(MENAFN- Arab Times) GNERES-DE-LUCHON France July 22 (Agencies): Australian Michael Rogers finally earnt his first stage victory in his 10th Tour de France on Tuesday. The three-time world timetrial champion riding for Tinkoff-Saxo came home on his own at the end of the mammoth 237.5km 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 9sec ahead of Frenchman Thomas Voeckler who took second in a sprint finish ahead of Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus.
Meanwhile Frenchman Romain Bardet and American Tejay van Garderen's Tour de France podium hopes suffered a major blow on Tuesday when they lost considerable ground in the 16th stage. Rogers gave his Tinkoff-Saxo team their second stage win this year by powering away from a breakaway group in the 237.5-km mountain trek from Carcassonne. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy retained the overall leader's yellow jersey ahead of Spain's Alejandro Valverde while France's Thibaut Pinot who was the strongest in the intimidating ascent to the Port de Bales moved up to third at the expense of compatriot Bardet. AG2R-La Mondiale rider Bardet who had promised to blow the race open in the Pyrenees was unable to sustain the pace in the climb and lost more than 1:40. Van Garderen also could not follow and lost more than three minutes but Bardet's team mate Jean-Christophe Peraud could not be shaken off. 'I had good legs I had to attack' Pinot whose acceleration in the Port de Bales put all his rivals in the red told reporters. 'I hope I can stay on the podium (all the way to Paris). The FDJ.fr rider holds the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider. Nibali leads Valverde by 4:37 and Pinot by 5:06 ahead of two tough stages in the Pyrenees with Peraud in fourth 6:08 off the pace while Bardet is 32 seconds further back. 'This is tough to take in when you were looking to attack' said Bardet. 'But there are two stages left in the Pyrenees and I will be looking to attack tomorrow if I have the legs.' BMC rider Van Garderen now lies 9:25 behind Nibali. 'Movistar made such an insane tempo. I did not have the legs I felt a bit empty. I'm hoping I can bounce back tomnorrow' the American said. World champion Rui Costa of Portugal did not start the stage as he withdrew suffering from pneumonia. 'He was forced to withdraw after an X-ray examination carried out during the rest day at a clinic in Pezenas showed an outbreak of pneumonia' his Lampre team said in a statement. A 21-man breakaway took shape after about 60 kilometres and built a 12:30 gap that started to shrink when they hit the first slopes of the ascent to the Port de Bales a 11.7-km climb at an average gradient of 7.7 per cent. Astana and Movistar set the tempo of the peloton in the climb while Rogers's acceleration in the break reduced the group to seven men. Thomas Voeckler's attack skimmed it down to four before his Europcar team mate Cyril Gauthier burst away but he quickly paid for it and was dropped. Rogers Colombian Jose Serpa and Voeckler were on their own three kilometres from the summit. That is where Pinot's team mate Arnold Jeannesson upped the pace in front of the yellow jersey group as Bardet dropped out. Van Garderen was long gone already after Valverde's Movistar team had set a devilish pace at the front. Pinot finished it off in the last kilometre dropping Valverde Peraud and even Nibali. However they all came back in the descent and worked together with several team mates who had been dropped from the morning's breakaway and they finished together. Wednesday's 17th stage is a brutal 124.5-km effort featuring four demanding climbs with a summit finish at Plat d'Adet. Results 1. Michael Rogers Australia Tinkoff-Saxo 6 hours 7 minutes 10 seconds; 2. Thomas Voeckler France Europcar 9 seconds behind; 3. Vasili Kiryienka Belarus Sky same time; 4. Jose Serpa Colombia Lampre-Merida same time; 5. Cyril Gautier France Europcar same time; 6. Greg Van Avermaet Belgium BMC Racing :13; 7. Michal Kwiatkowski Poland Omega Pharma-Quick-Step :36; 8. Matteo Montaguti Italy AG2R La Mondiale :50; 9. Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands Garmin-Sharp 2:11; 10. Tony Gallopin France Lotto Belisol same time. Standings 1. Vincenzo Nibali Italy Astana 73 hours 5 minutes 19 seconds; 2. Alejandro Valverde Spain Movistar 4 minutes 37 seconds behind; 3. Thibaut Pinot France FDJ.fr 5:06; 4. Jean-Christophe Peraud France AG2R La Mondiale 6:08; 5. Romain Bardet France AG2R La Mondiale 6:40; 6. Tejay van Garderen United States BMC Racing 9:25; 7. Leopold Konig Czech Republic NetApp-Endura 9:32; 8. Laurens ten Dam Netherlands Belkin Pro Cycling 11:12; 9. Michal Kwiatkowski Poland Omega Pharma-Quick-Step 11:28; 10. Bauke Mollema Netherlands Belkin Pro Cycling 11:33.
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