On international Nelson Mandela Day, Stephen Cummings takes the first stage win for an African team.Race Report: What a day! A 20 man breakaway were the story of the day as the peloton decided to take the day off until the slopes of the final climb of Cote de la Croix Neuve to the airstrip in Mende. As we hit the climb Romain Bardet found his way to the front and blew apart the race with only Pinot, Uran and Simon Yates able to follow. Further down the mountain though the British rider, Stephen Cummings was pacing himself to what would become one of the most incredible victories we’ve ever seen. He was totally absent for so much of the climb, even the wide lens helicopter shots couldn’t find him, but as the race crested the climb, with 1km to go until the finish, suddenly he was there and he blasted past the French duo of Pinot and Bardet to take the stage.Behind in the GC Quintana exposed weaknesses in the Sky team, which had previously looked impenetrable, but he was unable to put any time into the yellow jersey of Chris Froome. RouteIt’s a very tiring and very hot day in the south of France. We’re climbing for almost all the stage but the real hard ascents start in the final 40km with the Cote de Sauveterre (9km @ 6%), Cote de Chabris (1.9km @ 5.9%) and a finish on the incredibly steep Cote de la Croix Neuve (3km...
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