Cummings wins Tour stage as inflatable device blocks riders

(Photo: The Associated Press)LAC DE PAYOLLE, France (AP) — British rider Steve Cummings won the opening stage in the Pyrenees of the Tour de France with a solo attack on the well-known Col d'Aspin climb on Friday.

Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium held on to the yellow jersey he claimed two days earlier, while overall favorites Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana finished in the main pack.

Froome and Quintana were slowed when an inflatable arch marking the final kilometer was punctured and fell to the ground. They had to lift the arch off the ground and slip their bikes underneath it.

Thibaut Pinot, considered one of the top French contenders, was dropped on the Aspin.

Cummings, a teammate of Mark…