Greg Van Avermaet holds off Peter Sagan for first Tour stage win

BMC Racing rider Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the 13th stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France over 198.5 kilometres between Muret and Rodez, France. SEBASTIEN NOGIER / EPA

Greg van Avermaet finally banished his demons but Peter Sagan’s frustrating two-year wait for a Tour de France stage win continues after Friday’s Stage 13.

Van Avermaet beat Sagan in a tight finish at the end of the 198.5-kilometre stage from Muret to Rodez to take the biggest win of his career.

So often missing out narrowly in major races, the Belgian, 30, was second at the Tour of Flanders last year and third this year, also finishing third at Paris-Roubaix having come fourth in 2013.

This was only his second Grand Tour stage win – he took one at the Vuelta a Espana in 2008.

“For me it’s a big victory – finally I made it,” Van Avermaet said. “I was a few times close this year in the Classics so I came here to win a stage. Especially in the first week a few times I was close but didn’t win. I survived the Pyrenees with this kind of stage in mind, I’m really happy I made it.

“Coming here and winning a stage in the Tour was one of my dreams.”

Sagan finished a bike length behind to earn his fourth runner-up spot on this Tour, his ninth since his last win in 2013 and his 20th top-five finish in that period.

“I’m not sad, I’m annoyed. It’s different,” the Slovak, 25, said. He sat on Van Avermaet’s wheel all the way up the final 570-metre climb to the finish and looked primed to dart out from behind the Belgian to win the stage.

But he said he should have launched his sprint sooner.

“I waited too long to start my sprint and if I had continued pushing hard, I think I would have beaten him,” Sagan said. “But after getting out of the saddle, I sat back down and tried to accelerate but I didn’t have the legs any more.”

Van Avermaet, by contrast, attacked early and held on grimly.

“It was really hard, I actually didn’t know who was in my wheel. I went pretty early, I just kept on going, kept on going,” he said. “I saw still one rider in my wheel, there was one guy with still 200m to go. I was dead and just hoping he wouldn’t come over.

“I’m really happy I could hold on and have a victory like this.”

Jan Bakelants was third at three seconds with John Degenkolb fourth, heading a group of 11 riders at seven seconds, including race leader Chris Froome in sixth.

All his main rivals were just behind so the 30-year-old Briton kept his two minutes 52 seconds lead over Tejay van Garderen with Nairo Quintana third at 3:09.

But he said that Saturday’s stage would see even greater hostilities.

“We already saw on a 500m climb like today gaps opening up so tomorrow on a climb like Mende, I definitely think the (general classification) guys will be fighting to gain time,” the Sky team leader said.

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