Bilbao claims emotional Tour stage win after Mader's death

ISSOIRE, France: Pello Bilbao claimed a tear-jerking victory as he prevailed in the 10th stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday (Jul 11), less than a month after his Bahrain-Victorious team mate Gino Mader died following a crash in Switzerland.

Bilbao outsprinted breakaway companions Georg Zimmermann of Germany and Australian Ben O'Connor, who were second and third respectively.

Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark retained the overall leader's jersey as Bilbao moved up to fifth overall from 11th, giving Spain their first stage win on the Tour since Omar Fraile in 2018.

The 33-year-old Basque rider, who will retire at the end of the season, is donating €1 (US$1.10) to an association helping replant in local deforested areas for every rider finishing a Tour stage behind him - following an initiative by Mader before he died after crashing in a descent at the Tour de France on June 16.

"It's an incredible feeling. The longer you wait for such a moment the sweeter it is when it happens," said Bilbao.

"I had to win for Gino. I wanted to wait for the biggest moment to win for him. When I crossed the line it was an incredible explosion of feelings.

"It's such a special Tour for me with the race having starting from home (in Bilbao)," the Guernica-born rider said.

"Usually I'm quite cold blooded but today I was very distracted, there was so much at stake."

The stage got off to an explosive start with Tadej Pogacar, closely followed by Vingegaard, on the attack as he kept his rival on his toes while the peloton blew up.

Pogacar's UAE Emirates team mate Adam Yates and his twin brother Simon, fifth and sixth overall respectively, were dropped, as well as fellow top-10 members David Gaudu and Romain Bardet of France.

They hovered