More Sports More Sports Tour de France 2019: Daryl Impey pips Tiesj Benoot to clinch first win Julian Alaphilippe remains the overall leader at the Tour de France after South Africa's Daryl Impey claimed victory in stage nine. Stephen Creek 15 July, 2019 01:55 IST South Africa's Daryl Impey celebrates on the podium after winning the ninth stage of the Tour de France 2019 on Sunday. - AP Photo Stephen Creek 15 July, 2019 01:55 IST Daryl Impey edged a thrilling duel with Tiesj Benoot to claim his first Tour de France victory while Julian Alaphilippe retained his overall lead after stage nine's run from Saint-Etienne to Brioude.Mitchelton-Scott rider Impey summoned a late burst of energy to surge past Nicolas Roche before getting the better of a sprint finish tussle with Benoot.No South African had won a tour stage since Robert Hunter in 2007, but Impey joined a 15-man breakaway and then feigned fatigue on the final climb before clinching a dramatic win.Jan Tratnik (Bahrain-Merida), Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) followed Impey and Benoot (Lotto Soudal) over the line, while Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) came home in 35th.Alaphilippe leads Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) and Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) in the General Classification standings going into stage 10 on Monday.RELATED| How the first week of the Tour de France unfoldedOn Bastille Day, the early stages of the race saw Alessandro De Marchi involved in a crash that left him bleeding from the head after just 10 kilometers. The 33-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment on deep facial lacerations and his team, CCC, tweeted to confirm he was fully conscious as the race continued in his absence.After the peloton opened up a time gap of over 10 minutes, Simon Clarke and Garcia Cortina mounted attacks but it was Lukas Postlberger who emerged as the lone leader with 42 kilometers remaining. Postlberger was not caught until the last categorised climb of the stage, as Roche and Benoot launched attacks and the leading group thinned down to seven riders.Impey's smart race management paid off in the final 7 kilometers as he brushed Roche aside before tussling with Benoot in a tense finish. Benoot finally faltered and Impey held his nerve.STAGE RESULT1. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) 04:03:122. Tiesj Benoot (Lotto-Soudal) - same time3. Jan Tratnik (Bahrain-Merida) +0:104. Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale) "5. Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) "CLASSIFICATION STANDINGSGeneral Classification1. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) 38:37:362. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) +0:233. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) +0.53Points Classification1. Peter Sagan (BORA-Hansgrohe) 2042. Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) 1443. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) 129King of the Mountains1. Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) 432. Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) 373. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) 30WHAT'S NEXT?While not quite as fiercely steep as the Macon to Saint-Etienne course, Stage 10 runs from Saint-Four to Albi along a challenging 217.5km route that features three category three climbs. Subscribe to our daily newsletter Get your daily dose of Sportstar with handpicked stories delivered right to your inbox! SUBSCRIBE Please enter a valid email address.