ST JEAN DE MAURIENNE: Romain Bardet gave France a second win in this year's Tour de France as he showed his composed descending skills to clinch the 18th stage today.

The AG2r-La Mondiale rider, sixth overall in the Tour last year, timed his attack perfectly near the end of the long ascent to the col du Glandon before powering away from a breakaway group on the descent.

The 24-year-old never looked back and crossed the line 33 seconds ahead of his compatriot Pierre Rolland of the Europcar team, almost two weeks after Bardet's team mate Alexis Vuillermoz won the eighth stage.

Colombian Winner Anacona of Movistar took third place, 59 seconds behind, as Chris Froome comfortably retained the overall leader's yellow jersey when he finished safely with the other top riders, 3:02 off the pace.

"It was difficult to get in the breakaway. I knew that with a late attack in the Glandon I could then take time on the others thanks to my descending skills," said Bardet, who dropped out of contention for a podium finish in Paris after a bad day in the Pyrenees.