Tour de France Stage 10: Sam Bennett takes the sprint, Primoz Roglic retains overall lead (+ highlights)

A nervous day at the Tour de France has ended with Sam Bennett taking his first ever stage victory at the race, just holding off Lotto-Soudal's Caleb Ewan on the line at Ile de Ré with Peter Sagan of Bora-Hansgrohe finishing third. Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic retains the overall lead.

Racing resumed after yesterday's rest day with Stage 10, which began on the Ile d'Oléron and followed a twisting route to finish a little further up the Atlantic coast, and with a strong wind there was an ever-present threat of echelons forming.

It was no surprise, therefore, that after an early two-man break had been reeled in at around the halfway point of the 168.5km stage, it was crosswind specialists Deceuninck-Quick Step that  set the pace at the front of the peloton, with Bennett giving them his team their reward with his victory.

Bennett, who was clearly emotional when interviewed immediately after his victory – see the video below – has now won stage at all three Grand Tours.

He becomes the sixth Irishman to do so at the Tour de France, the others being Shay Elliott, Seán Kelly, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley and Dan Martin

Today’s short-lived break comprised just two riders and had a Swiss flavour as Stefan Küng of Groupama-FDJ and compatriot Michael Schär of CCC went clear on the bridge linking the Ile d’Oléron to the mainland at the start of the stage.

Even well after the pair had been swept up, Küng twice went on the attack again on another bridge, the one crossing to the Ile de Ré, but was brought back both times.

Following a fraught day punctuated by several crashes the pace was high as the overall contenders’ teams made sure their leaders arrived safely inside the final 3 kilometres, before easing off to allow the sprinters their chance to fight for a rare stage win with opportunities already running out approaching the halfway stage of the race.

Reaction

Stage winner Sam Bennett

🇮🇪 Pure emotion from the excellent Sam Bennett 👏

"I don't think it's hit me. You dream of it and you never think it'll happen."#TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/Fdq4ip0SSf

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) September 8, 2020