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Tour de France: Peter Sagan wins photo finish, Chris Froome retains lead

By The Sports Xchange
Peter Sagan of Slovakia. Photo by David Silpa/UPI
Peter Sagan of Slovakia. Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo

Peter Sagan won the 16th stage of the Tour de France in a photo finish Monday as defending champion Chris Froome retained his yellow jersey lead.

Sagan of Slovakia edged Alexander Kristoff of Norway at the line as the race crossed into Switzerland. Norwegian Sondre Enger was third in the 130-mile stage from Moirans-en-Montagne, France, to the Swiss capital of Bern.

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Kristoff pumped his fist in celebration but learned seconds later he finished second.

"I was lucky I threw my bike," said Sagan, who won his third stage in this Tour and the seventh of his career. "I was certain I would finish second."

The 31-year-old Froome, the 2013 and 2015 champion from Britain, remains in the lead entering the second and final rest day on Tuesday. The Tour then has four challenging climbing stages in the Alps.

"Today it was just about not taking any risks," Froome said. "I just thought about following others."

Froome (72 hours, 40 minutes, 38 seconds) kept his 1-minute, 47-second lead over Dutch rider Bauke Mollema, with Britain's Adam Yates in third, 2:45 back, and Nairo Quintana of Colombia fourth, 2:59 behind.

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American Tejay van Garderen remained eighth overall, 4:47 behind Froome.

There was a minute of silence at the start of the stage to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack in Nice, France, last week that killed 84 people and wounded more than 200 others.

The Tour ends Sunday with mostly a ceremonial finish in Paris on the Champs Elysees.

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