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In pictures: Tour de France ends Swiss trip in 35C heat

Russian Ilnur Zakarin won Wednesday's 17th stage of the Tour de France on its final day in Swizterland.

In pictures: Tour de France ends Swiss trip in 35C heat
Photo: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP

Zakarin won the 184.5km alpine stage from Bern to Finhaut and the Emosson dam by 55sec ahead of Sunday's 15th stage winner Jarlinson Pantano of Colombia, with Poland's Rafal Majka third at 1min 26sec.

The crowds came out to cheer the peloton along the tough route in 35C temperatures on what was the hottest day of the year in Switzerland so far.
 
Colombia's Nairo Quintana was the big loser, struggling in the final 2km and giving up another 28sec to Chris Froome, who pulled clear of all his main rivals except Australian Richie Porte.
 
Defending champion Froome followed an attack from Porte that none of his rivals could follow, with Quintana looking particularly vulnerable.

 
Froome, who finished the stage in 11th place, extended his lead over second-placed Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands by 40sec to 2:27, with young Briton Adam Yates third at 2:53.
   
But the 23-year-old Yates lost only 8sec to his compatriot Froome and is closing in on second place.
   
Quintana, who initially tried to follow Porte's attack and then Froome's chase before dropping off, is still fourth but now 3:27 behind.

Tasmanian Porte, who until last year was a team-mate of Froome at Sky, was the big winner as he moved up to sixth and continues to creep up on a podium position.

See the stage in pictures with our gallery:

IN PICTURES: the Tour de France comes to Switzerland

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Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Swiss rider Gino Maeder has died from the injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine during a stage of the Tour of Switzerland, his team Bahrain-Victorious said on Friday.

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Maeder, 26, fell during a high-speed descent on the fifth stage between Fiesch and La Punt on Thursday, after an exhausting day marked by three ascents over 2,000 metres altitude.

He had been found “lifeless in the water” of a ravine below the road, “immediately resuscitated then transported to the hospital in Chur by air”, organisers said.

But the next day, “Gino lost his battle to recover from the serious injuries he sustained,” Bahrain-Victorious said in a statement.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of Gino Mäder,” his team wrote in a statement.

“On Friday June 16th, following a very serious fall during the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his fight to recover from the serious injuries he had suffered. Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team,” the team said in a statement.

Maeder had enjoyed a strong start to the season, finishing fifth in the Paris-Nice race.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also fell on the same descent from Albula, during the most difficult stage of the race with multiple climbs. The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was hospitalised with “bruises and concussion,” organisers said.

On Thursday, world champion Remco Evenepoel criticised the decision to compete on such a dangerous road.

“While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent,” the Belgian wrote on Twitter.

“As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.”

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