Sam Bennett (Detuninck-Quick Step) continues to move closer to his dream of winning the Tour de France green jersey outright.

Bennett dominated his rival and seven-time points winner Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), finishing fifth to Sagan's sixth in the intermediate sprint behind breakaway leader Remi Cabaña (Detuning-Quick Step) and other attackers. In another stage finish in Champagnol, Bennett finished eighth while Sagan finished ninth.

However, Bennett's point total of 264 to 319 was three points more than the total for Thursday evening's Alps stage.

Bennett's victory was even greater when he was caught in a break between Sagan and 12 players in the closing stages. In the final 45 minutes, Sailen Clark Andersen (Team Sunweb) took a solo victory, but the "race within a race," as Bennett put it, continued with Sagan.

"Today was the most dangerous day of the rest of the stage. I think it was frustrating for the other riders and those who had marked Sagan."

"But I'm not as strong as them, so I had to do what I had to do.

Bennett cheered loudly when he scored his goal, but he said, "It didn't break and I was happy with that. I know there is still a long way to go but this day was very important."

The Irishman was also very happy with his goal, "It was a great goal and I am very happy with it.

The Irish rider said he and teammate Dries Devenyns had a day of good luck and team support, as he and his teammate Dries Devenyns came up to speed to the front of the pack as soon as they braked. He and teammate Dries Devenyns were able to speed to the front of the pack as soon as the braking started," said Devenyns. He grinned, "But if there had been a hill after that, I would have been gone."

Bennett said before the stage that he expected the day's racing to end with a breakaway finish, which it did, but that he had expected a group sprint and was not optimistic about his chances of beating Sagan on such a hilly stage. Bennett said that he expected a group sprint and was not optimistic about his chances of beating Sagan on such a hilly course.

"I forgot all about the stage and had to disappear from the points standings.

Kraig Andersen was perhaps lucky that Bennett and Sagan competed so hard that the Dane was able to escape a little easier.

"I was mentally strong today and just raced. Kraig Andersen had nothing to do with me. I did my race, and he did his."

"It's a good thing. Of course, a final group sprint on the Champs-Elysées is inevitable, but we are getting closer to Paris.