Mathieu van der Poel claimed nine of the upcoming Tour de France on Sunday. He raced unaided after escaping from the closing large break. The stage spanned for two hundred and two kilometres from either end of the route, with the other end being the the Loire start city.
Tom Pidcock landed in 3rd despite a bike issue. A small stone wedged in his gears, seizing the system during the race.
Tadej Pogačar crossed the line inside the main peloton and vented about the heat. The Tour faced its hottest spells on the tougher roads.
Elsewhere, peloton dealt with breezes across the open plains. Many groups pushed breaking the peloton before the last uphill.
By the finish, spectators roared the stage hero warmly. Organisers noted a clean stage on the long day. Weather forecasts warned rising temperatures ahead, as the race points westward.
Directeurs claimed the outcome shifts the overall standings ahead of the climbs. Van der Poel defended his modest gap in the sprint fight. Pidcock climbed several spots on gc despite his bad luck.
Going forward, the field faces a transfer before the décisive mountain block.