Paris, July 24 -- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) won a chaotic Stage 17 of the Tour de France, pipping Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) in a rain-soaked finale in Valence.

On Wednesday, with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) closing in on Milan in the race for the green jersey, Milan's team was determined to ensure the stage would finish in a bunch sprint and maximise the Italian's points haul.

Although not what Milan would have wanted, that task was made easier by a crash that occurred beneath the flamme rouge banner, with a kilometre to go. Only the front ten riders were completely unaffected, with most of the rest of the bunch impeded by a wall of bodies and bikes. They included the rider most expected to challenge Milan for the sta...