Dylan Teuns of Belgium has won the first mountain stage of the Tour de France and Giulio Ciccone of Italy has taken the overall race lead.
Teuns and Ciccone were rewarded for a daring breakaway early in Thursday’s Stage 6 that they pursued all the way to the end, up the terrible climb to the Planche des Belles Filles ski station.
Teuns shook off Ciccone on the final 24% incline at the top of the ski station. But Ciccone still managed to wrest the yellow jersey off Julian Alaphilippe, the French rider who battled behind to keep hold of the race lead, only to come up a few seconds short.
Geraint Thomas, the defending champion, rode strongly on the final incline, getting ahead of his teammate Egan Bernal.
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