Groenewegen holds off Gaviria and Sagan to win stage seven

Dylan Groenewegen took an emphatic win in a bunch sprint finish on stage seven of the Tour de France as Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas stayed second overall.
Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s Groenewegen pulled clear of Fernando Gaviria to win comfortably and deny the Colombian a third stage win at this year’s race.
Peter Sagan was third as the sprinters tussled in a late frenzy in Chartres after 231km that lacked drama.
Britain’s Mark Cavendish appeared in contention but slipped to 10th late on.
Cavendish, who is chasing a 31st stage win to close in on the Tour record of 34 held by Belgian Eddy Merckx, said a late collision hampered his finish but conceded other teams are in better form.
“I was following quite good wheels but it was choppy,” said Team Dimension Data rider Cavendish, 33.
“I went to go but Quick-Step and Bora-Hansgrohe just seem to have another level.
“I kicked but couldn’t match them. I had a little coming together at the end, it may have been my fault and it stopped me dead in my tracks.”
Welshman Thomas is now six seconds behind Greg van Avermaet in the leader’s yellow jersey after the BMC rider surged off the front of the peloton to take three seconds at the time bonus sprint point.
“It was a long day in the saddle – the final was super fast and stressful but that’s another day done,” Thomas told BBC Radio 5 live.
“The first week has been good but it would have been nice to wear the yellow jersey, I could have not asked for much more though.”
Fellow Britons Adam Yates and four-time winner Chris Froome finished safely in the bunch and remain 13th and 14th respectively, one minute five seconds behind Van Avermaet.