Every dog has his day as Burghardt bags victory

MARCUS BURGHARDT — best remembered for being knocked off his bike by a dog in last year’s event — profited from a transitional day in the Tour de France to escape to victory on the 18th stage from Bourg d’Oisans to St Etienne.

Burghardt caught solo escapee Carlos Barredo 94km into the 197km stage and held off the Spaniard’s late dash in the closing metres to secure Team Columbia’s fifth stage win of the Tour.

The 25-year-old German had the chance to put last year’s mishap with a canine onlooker behind him on an uneventful day.