Lotto-Belisol's Tony Gallopin unsurprised by Tour de France successes

The Frenchman, riding for Lotto-Belisol, triumphed on the 187.5-kilometre route from Besancon to Oyonnax, fending off late attacks from the likes of points leader Peter Sagan (Cannondale), Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo).

Gallopin's victory came just two days after he surrendered the yellow jersey for the general classification to Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).

His successes at the world's greatest cycling race may have surprised many, but not the man himself.

"It could sound pretentious but I'm not surprised by my performances at the Tour de France," he said. "I've always had the confidence of my relatives and my team.

"Before the Tour, [team manager] Marc Sergeant had been clear: I was here to help but also to look for a stage win. It wasn't easy. The level is high but I'm a consistent rider.

"I'm often in the shadow of the big names but I was expecting to come out of it. It's a dream come true."

Gallopin's joy was in marked contrast to the despair he felt on Monday, the 26-year-old reduced to tears when he lost the yellow jersey to Nibali.

But he claimed that the emotion of winning a stage he was not expecting was greater than leading the way in the general classification.

"When the three guys came across [Sagan, Kwiatkowski and Rogers], I knew I had no chance to beat them in a sprint, so I had to go again," he added.

"To win a stage and to take the yellow jersey deliver different feelings. The yellow jersey, I was thinking about for five [days] before I got it. I had mentalised it.

"But today, until one hundred metres to go, I didn't believe I could win, so the emotion is stronger than for the yellow jersey."