GAP, France, July 16 - Frenchman Pierrick Fedrigo escaped a three-man crash to record his first Tour de France stage win on Sunday.

Fedrigo, Italian Salvatore Commesso, Belgian Rik Verbrugghe, Spaniard David Canada and German Matthias Kessler were in a breakaway group of five when Verbrugghe, Canada and Kessler crashed 39 kms from the finish.

"I was on Verbrugghe's wheel when he slipped on the asphalt which was melting because of the heat," said the 27-year-old Fedrigo after winning the 180-km stage 14 to Gap.

"I touched his wheel but I was lucky enough to escape the crash. It's a pity for them."

Verbrugghe hit a barrier and went over. Canada also slammed the barrier and brought down Kessler who then flew over the barrier.

Verbrugghe and Canada were taken to hospital by helicopter and an official medical statement said Verbrugghe had a broken thigh bone and Canada a fractured collar-bone.

Kessler, winner of the third stage, remounted his bike apparentlu unscathed but Verbrugghe and Canada are now out of the Tour.

On the line, Fedrigo outsprinted Commesso, giving his Bouygues Telecom team their first Tour stage win in their seven-year existence.

"We didn't believe it would happen because we had been waiting for such a win for seven years," said team director Jean-Rene Bernaudeau.

"I was a bundle of nerves from the moment Pierrick escaped at the 35-km mark because I knew he could go all the way and win but I also knew that there was a long way to go and that Commesso was not an easy rider to handle," he added.

The win also gave French riders their third stage victory -- their best result in five years -- since the start of the race after Jimmy Casper of the Cofidis team claimed the first stage in Strasbourg and Sylvain Calzati clinched the eighth in Lorient.

It was also the best result in the career of Fedrigo, who only had a French national title and an overall win in the second-rated Tour du Limousin on his CV.

"It's really a great moment for me and for the team. In the first week, we got into many breaks but didn't last the distance. In the second week, we were a bit quiet so I wanted to go for it," he said.

"I tried to concentrate on the finish. I also tried to outwit Commesso and it's a real pleasure to pip an Italian," he added referring to Italy's win over France in the soccer World Cup final.