RODEZ, France — Peter Sagan might be the unluckiest rider at the 102nd Tour de France. “So close yet so far” could be his nickname.
With a few more pumps on his pedals, a few more ounces of speed and power, the spunky Slovakian could have won four stages by now.
Instead, he has four second-place finishes.
He blamed only himself for the latest addition Friday to his unwanted collection. In a man-to-man duel on an uphill final sprint against Greg van Avermaet, Sagan mistimed his finish, easing up just a fraction too early against the Belgian rider who pushed to the very end.
“My stupid mistake,” said the Tinkoff-Saxo rider.
Chris Froome was faultless. Again. Another stage down, another step closer to sipping champagne on the Champs-Elysees in Paris for the race leader.
“Just happy to tick that day off. One day closer to Paris now,” Froome said.
For most of the flat-to-hilly Stage 13 from Muret deep in southern France, six low-placed riders rode in a breakaway at the front of the race.
None were a threat for the podium in Paris. The closest to Froome, Cyril Gautier, was more than an hour behind him in the overall standings. So Froome and the main pack happily let the escape get away, hoping instead for a breather on the 123-mile trek after three grueling days of climbing in the Pyrenees and under an unrelenting sun that melted tarmac.
Riding past plantations of yellow sunflowers and golden fields of harvested wheat, the riders worked on staying hydrated as the temperature soared into the mid-90s.
A loss of concentration proved painful for Jean-Christophe Peraud. Last year’s race runner-up suffered a nasty spill at speed on the flat, tearing strips of skin off his left leg and arms as he hit the deck hard and rolled several times.
Tour at a glance
The Associated Press
Friday’s Stage 13: The peloton covered three lower-grade climbs during a 123-mile ride from Muret to Rodez in rural southern France.
Winner: Greg van Avermaet. On another sweltering day of racing, the Belgian with the BMC team bested Peter Sagan in a two-man sprint.
Yellow jersey: Chris Froome. The 2013 champion kept his title rivals, including Aspen’s Tejay van Garderen, at bay.
Cannondale-Garmin: The Boulder-based team was led by Andrew Talansky, who finished 31st in the stage. He stands 16th overall.
Saturday’s Stage 14: The pack goes up two low-grade hills and two medium-grade climbs — including a steep but short uphill finish — during this 111-mile ride from Rodez to Mende.
