The 124.5km stage from Saint-Gaudens featured three category climbs before the riders tackled the final gruelling ascent.

Majka attacked from a chase group on the final climb and the Tinkoff-Saxo rider powered to the finish line 29 seconds ahead of Italian Giovanni Visconti of Movistar, while race leader and fellow Italian Vincenzo Nibali put in another impressive performance coming in third.

"This is a thank you for my team, working for me always, especially Nicolas [Roche], who was always working for me, riding really strong," said Majka, who claimed victory in last Saturday's stage in Risoul.

"I passed everyone to win the stage, and now I have the KOM (King of the Mountains) jersey.

"I'm really happy.

"[Team manager] Bjarne [Riis] told me to wait, don't go with [Joaquim] Rodriguez, we need to win the stage, and if we win the stage, we'll take the jersey."

With one day left in the Pyrenees, Majka looks certain to hold on to the polka dot jersey for the best climber in the Tour.

Majka's win puts him in pole position to claim the King of the Mountains title in this year's Tour de France ©Getty Images




Astana rider Nibali stretched his lead over nearest rival Alejandre Valverde of Spain by nearly 50 seconds as he tightens his grip on the yellow jersey, with a five minute and 26 second lead over the Movistar rider.

Valverde was dropped by the general classification group with 5.5km remaining as his hopes of a win now seem forlorn.

Nibali has worn the leader's jersey for all but two of the 17 stages on this year's Tour.

Frenchman Thibault Pinot lies 34 seconds further back ahead of compatriots Jean-Christophe Peraud and Romain Bardet.

Tomorrow's stage takes the riders from Pau to Hautacam in a 145.5km trek that features two gruelling climbs.

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