Kittel continues Tour sprint domination

Bergerac - Marcel Kittel cantered to a fourth stage win of the Tour de France at the end of Tuesday's 178km 10th stage from Perigueux to Bergerac with Chris Froome retaining the overall lead.

The 29-year-old German was imperious as he won easily ahead of compatriot John Degenkolb with Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen third.

"It's true, it's amazing, I can't even tell you how proud I am," said Quick-Step's Kittel.

"it's a fourth stage win in 10 days, that's a great achievement for me and the team."

But it was the manner of Kittel's victory that was most impressive.

Once he accelerated from around half a dozen bodies back, he simply breezed past the competition and streaked clear to win by a couple of bike lengths, even having time to raise his arms in celebration before crossing the line.

It means he is well set to make this his best Tour yet as he has already matched his previous top effort -- four stage wins in both 2013 and 2014 -- less than half the way through this year's race.

In fact, Kittel has won four of the five flat sprint finishes at the Tour this year, and in the one he didn't win he was held up by a crash in the final kilometre

A tilt at the record of eight stage wins from a single Tour has now become a viable possibility.

Kittel also broke the record for stage wins by a German, moving one clear of the 12 mark he had shared with Erik Zabel following his stage victory on Friday.

And he increased his lead in the green points jersey competition, emphasising the possibility of Kittel holding it all the way to Paris -- although he has a fair way to go to match Zabel's record of six wins in that category.

Earlier in the day French pair Yoann Ofredo and Elie Gesbert took off from the get-go on Tuesday's stage and held a lead of five and a half minutes at one stage but their effort was always doomed to failure and they were inevitably caught with seven kilometres left.

For Briton Froome, the reigning champion, and the other overall contenders it was a quiet and calm day in the saddle.

The 10th stage followed Monday's rest day and Froome admitted Tuesday's stage "almost" felt like a second successive day off.

"It was a calmer day, there wasn't much wind and no stress today -- it was a less complicated stage.

"It's never easy but today was calmer."

That would have been a relief after Sunday's calamitous stage that saw five riders crash out, including Australian contender Richie Porte.

Froome kept hold of the race leader's yellow jersey with an 18-second advantage to Italy's Fabio Aru.

France's Romain Bardet is third at 51sec.

Results from stage 10 of the Tour de France, a 178km ride from Perigueux to Bergerac on Tuesday:

1. Marcel Kittel (GER/QST) 4hr 01min 00sec.

2. John Degenkolb (GER/TRE) at 0:00.

3. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/LNL) 0:00.

4. Rdiger Selig (GER/BOR) 0:00.

5. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) 0:00.

6. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA/COF) 0:00.

7. Daniel McLay (GBR/TFO) 0:00.

8. Pieter Vanspeybrouck (BEL/AJW) 0:00.

9. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA/BAH) 0:00.

10. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/DDT) 0:00.

11. Thomas Boudat (FRA/DEN) 0:00.

12. Andr Greipel (GER/LOT) 0:00.

13. Michael Matthews (AUS/SUN) 0:00.

14. Davide Cimolai (ITA/FDJ) 0:00.

15. Jasha Stterlin (GER/MOV) 0:00.

16. Andrea Pasqualon (ITA/AJW) 0:00.

17. Danilo Wyss (SUI/BMC) 0:00.

18. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA/DDT) 0:00.

19. Ben Swift (GBR/EAU) 0:00.

20. Dion Smith (NZL/AJW) 0:00.

21. Koen de Kort (NED/TRE) 0:00.

22. Christophe Laporte (FRA/COF) 0:00.

23. Frederik Backaert (BEL/AJW) 0:00.

24. Yukiya Arashiro (JPN/BAH) 0:00.

25. Jack Bauer (NZL/QST) 0:00.

26. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN/AST) 0:00.

27. Marco Marcato (ITA/EAU) 0:00.

28. Jay McCarthy (AUS/BOR) 0:00.

29. Stefan Kung (SUI/BMC) 0:00.

30. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) 0:00.

31. Oliver Naesen (BEL/ALM) 0:00.

32. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:00.

33. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/SKY) 0:00.

34. Christopher Froome (GBR/SKY) 0:00.

35. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) 0:00.

36. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 0:00.

37. Daniel Martin (IRL/QST) 0:00.

38. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:00.

39. George Bennett (NZL/LNL) 0:00.

40. Simon Clarke (AUS/CAN) 0:00.

41. Daryl Impey (RSA/ORI) 0:00.

42. Marco Haller (AUT/KAT) 0:00.

43. Sergio Henao (COL/SKY) 0:00.

44. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/DEN) 0:00.

45. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 0:00.

46. Louis Meintjes (RSA/EAU) 0:00.

47. Luke Rowe (GBR/SKY) 0:00.

48. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BMC) 0:00.

49. Simon Yates (GBR/ORI) 0:00.

50. Romain Hardy (FRA/TFO) 0:00.

51. Daniele Bennati (ITA/MOV) 0:00.

52. Markel Irizar (ESP/TRE) 0:00.

53. Julien Simon (FRA/COF) 0:00.

54. Taylor Phinney (USA/CAN) 0:00.

55. Warren Barguil (FRA/SUN) 0:00.

56. Jrgen Roelandts (BEL/LOT) 0:00.

57. Emanuel Buchmann (GER/BOR) 0:00.

58. Pierre Latour (FRA/ALM) 0:00.

59. Mikel Nieve (ESP/SKY) 0:00.

60. Marco Minnaard (NED/AJW) 0:00.

61. Brice Feillu (FRA/TFO) 0:00.

62. Arthur Vichot (FRA/FDJ) 0:00.

63. Jan Bakelants (BEL/ALM) 0:00.

64. Axel Domont (FRA/ALM) 0:00.

65. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP/TRE) 0:00.

66. Tony Gallopin (FRA/LOT) 0:00.

67. Mike Teunissen (NED/SUN) 0:00.

68. Fabio Felline (ITA/TRE) 0:00.

69. Michael Valgren (DEN/AST) 0:00.

70. Dylan van Baarle (NED/CAN) 0:00.

71. Nils Politt (GER/KAT) 0:00.

72. Michael Albasini (SUI/ORI) 0:00.

73. Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA/ALM) 0:00.

74. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/ORI) 0:00.

75. Rudy Molard (FRA/FDJ) 0:00.

76. Andrey Amador (CRC/MOV) 0:00.

77. Imanol Erviti (ESP/MOV) 0:00.

78. Ramon Sinkeldam (NED/SUN) 0:00.

79. Diego Ulissi (ITA/EAU) 0:00.

80. Thomas Degand (BEL/AJW) 0:00.

81. Cyril Gautier (FRA/ALM) 0:00.

82. Jens Keukeleire (BEL/ORI) 0:00.

83. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/BAH) 0:00.

84. Maxime Bouet (FRA/TFO) 0:00.

85. Guillaume Martin (FRA/AJW) 0:00.

86. Mathew Hayman (AUS/ORI) 0:00.

87. Esteban Chaves (COL/ORI) 0:00.

88. Roy Curvers (NED/SUN) 0:00.

89. Alberto Contador (ESP/TRE) 0:00.

90. Patrick Bevin (NZL/CAN) 0:00.

91. Fabio Sabatini (ITA/QST) 0:00.

92. Michael Gogl (AUT/TRE) 0:00.

93. Jarlinson Pantano (COL/TRE) 0:00.

94. Kristijan urasek (CRO/EAU) 0:00.

95. Matteo Bono (ITA/EAU) 0:00.

96. Marcel Sieberg (GER/LOT) 0:00.

97. Carlos Betancur (COL/MOV) 0:00.

98. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/MOV) 0:00.

99. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) 0:00.

100. Nicolas Roche (IRL/BMC) 0:00.

101. Darwin Atapuma (COL/EAU) 0:00.

102. Damien Howson (AUS/ORI) 0:00.

103. Olivier Le Gac (FRA/FDJ) 0:00.

104. Ben Gastauer (LUX/ALM) 0:00.

105. Timo Roosen (NED/LNL) 0:00.

106. Ondrej Cink (CZE/BAH) 0:00.

107. Nathan Brown (USA/CAN) 0:00.

108. Florian Vachon (FRA/TFO) 0:00.

109. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 0:00.

110. Mathias Frank (SUI/ALM) 0:00.

111. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/KAT) 0:00.

112. Michael Schr (SUI/BMC) 0:00.

113. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL/AJW) 0:00.

114. Tsgabu Grmay (ETH/BAH) 0:00.

115. Andrey Zeits (KAZ/AST) 0:00.

116. Pawel Poljanski (POL/BOR) 0:00.

117. Tiago Machado (POR/KAT) 0:00.

118. Tony Martin (GER/KAT) 0:00.

119. Maurits Lammertink (NED/KAT) 0:00.

120. Lars Bak (DEN/LOT) 0:00.

121. Maciej Bodnar (POL/BOR) 0:00.

122. Zdenek Stybar (CZE/QST) 0:00.

123. Serge Pauwels (BEL/DDT) 0:00.

124. Pierre-Luc Prichon (FRA/TFO) 0:00.

125. Nikias Arndt (GER/SUN) 0:00.

126. Javier Moreno (ESP/BAH) 0:00.

127. Tiesj Benoot (BEL/LOT) 0:00.

128. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BOR) 0:00.

129. Laurens ten Dam (NED/SUN) 0:00.

130. Alessandro De Marchi (ITA/BMC) 0:00.

131. Laurent Pichon (FRA/TFO) 0:00.

132. Paul Martens (GER/LNL) 0:00.

133. Vasil Kiryienka (BLR/SKY) 0:00.

134. Cyril Lemoine (FRA/COF) 0:00.

135. Bernhard Eisel (AUT/DDT) 0:00.

136. Jaco Venter (RSA/DDT) 0:00.

137. Florian Snchal (FRA/COF) 0:00.

138. Scott Thwaites (GBR/DDT) 0:00.

139. Rick Zabel (GER/KAT) 0:37.

140. Tom Leezer (NED/LNL) 0:41.

141. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/QST) 0:41.

142. Gianluca Brambilla (ITA/QST) 0:41.

143. Luis Angel Mat (ESP/COF) 0:51.

144. Nicolas Edet (FRA/COF) 0:51.

145. Daniel Navarro (ESP/COF) 0:51.

146. Thomas De Gendt (BEL/LOT) 0:51.

147. Amal Moinard (FRA/BMC) 0:51.

148. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/DEN) 0:51.

149. Lilian Calmejane (FRA/DEN) 0:51.

150. Simon Geschke (GER/SUN) 0:51.

151. Adrien Petit (FRA/DEN) 0:51.

152. Stephen Cummings (GBR/DDT) 0:51.

153. Grega Bole (SLO/BAH) 0:51.

154. Borut Bozic (SLO/BAH) 0:51.

155. Dimitri Claeys (BEL/COF) 0:51.

156. Angelo Tulik (FRA/DEN) 0:51.

157. Albert Timmer (NED/SUN) 0:51.

158. Robert Wagner (GER/LNL) 0:58.

159. Christian Knees (GER/SKY) 1:02.

160. Reto Hollenstein (SUI/KAT) 1:02.

161. Alberto Bettiol (ITA/CAN) 1:02.

162. Primoz Roglic (SLO/LNL) 1:02.

163. Jesus Herrada (ESP/MOV) 1:23.

164. Perrig Qumeneur (FRA/DEN) 1:23.

165. Andrew Talansky (USA/CAN) 1:25.

166. Pierre Rolland (FRA/CAN) 1:25.

167. Romain Sicard (FRA/DEN) 1:25.

168. Yohann Gne (FRA/DEN) 1:25.

169. Adam Hansen (AUS/LOT) 1:27.

170. Tim Wellens (BEL/LOT) 1:27.

171. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) 1:36.

172. Dario Cataldo (ITA/AST) 1:36.

173. Yoann Offredo (FRA/AJW) 2:01.

174. Julien Vermote (BEL/QST) 2:17.

175. Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (KAZ/AST) 2:34.

176. Dmitriy Gruzdev (KAZ/AST) 2:34.

177. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ/AST) 2:34.

178. Vegard Laengen (NOR/EAU) 2:34.

179. Eduardo Sepulveda (ARG/TFO) 2:34.

180. Elie Gesbert (FRA/TFO) 3:11.