On a stage with potential to favour the breakaway, it was perhaps little surprise to see Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie) and Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) attacking from the flag.

Timo Roosen (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Maxime Bouet (Fortuneo-Oscaro) joined them in the move, and the peloton were happy to let them go.

Reto Hollenstein (Katusha-Alpecin) counter-attacked, but BMC Racing and Team Sunweb – leading the bunch – were again content to let him go.

While happy to let them go, the peloton did keep them under close control, however, with van Avermaet and Matthews harbouring hopes of a stage win.

The gap hovered around the two-minute mark through much of the stage, including as green jersey Marcel Kittel (QuickStep Floors) gained an extra point on Matthews at the intermediate sprint.

Kittel was dropped on the first categorised climb, however, which De Gendt led the way over the top, and only the Belgian and Voeckler remained up the road as they reached the Cote de Contres.

And the Australian said: “I think it was as expected. Last time we finished here two years ago, I had four broken ribs – it was a stage I was really targeting before I crashed. But to come back here, and to win it like that, really is a dream come true.”

Further back, Chris Froome (Team Sky) finished seventh, just one second back, as Sky’s efforts heading into the climb paid dividends.

Aru, without the team around him to keep him up front, could not match the pace and his gap was 25 seconds at the finish as time gaps opened up throughout the peloton.

Meintjes was also in Aru’s group, and with Yates finishing 13th – 20 seconds ahead – it proved a good day all-round for the two British GC hopefuls.

Tour de France 2017: stage 14 – result

1) Michael Matthews (AUS) – Team Sunweb – 4.21.56hrs
2) Greg van Avermaet (BEL) – BMC Racing – ST
3) Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) – Dimension Data +1”
4) Philippe Gilbert (BEL) – QuickStep Floors – ST
5) Jay McCarthy (AUS) – Bora-Hansgrohe
6) Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) – Bahrain-Merida
7) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky
8) Daniel Martin (IRL) – QuickStep Floors
9) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Cannondale-Drapac
10) Tiesj Benoot (BEL) – Lotto-Soudal +5”

General classification

1) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky – 59.52.09hrs
2) Fabio Aru (ITA) – Astana +19”
3) Romain Bardet (FRA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale +23”
4) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Cannondale-Drapac +29”
5) Mikel Landa (ESP) – Team Sky +1.17
6) Daniel Martin (IRL) – QuickStep Floors +1.26
7) Simon Yates (GBR) – Orica-Scott +2.02
8) Nairo Quintana (COL) – Movistar +2.22
9) Louis Meintjes (RSA) – UAE Team Emirates +5.09
10) Alberto Contador (ESP) – Trek-Segafredo +5.37