Tour de France Stage 16: Majka 'King of the Mountains'

Saxo Tinkoff procycling team rider Rafal Majka of Poland celebrates on the podium wearing the best climber's polka-dot jersey following the 16th stage of the 101st Tour de France cycling race, over 237,5 km from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon, in France, 22 July 2014. EPA/KIM LUDBROOK

Majka came in 109th in the 237.5 km slog from Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon, but after becoming the second Pole ever to win a Tour de France stage on Saturday, Tuesday's performance was enough to make him King of the Mountains (KOM).

Meanwhile, Majka's Tinkoff-Saxo team-mate Australian Michael Rogers won the stage outright, while Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) is top dog in the general classification after 16 stages.

Stage 16 of the Tour de France. Photo: EPA/Nicolas Bouvy

Pole Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega-Quick Step) remains very much in the game, finishing seventh on Tuesday. He is now ninth in the general classification.

Wednesday's stage in the Pyrenees (124.5 km) is short but notoriously tough, with as many as four harrowing climbs in the stage's last 76.5 km.

All in all the riders must complete 21 stages over 23 days in the 101st edition of the Tour de France. The event began in Leeds, England, and is due to finish in Paris on 27 July.

Majka has just two more mountain stages ahead of him (Stage 17 and 18), but he is only one point ahead of Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez (Movistar) in the classification, which was introduced in 1933. (nh)

Source: IAR