Dylan Groenewegen held off Fernando Gaviria and Peter Sagan to win stage seven of the Tour de France on Friday.

It was the first stage win of this Tour for the LottoNL-Jumbo rider and the second of his career after victory on the final stage in Paris last year.

South Africa’s Daryl Impey finished seventh.

Belgian Greg van Avermaet, of BMC, retained the leader’s yellow jersey ahead of Saturday’s eighth stage.

‘It was very difficult, I didn’t have good legs in the beginning of the Tour but I was getting better every day,’ said Groenewegen. ‘I felt good on stage four but the timing was missing and today we did it.

‘I was behind Alexander Kristoff, he was going, I stayed in his wheel and then went with 200m to go and it was good enough.

‘I hope I can win more stages – we celebrate this tonight and maybe the next day again.’

Stage 7 result:

1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) 5hrs 43mins 42secs
2. Fernando Gaviria (Col/Quick-Step Floors) same time
3. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe)
4. Arnaud Demare (Fra/Groupama-FDJ)
5. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Cofidis)
6. John Degenkolb (Ger/Trek-Segafredo)
7. Daryl Impey (SA/Mitchelton-Scott)
8. Andre Greipel (Ger/Lotto-Soudal)
9. Andrea Pasqualon (Ita/Wanty-Groupe Gobert)
10. Mark Cavendish (GB/Team Dimension Data)

General classification after Stage 7:

1. Greg van Avermaet (Bel/BMC Racing) 28hrs 19mins 25secs
2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +6secs
3. Tejay van Garderen (US/BMC Racing) +8secs
4. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Quick-Step Floors) +9secs
5. Philippe Gilbert (Bel/Quick-Step Floors) +15secs
6. Bob Jungels (Lux/Quick-Step Floors) +21secs
7. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education First) +48secs
8. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +54secs
9. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) +55secs
10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +56secs