Tour de France: Chris Froome reclaims yellow jersey as Michael Matthews wins stage 14

Chris Froome celebrates after regaining the yellow jersey on stage 14

Chris Froome reclaimed the yellow jersey in the Tour de France as Michael Matthews won stage 14 in Rodez.

Matthews burst clear of Greg Van Avermaet on the steep finish to the 181.5km stage from Blagnac to claim the honours on the day.

Michael Matthews take victory in Rodez

Team Sky's Froome crossed the line just behind in seventh place while Astana's Fabio Aru struggled up the hill and lost his overall lead.

Three-time Tour winner Froome now leads the general classification by 18 seconds from the Italian, with Frenchman Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale third, 23 seconds back.

With gradients of 10 per cent in the 600m climb to the finish line, Saturday's stage was primed for the punchers and so it proved as Matthews did battle with Philippe Gilbert, Edvald Boasson Hagen, and Van Avermaet - winner on this finish in 2015.

Quick-Step Floors' Gilbert went early with BMC's Van Avermaet on his wheel, but Matthews burst past them both and the Team Sunweb rider had time to celebrate before the line.

Matthews had time to celebrate before crossing the line

Van Avermaet finished second with Norwegian Boasson Hagen of Team Dimension Data completing the podium.

The climb was enough to create gaps in the peloton, and Froome pounced to significantly boost his bid for a fourth Tour crown and third in a row.

Irishman Dan Martin and Colombian Rigoberto Uran were with Froome at the line to strengthen their places in the overall top 10 while others lost pockets of time.

Cannondale-Drapac's Uran sits fourth, 29 seconds down, with Froome's Spanish team-mate Mikel Landa 77 seconds off the pace in fifth place.

Martin once again defied the back problems he has been suffering since a crash on the Mont du Chat last week with a fine ride, and is now only 86 seconds off yellow in sixth.

Bury's Simon Yates of Orica-Scott retains the white jersey as the best young rider, seventh overall and two minutes and two seconds behind Froome.

Fabio Aru (C) was caught out in the finish at Rodez

Froome had lost yellow on Thursday's stage to Peyragudes, but blamed the time he gave up on the brutal final climb up the mountaintop airfield on a lack of proper fuelling rather than a loss of form.

There was certainly no shortage of power in the way he attacked the finish to this stage, and he will now hope to carry yellow to Paris.

"We've given up the yellow jersey once and I've seen a pretty disappointed Froomey when he had to hand it over," Sky's Luke Rowe said at the finish. "He won't do it again."

Stage 14 result:

1) Michael Matthews (AUS/Team Sunweb) 4hrs 21mins 56secs

2) Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) st

3) Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/Dimension Data) +1sec

4) Philippe Gilbert (BEL/Quick-Step Floors) st

5) Jay McCarthy (AUS/Bora) st

6) Sonny Colbrelli (ITA/Bahrain Merida) st

7) Chris Froome (GBR/Team Sky) st

8) Daniel Martin (IRE/Quick-Step Floors) st

9) Rigoberto Uran (COL/Cannondale-Dragpac) st

10) Tiesj Benoot (BEL/Lotto Soudal) +5secs

General Classification after Stage 14:

1. Chris Froome (GBR/Team Sky) 59hrs 52mins 9secs

2. Fabio Aru (ITA/Astana Pro Team) +19secs

3. Romain Bardet (FRA/AG2R La Mondiale) +23secs

4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/Cannondale-Drapac) +29secs

5. Mikel Landa (SPA/Team Sky) +1min 17secs

6. Daniel Martin (IRE/Quick-Step Floors) +1min 26secs

7. Simon Yates (GBR/Orica-Scott) +2mins 2secs

8. Nairo Quintana (COL/Movistar Team) +2mins 22secs

9. Louis Meintjes (SAF/UAE Team Emirates) +5mins 9secs

10. Alberto Contador (SPA/Trek-Segafredo) +5mins 37secs