Simon Yates, the best young rider at the 2015 Criterium du Dauphine, has held on for a top ten finish from a successful breakaway on stage 14 of the Tour de France.

Yates represented ORICA-GreenEDGE in a 20-man move that was allowed the freedom to contest for stage honours by the peloton behind.

The 22-year-old followed an attack by Roman Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) on the final climb but just ran out of legs to follow him to its peak within two kilometres of the finish line. Steve Cummings (MTN Quebeka) stole the victory from behind.

“At the end of the day I didn’t have the legs. I am feeling better but I think that I’m still feeling the effects of being sick. I’m disappointed but at the same time I don’t think that I had any more to give. I went into the red trying to chase Bardet and then that was it I was going backwards from there," he said.

"There’s a few more stages to come so I’ll keep trying. I still don’t think I’m 100 per cent but slowly but surely."

Sport director Matt White backed the British climber on a day made for a breakaway and reiterated there are more opportunities to come for the Australian outfit. 

“Like predicted it was a pretty hectic start,” White said. “There were a few teams that weren’t happy with the combination of the first break and that really forced it to split up.

“We also had Pieter Weening with Simon in the initial break but in the shake up on the narrow roads of a descent he dropped back to the peloton.

“Tactically Simon rode perfectly. He let others chase when it was the time to do so and he gave it his all before he came a little unstuck over the final climb.

“His chances are certainly not over, that’s for sure.”