Australian Michael Rogers finally earned his first stage victory in his 10th Tour de France on Tuesday.
The three-time world time-trial champion, riding for Tinkoff-Saxo, came home on his own at the end of a mammoth 237.5-km 16th stage from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon.
The wily veteran, who won two stages at the Giro d’Italia in May after coming back from a temporary doping suspension, outfoxed four escape companions to finish 9 seconds ahead of Frenchman Thomas Voeckler, who took second in a sprint finish ahead of Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus.
Further behind, Italian Vincenzo Nibali held onto his race leader’s yellow jersey, 4 minutes 37 seconds ahead of Alejandro Valverde, as he came home in a small and elite group of his closest rivals.
One of the big losers on the day, though, was 23-year-old Frenchman Romain Bardet, who was dropped on the hors category Port de Bales climb and lost 1:50 to his rivals for a podium finish.
That promoted 24-year-old compatriot Thibaut Pinot from fourth to third with veteran 37-year-old Jean Christophe Peraud, another Frenchman, moving up from sixth to fourth.