Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands won the ninth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday and defending champion Chris Froome of Britain retained the leader’s yellow jersey.
Froome crossed in 11th place, 6 minutes, 35 seconds behind Dumoulin, in the toughest stage in the Pyrenees.
Dumoulin attacked in a solo breakaway near the foot of the final climb on a day of heavy rain and hail in the 115-mile leg from Vielha d’Aran, Spain, to Arcalis in the principality of Andorra. He finished 38 seconds ahead of Rui Costa of Portugal and Rafal Majka of Poland.
Two-time champion Alberto Contador pulled out of the Tour due to a fever. The Spaniard was about 60 miles from the end of the stage when he stopped at the side of the road and got into the passenger seat of his team car. He was in 20th position at the end of Saturday’s eighth stage, 3 minutes, 12 seconds behind Froome.
Froome, 31, finished alongside his main rivals, including fellow Briton Adam Yates, who stays in second place, 16 seconds overall behind the leader. Daniel Martin of Ireland is third, 19 second behind Fromme.
Froome, who is chasing a third Tour title, could not distance himself from last year’s runner-up, Nairo Quintana of Colombia, who is fourth overall and 23 seconds behind.
Monday is the race’s first rest day, followed by one more stage in the Pyrenees on Tuesday, a 122-mile leg from Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra, to Revel, France.
The three-week race ends in Paris on July 24.