Geraint Thomas survives scare to stay in contention after Hugo Houle takes shock stage win at Tour de France

Hugo Houle won stage 16 of the Tour de France from a breakaway in Foix to give Canada a first stage victory since 1988.

Israel-Premier Tech's Houle was part of a 29-man group that went away early on the 179km stage from Carcassonne – the first day in the Pyrenees as the Tour enters its final week.

Houle crested the final climb, the Mur de Péguère, with an advantage of 26 seconds over Matteo Jorgenson and was holding that advantage on the descent into Foix before the American crashed with a little over 13km to go.

Jorgenson, blood dripping from his elbow, got back on and caught Houle's team-mate and fellow Canadian Michael Woods, but had to settle for fourth, behind Valentin Madouas and Woods, with Houle the first Canadian stage winner since Steve Bauer in 1988.

Race leader Jonas Vingegaard came in alongside closest challengers Tadej Pogacar and Geraint Thomas a little under six minutes after Houle crossed the line.

Pogacar had tried to attack on the first of the two category one climbs late in the stage, the Port de Lers, and then again on the descent, but had been unable to shake Vingegaard.

Pogacar's team-mate Rafal Majka had upped the pace again on the Péguère before dramatically dropping his chain, narrowly avoiding a crash with the defending champion.

It was then the turn of Vingegaard's team-mate Sepp Kuss to put on the pressure, his pace distancing Thomas, though the Welshman got back on during the descent into town to avoid any time loss.

The 31-year-old Houle, who now counts Bauer as one of his sporting directors within the team, dedicated his victory – his first in any professional race – to his late brother Pierrik.

As youngsters the pair watched the Tour together every summer, but Pierrik was killed by a