Austrralia's Michael Matthews was eighth as Marcel Kittel burst through to win a bunch sprint at the end of the sixth stage of the Tour de France.
The powerful German sprinter looked to be struggling as the leaders roared towards the finish in Troyes but ended up winning the sprint comfortably for his 11th Tour stage victory.
The Quick Step rider, who also won the second stage, crossed the line in front of Frenchman Arnaud Demare and fierce rival Andre Greipel.
Kittel moved into second in the points classification - one place and 47 points clear of Matthews - but said he wasn't thinking about eventual honours just yet.
"I have it in my focus but for now what is most important is getting those victories in the sprints, they give you a lot of advantage," he said.
"First of all i want to say that i'm very proud of my team, they did a great job.
"We could really bring ourselves into the front in a key moment and keep me there so that was very important.
"I feel good at the moment."
Race leader Chris Froome finished safely in the pack. He remains 12 seconds clear of countryman and Sky teammate Geraint Thomas in second, while Australian hope Richie Porte stayed fifth a further 27 seconds adrift.
"These stages don't come along very often," Froome said. "This was definitely one of the most relaxed days I've ever done on the Tour de France.
"I've always dealt with the heat I'd say better than most people. It's the cold I normally have a problem with."
Friday's seventh stage is a 213.5km ride from Troyes to Nuits-Saint-Georges.
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