Sam Bennett has strengthened his grip on the green jersey with just four stages remaining of this year's Tour de France.
The Deceuninck Quick-Step man outdid Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) on stage 17's intermediate sprint at La Rochette.
Bennett took 9-points compared to Sagan's 7 to extend his lead to 47.
💚 In the peloton, @Sammmy_Be takes 9 points.The battle for the green jersey is well on.
💚 Dans le peloton, Sam Bennett prend 9 point. La bataille pour le maillot vert continue !#TDF2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/ARGFmFCfFN— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 16, 2020
Miguel-Angel Lopez (Astana) won the stage on the Col de la Loze, the third highest ever finish on the Tour. It was the second hors categorie climb of the day.
Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) extended his lead in yellow to 57-seconds by finishing second.
🦅 A bird's eye view of 🇨🇴 @SupermanlopezN's decisive attack on the Col de la Loze as he won ahead of 🇸🇮 duo @rogla and @TamauPogi!
Vue aérienne de l'attaque décisive de 🇨🇴 @SupermanlopezN dans le Col de la Loze pour s'imposer devant le duo slovène @rogla / @TamauPogi#TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/lSMEvyT0io— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 16, 2020
With the sprint out of the way, the remainder of the stage was left to those with designs on moving up on general classification and perhaps challenging the Roglic supremacy.
Ireland's Dan Martin (Team Israel Start-Up Nation) had been part of a five-man breakaway early on the stage, but found himself dropped on the descent of the Col de la Madeleine.
Attacking the Col de la Loze, Richard Carapaz (Team INEOS Grenadiers) looked to atone for a disappointing Tour for the team.
However, he was reeled in with just 3km to go, having previously built up a 40-second lead over the chasing pack.
While Lopez went alone for the stage win, with some nightmarish gradients with which to contend, Roglic played some to me-to you with his nearest challenger Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).
It initially seemed as if Pogacar was about to take a chunk out of his fellow Slovenian's 40-second lead, before Roglic put the boot down.
The man in yellow ended the day 57-seconds clear of Pogacar, with Lopez in a podium position just 1'26" down.
Another day in the mountains awaits on Thursday, with Bennett and co thrown the bone of a sprint at Aime early on stage 18.
An hors categorie schlep up the Montee de Plateau des Glières is the roughest of five categorised climbs, before the finish at La Roche-sur-Feron.
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