The Tour de France burst into life when a fast start and crosswinds blew the peloton apart in the seventh stage, leaving dark horse Tadej Pogacar with a lot catching-up to do ahead of the Pyrenees on Saturday. Friday's 168-km ride from Millau was dominated by Belgian Wout van Aert, who won his second Tour stage this year, after a brutal start by Peter Sagan's Bora-Hansgrohe team and crosswinds had split the pack. A sudden acceleration by champion Egan Bernal's Ineos Grenadiers team split the leading pack again with Slovenian Pogacar, one of the most fancied underdogs in the race, finding himself trapped behind and losing 1:21 on the line.
