Tour de France: Belgium’s Wout Van Aert wins Stage 7

TIL Desk Sports/ Belgian cyclist Wout Van Aert took a second win of the Tour de France 2020 after an explosive Stage 7, a 168km ride from Millau to Lavaur, saw the peloton blow apart from the outset and Peter Sagan move back into the green jersey.

Van Aert on Friday led home a select, lead group of race favourites to deliver Jumbo-Visma’s third win of the race as Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) became the big casualty in the battle for yellow.

Tour debutant Pogacar was dropped in the crosswinds during a frenetic conclusion to an already highly combative 168km stage, the 21-year-old crossing the line over a minute down to plummet out of the top 10 and lose the white jersey.

Spain’s Mikel Landa (Bahrain-McLaren), Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), Australia’s Richie Porte and his Trek-Segafredo teammate Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands were all caught out after the expected winds wreaked havoc in the peloton, while Colombia’s Dani Martinez (EF Pro Cycling) shipped the best part of 15 minutes.