Overall 1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 72:40:38"; 2. Bauke Mollema (Netherlands / Trek) +1:47"; 3. Adam Yates (Britain / Orica) +2:45"; 4. Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) +2:59"; 5. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) +3:17"
Stage 16 1. Peter Sagan (Slovakia / Tinkoff) 4:26:02"; 2. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) ST; 3. Sondre Enger (Norway / IAM Cycling); 4. John Degenkolb (Germany / Giant); 5. Michael Matthews (Australia / Orica); 6. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland / Trek); 7. Sep Vanmarcke (Belgium / LottoNL); 8. Maximiliano Richeze (Argentina / Etixx - Quick-Step); 9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Dimension Data); 10. Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium / BMC Racing)
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BERN, FRANCE // Peter Sagan won Stage 16 of the Tour de France in a photo-finish ahead of Alexander Kristoff, while Chris Froome stayed safe in the yellow jersey.
World champion Sagan took his third stage victory of this Tour by a tiny margin at the end of a 209-kilometre stage from Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne.
Team Sky’s Froome was in the leading pack as they crossed the line to ensure he keeps yellow heading into Tuesday’s rest day.
Although this was a relatively flat stage ahead of the Alpine challenges to come, the tight technical finish in Berne – which included a sharp cobbled climb two kilometres from the finish – was thought to suit the likes of Sagan and so it proved
However, it was far from straightforward as sprint specialists Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb survived that late climb alongside Sagan and Kristoff.
Katusha’s Kristoff opened up the sprint first and the Norwegian looked to have all the advantage he needed, but Tinkoff’s Sagan threw his bike forward at the line and snatched a win which all but ends the competition for the points leaders’ green jersey.
“It was a very hot stage,” Sagan said.
“I’m thankful to the team and a lot of times I lose the race but now I won and I think destiny is turning back now.”
Trek-Segafredo’s Fabian Cancellara, the 35-year-old Berne native in his final Tour de France, had to settle for sixth place.
Cancellara expressed his disappointment at failing to win his home stage.
“It was a hot day and very tough in the last 20km, but I was missing this last little something in the final sprint,” he said. “I fought with Alexander Kristoff for the final position, but it was a long straight line finish.
“It wasn’t so bad, I’m looking forward to a rest day because it was hard out there.”
Froome crossed the line 13th, alongside his principle rivals for yellow on the same time as the leaders.
Etixx-QuickStep pair Julian Alaphilippe and Tony Martin had animated the day with a breakaway which lasted for 170km and saw them pull almost six minutes clear at one point.
Their advantage began to tick down as they approached the Swiss border, dipping under five minutes as they flew through the checkpoints.
As they approached the outskirts of Berne, Alaphilippe was caught first with Martin sitting up with a wave and a smile 22km from the finish.
Almost as soon as they were reeled in, Lampre-Merida’s Rui Costa went clear and built a 15-second lead, but he was hoovered up just inside the 5km banner.
Team Dimension Data had hoped to make an impression to repeat Steve Cummings’ emotional Nelson Mandela Day victory of a year ago, but Edvald Boasson Hagen could not find space in the final sprint and came home ninth.
His teammate Mark Cavendish, winner of four stages in this Tour, stayed with the final group on the cobbled climb but did not have the legs to engage in the sprint and rolled home in 22nd place.
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