for the stage win between EF’s Healy and Soudal Quick-Step’s Paret-Peintre who became the first French winner on Mont Ventoux since Richard Virenque in 2002.