Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Peter Velits finished in the top 15 of the 168km Stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday.
He remained with a group of about 26 riders until the final climb of the day: Category 2 Col de Manse (9.5km, 5.2%) at km 157. The breakaway began attacking each other in hopes of separation before the descent to the finish.
Rui Costa (Movistar) was able to ride away from the rest of the original breakaway after riders were continuously attacking and counter attacking. Meanwhile, the chasers behind eventually split in two groups including Jerome Coppel (Cofidis), Christophe Riblon (AG2R - La Mondiale), Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ) and Andreas Kloden (Radioshack-Leopard) ahead of Velits and abought eight or nine other riders. Costa went on to win the stage solo, as he had more than a 40" gap in the final kilometers. Riblon was 2nd, and Jeannesson 3rd. Velits crossed the line in 11th, 1'04" back from Costa.
The yellow and white jerseys formed a select group as well in the final kilometers, with top GC contenders making the group. Michal Kwiatkowski of OPQS finished alongside teammate Sylvain Chavanel in the group behind the yellow and white jersey.