TdF 2017: Stage 14 - Froome snatches yellow from Aru as Matthews takes sprint

Fabio Aru's two days in yellow have come to an end.

A congested uphill sprint saw two-time defending champ Chris Froome nab the yellow jersey from Aru after the Italian laboured at the rear of a busy peloton.

Aru is now 19 seconds back of Froome, and just four seconds ahead of third-placed Romain Bardet.

With an uphill finish capping off Saturday's 14th stage from Blagnac to Rodez, the table was set for Aussie specialist Michael Matthews and BMC's Olympic champ Greg Van Avermaet, and it was the former who gave Team Sunweb two victories on the bounce after polka dot jersey holder Warren Barguil took the Bastille Day spoils on Friday.

Related - TdF 2017: Stage 13 - Barguil the Bastille Day hero as Aru keeps yellow

The finish may have been exciting, but everything leading up to the final 20 kilometres was anything but.

While the peloton casually rode the flats from Blagnac through the Aveyron department, Thomas Voeckler, Timo Roosen, Thomas De Gendt, Reto Hellenstein, and Maxime Bouet did the work with a five-man break. De Gendt dropped that quartet before he was reeled in by Damiano Caruso, Pierre-Luc Perichon, Nikias Arndt, and Maurits Lammertink with visions of a shock breakaway sprint for the finish.

Those plans were quickly eschewed as the peloton swallowed the four riders five kilometres from the finish, with Team Sky leading the way in support of Froome as Aru languished toward the rear of the pack. Sky's bisque helmets were like a luminous torch leading the way, while Aru's yellow kit was a flickering bulb struggling to stay alight.

Such is the plight of a dazzling individual talent whose Astana team can't hold a candle to Froome's stacked collection of domestiques and specialists.

The riders will now focus on Sunday's hilly stage from Laissac-Severac-l'Eglise to Le Puy-en-Velay with a descent finish following a Category 4 climb up the Cote de Saint-Vidal.