Australian Caleb Ewan wins Tour stage 16, Alaphilippe retains yellow jersey

With temperatures soaring as high as 40 C (104 F), Alaphilippe and his main rivals in the Tour de France did not attack each other over the 177-kilometer mainly flat stage in the Nimes rural hinterland.

Defending champion Geraint Thomas crashed about 40 kilometers after the race started from the Roman city, But he escaped largely unscathed, with just a few scratches on his left elbow.

Ewan, a Tour debutant, edged Elia Viviani and Dylan Groenewegen to post his second stage win.

Thomas, who is second in the overall standings, had already been caught in pile-ups during the first and eighth stage of the three-week race. Danish rider Jakob Fuglsang, who stood ninth overall, also fell with 28 kilometers left and abandoned the Tour.

(AP)