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Romans-sur-Isre - Australian Michael Matthews won his second stage of the 2017 Tour de France on Tuesday and closed in on the green jersey held by Marcel Kittel.
Chris Froome retained the overall lead in a hectic finale to stage 16 baulked by crosswinds that saw contenders Daniel Martin and Alberto Contador lose time.
Matthews edged a photo finish ahead of Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen, already denied by the cameras in stage seven when Kittel won, with John Degenkolb third.
On top of that, Matthews claimed another 50 points in the sprinters' green jersey competition to close to 29 points behind Quick-Step's Kittel.
It was a selective group that reached the finish together after Matthews's Sunweb team set a fast early pace to drop Kittel on the opening third category climb, and then crosswinds in the final 15km scattered groups all over the road.
"We took it from the word go, attacking the whole climb to make it hard for Quick-Step to shut us down," said Matthews.
"I kept attacking on the first climb, I felt quite good and when I got to the top of climb I heard Kittel was distanced by almost a minute. I called the boys and they came to the front with big smiles on their faces and went full gas."
The crosswinds got rid of other top sprinters Andre Greipel and Alexander Kristoff, leaving little competition for Matthews at the finish.
"It was a great day, it went 10 times better than was planned," added Matthews.
"I can't say I'm happy at losing all those points today but what can I do," said Kittel.
"It wasn't our day today but we have to move on and think of the next chances not missed opportunities."
He added: "Nothing is lost."
There were casualties amongst the top 10 as Martin, South African Louis Meintjes and Contador were all caught out in the wind, the first two losing 51sec and the Spaniard giving up 1min 33sec.
"Everyone knew that the last 20km would be in the wind with crosswinds," said Froome.
"It was there that we decided we had to go, to ride hard and try to make a selection."
Frenchman Romain Bardet was almost caught out but was paced back to the lead group by team-mate Oliver Naesen, while Fabio Aru had to bridge a small gap by himself.
The Italian remains second at 18sec with Bardet third at 23sec.
Froome's Spanish team-mate Mikel Landa reclaimed fifth place from Martin, who dropped to seventh, while Nairo Quintana climbed back into the top 10 at the expense of Contador.
Results from stage 16 of the Tour de France, a 165km ride from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isere on Tuesday:
1. Michael Matthews (AUS/SUN) 3hr 38min 15sec,
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/DDT) at 0:00.
3. John Degenkolb (GER/TRE) 0:00.
4. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) 0:00.
5. Christophe Laporte (FRA/COF) 0:00.
6. Jens Keukeleire (BEL/ORI) 0:00.
7. Tony Gallopin (FRA/LOT) 0:00.
8. Tiesj Benoot (BEL/LOT) 0:00.
9. Maciej Bodnar (POL/BOR) 0:00.
10. Romain Hardy (FRA/TFO) 0:00.
11. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA/DDT) 0:00.
12. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:00.
13. Christopher Froome (GBR/SKY) 0:00.
14. Simon Yates (GBR/ORI) 0:00.
15. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 0:00.
16. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:00.
17. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BMC) 0:00.
18. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) 0:00.
19. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 0:00.
20. Imanol Erviti (ESP/MOV) 0:00.
21. Warren Barguil (FRA/SUN) 0:00.
22. Stefan Kung (SUI/BMC) 0:00.
23. Oliver Naesen (BEL/ALM) 0:15.
24. Nicolas Roche (IRL/BMC) 0:17.
25. Michael Schär (SUI/BMC) 0:17.
26. Nikias Arndt (GER/SUN) 0:22.
27. Scott Thwaites (GBR/DDT) 0:23.
28. Daniele Bennati (ITA/MOV) 0:28.
29. Louis Meintjes (RSA/EAU) 0:51.
30. Pierre Latour (FRA/ALM) 0:51.
31. Daniel Martin (IRL/QST) 0:51.
32. Daryl Impey (RSA/ORI) 0:51.
33. Emanuel Buchmann (GER/BOR) 0:51.
34. Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA/ALM) 0:51.
35. Sergio Henao (COL/SKY) 0:51.
36. Guillaume Martin (FRA/AJW) 0:51.
37. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/DEN) 0:51.
38. Dylan van Baarle (NED/CAN) 0:51.
39. Jay McCarthy (AUS/BOR) 0:51.
40. Amaël Moinard (FRA/BMC) 0:51.
41. Pierre-Luc Périchon (FRA/TFO) 0:51.
42. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) 0:53.
43. André Greipel (GER/LOT) 1:25.
44. Brice Feillu (FRA/TFO) 1:33.
45. Yukiya Arashiro (JPN/BAH) 1:33.
46. Alberto Contador (ESP/TRE) 1:33.
47. Jasha Sütterlin (GER/MOV) 1:33.
48. Serge Pauwels (BEL/DDT) 1:33.
49. Adrien Petit (FRA/DEN) 1:33.
50. Diego Ulissi (ITA/EAU) 1:33.
51. Gianluca Brambilla (ITA/QST) 1:33.
52. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/KAT) 1:33.
53. Mikel Nieve (ESP/SKY) 1:33.
54. Carlos Betancur (COL/MOV) 1:33.
55. Andrey Amador (CRC/MOV) 1:33.
56. Ben Swift (GBR/EAU) 1:33.
57. Kristijan Ðurasek (CRO/EAU) 1:33.
58. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/ORI) 1:33.
59. Matteo Bono (ITA/EAU) 1:33.
60. Rudy Molard (FRA/FDJ) 1:33.
61. Esteban Chaves (COL/ORI) 1:33.
62. Bernhard Eisel (AUT/DDT) 1:33.
63. Elie Gesbert (FRA/TFO) 1:33.
64. Jan Bakelants (BEL/ALM) 1:33.
65. Mathias Frank (SUI/ALM) 1:40.
66. Pawel Poljanski (POL/BOR) 1:43.
67. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA/COF) 1:43.
68. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) 1:43.
69. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) 1:58.
70. Marco Marcato (ITA/EAU) 2:06.
71. Lilian Calmejane (FRA/DEN) 2:09.
72. Christian Knees (GER/SKY) 2:14.
73. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA/BAH) 2:32.
74. Vasil Kiryienka (BLR/SKY) 2:39.
75. Jack Bauer (NZL/QST) 2:44.
76. Koen de Kort (NED/TRE) 2:51.
77. Ramon Sinkeldam (NED/SUN) 2:51.
78. Nathan Brown (USA/CAN) 2:51.
79. Maxime Bouet (FRA/TFO) 2:51.
80. Paul Martens (GER/LNL) 2:51.
81. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/BAH) 2:51.
82. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP/TRE) 2:51.
83. Ben Gastauer (LUX/ALM) 2:51.
84. Marco Minnaard (NED/AJW) 2:51.
85. Darwin Atapuma (COL/EAU) 2:51.
86. Pierre Rolland (FRA/CAN) 2:51.
87. Tsgabu Grmay (ETH/BAH) 2:51.
88. Dmitriy Gruzdev (KAZ/AST) 3:35.
89. Yohann Gène (FRA/DEN) 4:24.
90. Tiago Machado (POR/KAT) 4:54.
91. Michael Valgren (DEN/AST) 4:54.
92. Thomas De Gendt (BEL/LOT) 4:54.
93. Perrig Quémeneur (FRA/DEN) 4:54.
94. Thomas Degand (BEL/AJW) 4:54.
95. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/DEN) 4:54.
96. Simon Geschke (GER/SUN) 4:54.
97. Thomas Boudat (FRA/DEN) 4:54.
98. Romain Sicard (FRA/DEN) 5:05.
99. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/MOV) 5:05.
100. Davide Cimolai (ITA/FDJ) 5:05.
101. Nils Politt (GER/KAT) 5:05.
102. Jesus Herrada (ESP/MOV) 5:05.
103. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/SKY) 5:05.
104. Cyril Lemoine (FRA/COF) 5:19.
105. Alessandro De Marchi (ITA/BMC) 5:45.
106. Mike Teunissen (NED/SUN) 6:19.
107. Roy Curvers (NED/SUN) 6:19.
108. Andrey Zeits (KAZ/AST) 6:19.
109. Michael Albasini (SUI/ORI) 6:19.
110. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 6:19.
111. Axel Domont (FRA/ALM) 6:19.
112. Patrick Bevin (NZL/CAN) 6:19.
113. Eduardo Sepulveda (ARG/TFO) 6:19.
114. Daniel Navarro (ESP/COF) 6:19.
115. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ/AST) 6:45.
116. Andrew Talansky (USA/CAN) 7:02.
117. Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (KAZ/AST) 7:38.
118. Javier Moreno (ESP/BAH) 9:09.
119. Damien Howson (AUS/ORI) 9:09.
120. Albert Timmer (NED/SUN) 9:59.
121. Laurens ten Dam (NED/SUN) 9:59.
122. Jarlinson Pantano (COL/TRE) 9:59.
123. Stephen Cummings (GBR/DDT) 9:59.
124. Lars Bak (DEN/LOT) 16:19.
125. Fabio Sabatini (ITA/QST) 16:19.
126. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL/AJW) 16:19.
127. Marcel Sieberg (GER/LOT) 16:19.
128. Adam Hansen (AUS/LOT) 16:19.
129. Luke Rowe (GBR/SKY) 16:19.
130. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BOR) 16:19.
131. Maurits Lammertink (NED/KAT) 16:19.
132. Markel Irizar (ESP/TRE) 16:19.
133. Mathew Hayman (AUS/ORI) 16:19.
134. Julien Vermote (BEL/QST) 16:19.
135. Marco Haller (AUT/KAT) 16:19.
136. Marcel Kittel (GER/QST) 16:19.
137. Florian Vachon (FRA/TFO) 16:19.
138. Simon Clarke (AUS/CAN) 16:19.
139. Danilo Wyss (SUI/BMC) 16:19.
140. Reto Hollenstein (SUI/KAT) 16:19.
141. Borut Bozic (SLO/BAH) 16:19.
142. Cyril Gautier (FRA/ALM) 16:19.
143. Rüdiger Selig (GER/BOR) 16:19.
144. Timo Roosen (NED/LNL) 16:19.
145. Andrea Pasqualon (ITA/AJW) 16:19.
146. Michael Gogl (AUT/TRE) 16:19.
147. Vegard Laengen (NOR/EAU) 16:19.
148. Pieter Vanspeybrouck (BEL/AJW) 16:19.
149. Frederik Backaert (BEL/AJW) 16:19.
150. Julien Simon (FRA/COF) 16:19.
151. Nicolas Edet (FRA/COF) 16:19.
152. Olivier Le Gac (FRA/FDJ) 16:19.
153. Tony Martin (GER/KAT) 16:19.
154. Dimitri Claeys (BEL/COF) 16:19.
155. Angelo Tulik (FRA/DEN) 16:19.
156. Jürgen Roelandts (BEL/LOT) 16:19.
157. Florian Sénéchal (FRA/COF) 16:19.
158. Grega Bole (SLO/BAH) 16:19.
159. Dion Smith (NZL/AJW) 16:19.
160. Zdenek Štybar (CZE/QST) 16:19.
161. Ondrej Cink (CZE/BAH) 16:19.
162. Rick Zabel (GER/KAT) 16:19.
163. Alberto Bettiol (ITA/CAN) 16:19.
164. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/LNL) 16:19.
165. Primož Roglic (SLO/LNL) 16:19.
166. Tom Leezer (NED/LNL) 16:19.
167. Jaco Venter (RSA/DDT) 16:19.
168. Robert Wagner (GER/LNL) 16:19.
169. Taylor Phinney (USA/CAN) 16:19.
170. Yoann Offredo (FRA/AJW) 16:19.
171. Luis Angel Maté (ESP/COF) 26:17.
172. Laurent Pichon (FRA/TFO) 26:17.
173. Daniel McLay (GBR/TFO) 26:17.
. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/QST) DNS
. George Bennett (NZL/LNL) Retired
