The Team Bahrain Victorious rider was part of a six-man breakaway which went clear early on in the 207km 19th stage.

Another 14 riders later joined the group to create a larger pack.

Following a 20km stretch where various riders had been attacking, Mohorič made a move to ease clear over top of a small incline and quickly opened a gap of 30sec.

The advantage was up to 58 when he crossed the finishing line in 4 hours 19min 17sec.

France's Christophe Laporte of Cofidis was second, with Dane Casper Pedersen of Team DSM third in the same time.

A stage win is welcome news for Bahrain Victorious, whose team hotel was raided by French police in connection with a doping investigation earlier in the week.

"Our tactic today was to be attentive of the breakaways, especially if it was more than eight guys with Deceuninck-QuickStep or Alpecin-Fenix in them," Mohorič said. 

"We were thinking that maybe it's a day for the sprint and that Deceuninck Quick-Step would control with Alpecin-Fenix, but when I saw the start, it was super hilly, so I thought it would be better to stay in the front and you can still start after if you need. 

"When I saw those guys going, I just did a super big effort to get back to them.

"I saw I had good legs and I also knew it was quite hard. 

"I spoke to the guys in the breakaway and told them that a good strategy to keep the speed as high as possible for the start of the stage. 

"They were a little big hesitating but then they agreed because I think that's a good way of getting the breakaway all the way to the finish because the sprinter's teams needs many guys to control."

Defending champion Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates stayed safe in the peloton to keep his 5min 45sec lead over Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard.

Vingegaard and Ecuador's Richard Carapaz of Ineos Grenadiers remain within six minutes of the Slovenian in the general classification, but that lead looks unassailable going into tomorrow's time trial and then the processional final stage on Sunday (July 18).

Briton Mark Cavendish had hoped for a record-breaking 35th stage win today, but with the peloton left behind there was no chance for sprinters to succeed.