Tour de France: Paret-Peintre stays ice-cool on Mont Ventoux for famous win

Valentin Paret-Peintre stayed ice-cool in the heat to give France its first win in this year’s Tour de France as he prevailed atop the intimidating Mont Ventoux on the 16th stage.

The Soudal-Quick Step rider beat Ireland’s Ben Healy in a lung-busting sprint finish on the Giant of Provence, as Tadej Pogacar retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey after keeping chief rival Jonas Vingegaard in his sights on the 21.5km ascent at 7.5%.

Overall, defending champion Pogacar extended his lead by two seconds to 4mins 15secs after outsprinting the Dane in the final uphill metres.

Tadej Pogacar follows Jonas Vingegaard up Ventoux before going clear in the final metres. Photograph: Papon Bernard/Reuters

Germany’s Florian Lipowitz, who could not follow when Vingegaard attacked Pogacar some 9km from the finish, stayed third, 9min 3sec off the pace, stretching his advantage over fourth-placed Briton Oscar Onley to 2min 01sec.

• Jeremy Whittle’s report to follow