OYONNAX, France (AP) — A brief look at the 11th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday:
Stage: A hilly 187.5-kilometer (116.3-mile) route in eastern France from Besancon to Oyonnax with four moderate climbs toward the end.
Winner: French rider Tony Gallopin continued his successful Tour by winning in a sprint to the line in a time of 4 hours, 25 minutes, 45 seconds. German rider John Degenkolb was second and Italy’s Matteo Trentin was third.
Yellow jersey: Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali kept the yellow jersey — maintaining his lead of 2 minutes, 23 seconds over Australian Richie Porte and 2:47 over Spaniard Alejandro Valverde.
Quote of the day: “It was for my teammates, for my team and the work that they’ve put into this Tour for me. I didn’t just want to stop and go home after everything they’ve done for me,” — American rider Andrew Talansky after riding alone in agony for hours at the back of the peloton because of intense back pains sustained from two previous crashes during the race. He was the last of 179 riders to finish.
Stat of the day: 32:05 — the time difference between Gallopin and Talansky.
Next stage: Thursday’s 12th stage is an undulating 185.5-kilometer (115-mile) route from Bourg-en-Bresse to Saint-Etienne in south-eastern France.
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