Belgian Greg van Avermaet took second place and retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

Another Belgian, Yves Lampaert, was third.

Among the contenders for the overall title, last year’s runner-up Rigoberto Uran lost ground on his rivals after hitting the asphalt about 30km from the finish on a stage that featured 21.7km of cobbled sectors. Australian Richie Porte pulled out after an early crash.

The peloton will enjoy their first rest day on Monday.