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The powerful Quick-Step Floors<\/a> rider led by such a margin that he had time to sit up, relax, and take it all in as he came home a bike length clear of compatriot John Degenkolb<\/a> (Trek-Segafredo<\/a>) and Dutch youngster Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo).<\/p>\n While Rudiger Selig of Bora-Hansgrohe made it three Germans in the top four, there was nothing to celebrate \u2013 by a country mile \u2013 for veteran Andre Greipel<\/a> who, despite hard work from his Lotto Soudal team-mates, stuttered to 12th place just ahead of the equally out-of-sorts Australian, Michael Matthews<\/a> (Team Sunweb<\/a>).<\/p>\n Video –<\/span> ‘Nobody could get near him!’ – Kittel wins Stage 10<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 01:52<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Kittel has now equalled his record haul for a single Tour de France \u2013 even though the 104th edition has yet to hit the half-way point and there remains, at least, another three sprints on the menu. Kittel\u2019s thirteenth career triumph on the Tour also makes the German his nation\u2019s outright leading stage winner, having leapfrogged the legendary Erik Zabel.<\/p>\n “Of course it means something to me,” Kittel said when quizzed about his place in German cycling folklore. “I\u2019ve now won so many stages on the Tour and I never expected it when I started my career \u2013 I didn\u2019t even expect to be at the Tour.<\/p>\n “At one point I dreamed of becoming a professional, but that I would be at this level, with those wins \u2013 it\u2019s hard to imagine. I feel like I live in a small little bubble in a small world, that it\u2019s not really true.”<\/p>\n The 29-year-old extended his lead over Matthews in the green jersey competition that he is overwhelming favourite to win following the disqualification of rivals Peter Sagan<\/a> \u2013 for his shove on Mark Cavendish<\/a> in Stage 4 \u2013 and Arnaud Demare, the French national champion who failed to finish Sunday\u2019s frenetic stage to Chambery within the time limit.<\/p>\n Video –<\/span> Froome: It was nice that today wasn’t crazy again!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 01:23<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Britain\u2019s Chris Froome<\/a> (Team Sky<\/a>) finished an uneventful day in the stunning Dordogne region of south-west France safely in the pack to retain his 18-second lead over Italy\u2019s Fabio Aru<\/a> of Astana in the general classification.<\/p>\n Two Frenchmen \u2013 Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Fortuneo-Oscaro\u2019s Elie Gesbert, the youngest rider in the race \u2013 broke clear shortly after the start of the 178km stage to build up a maximum lead of over five minutes as the race passes a series of stunning castles in one of France\u2019s premier tourist destinations.<\/p>\n Gesbert crested the summit of two fourth-category climbs in pole position while Offredo won the intermediate sprint before the leading duo were swept up with 7km remaining as the teams of the sprinters readied their trains ahead of the inevitable fast finish.<\/p>\n By beating Kittel to third place in the intermediate sprint, Greipel looked likely to be his compatriot\u2019s biggest rival in the final sprint. But despite Lotto Soudal enjoying power in numbers towards the finish, Greipel was unable to feature in the climax to an otherwise sedate day in the saddle.<\/p>\n Having ditched lead-out man Fabio Sabatini inside the final kilometre, Kittel latched onto the wheel of Britain\u2019s Dan McLay, the Fortuneo-Oscaro sprinter who clearly launched too early.<\/p>\n Kittel used McLay as a slingshot as he opened up his sprint to the line \u2013 while Norway\u2019s Alexander Kristoff<\/a> (Katusha-Alpecin<\/a>) found his path blocked by the lead-out man of Cofidis sprinter Nacer Bouhanni.<\/p>\n Only Degenkolb and Groenewegen found their grove \u2013 but both riders were merely scrapping for seconds, such was the dominance of Kittel. Selig passed the disappointing Kristoff and Bouhanni, while McLay sunk to seventh.<\/p>\n\n
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