The short stage 13 was tipped as potentially crucial in the battle for the overall victory, with three mountain passes opening the possibility for attacks.

Barguil, who was denied victory on stage nine of the race, took an aggressive approach as he looked to strengthen his grip of the king of the mountains classification.

He was part of a move on the opening climb of the day, with Spain’s Alberto Contador and Mikel Landa providing strong reinforcement.

The group was joined by Colombia’s Nairo Quintana, Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski and France’s Alexis Vuillermoz.

Landa’s presence in the move was of particular interest, with the Team Sky rider posing a potential threat to the overall race leader Fabio Aru of Italy.

The yellow jersey group, which contained Britain’s Chris Froome, France’s Romain Bardet and Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran, crested the summit of the second climb 2min 40sec down.

An acceleration by Froome would see the gap to the leading group reduced as they approached the Mur de Péguère.

The breakaway would ultimately stay away to the finish, with Barguil beating Quintana and Contador in a sprint finish to claim the victory in a time of 2 hour, 36min and 29sec.

Landa would end 2sec behind the winner in fourth.

"I've been looking for success for a long time,” said Barguil, the first Frenchman to win on the national day since David Moncoutié.

“I've been close on several occasions so to win on Bastille Day and being the first Breton stage winner since 1993 makes me super happy because I feel like I have the double nationality, French and Breton.

“Beating Alberto Contador, who I mimicked when I won races as a young rider in Brittany, means a lot to me.

“Now I wish Romain Bardet to win the Tour de France, I'd like to be part of the spectacle in the Alps and help him out if it happens.

“It would be a great satisfaction for us to have a French winner of the Tour de France."

The yellow jersey group would end 1:48 down on the stage winner, with Aru retaining the yellow jersey.

The Italian national champion remains 6sec clear of Team Sky’s Froome, while Bardet is 25sec off the pace.

Uran remains well positioned a further 10sec down, while Landa has risen to fifth place at 1:09 down.