Mathieu van der Poel won nine of the upcoming Tour de France on Sunday. He rode solo after escaping from the last major split. The stage ran for 202km from the Loire start, with the other end being the either end of the route city.
Tom Pidcock signed off in podium place in spite of a bike issue. A small stone wedged in his drivetrain, locking the mechanism in the action.
Tadej Pogačar crossed the line alongside the leading bunch and complained about the hot weather. The Tour met its warmest runs on the tougher roads.
At the same time, paddock talk battled with side gusts across the rolling fields. One teams looked breaking the peloton before the closing ascent.
After the flag, fans cheered the winner in style. Organisers noted few incidents on the distance-heavy day. Weather forecasts suggested more heat ahead, as the race points eastward.
Directeurs insisted the race verdict tilts the general classification ahead of the mountains. The yellow jersey kept his narrow buffer in the points race. Pidcock climbed several spots despite his misfortune.
Going forward, the bunch tackles a transfer before the pivotal mountain block.