Mohoric honours Mader's memory with another Bahrain Victorious win

POLIGNY, France :Slovenian Matej Mohoric claimed his third victory on the Tour de France when he won the 19th stage on Friday as his Bahrain Victorious team celebrated for the third time in this year's race, having started it under a cloud after Gino Mader's death.

Mohoric, who has won on all three grand tours, pipped Thursday's stage winner Kasper Asgreen of Denmark to the line, breaking into tears after a photo finish gave him the victory a couple of minutes later.

Mohoric's victory comes just over a month after his Swiss team mate Mader died following a crash on the Tour de Suisse on June 16. Bahrain Victorious riders Pello Bilbao and Wout Poels also took stage victories in this year's race.

"We started this Tour under a lot of stress after the death of Gino and Matej had the ambition to win a stage. From the beginning he was in great shape but was not rewarded until today," Bahrain Victorious sports director Vladimir Miholjevic told reporters.

"For us, doing this Tour at this level is something amazing. This stage was crazy but we were always there. These guys always deliver. It's a victory well deserved.

"It's stupid to say and could be wrongly interpreted but we lost a team member, a family member and everyone in the team, staff and riders, wanted to honour Gino. He will always be with us. It's something we managed to transform into motivation."

Australian Ben O'Connor was third in a three-man sprint ahead of a group of chasers who were caught by surprise when Asgreen attacked in the second short climb of the day.

Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard stayed safe in the bunch to retain the overall leader's yellow jersey ahead of Saturday's hilly and treacherous 20th stage between Belfort and the Markstein.

A large breakaway