The final mountain stage of the 2018 Tour was always going to be a thriller. Chris Froome came into the stage looking vulnerable in third overall, Primoz Roglic was breathing down his neck just 16 seconds back, and several riders in the top 10 had the chance to move up if they played their cards right.
Over some of the Tour’s best known Pyrenean climbs — including the Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aubisque — several of the GC contenders came out to play early, giving it one last roll of the dice before tomorrow’s individual time trial. Mikel Landa, Romain Bardet and Ilnur Zakarin got up the road with more than 60km still to race, Steven Kruijswijk tried to get away from his GC rivals like he did on the stage to Alpe d’Huez, and Tom Dumoulin tried to put pressure on the maillot jaune. None of those moves amounted to a whole lot.
It wasn’t until Primoz Roglic slipped off the front on the final descent that the day was won. The Slovenian dove through the clouds on the way to Laruns, leaving everyone behind and riding to his second Tour stage win in as many years. More importantly, the win moves Roglic into third overall ahead of Saturday’s stage 20 individual time trial.
With a lead of more than two minutes, Geraint Thomas looks set to win the 2018 Tour de France. But the battle for the overall podium is far less certain — Dumoulin (second), Roglic (third) and Froome (fourth) are all within 32 seconds of one another. Not coincidentally, those three finished in that order in last year’s World Championships ITT. We’re set for an intriguing battle on the Tour’s final GC day.
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- Stage 19 began in the pilgrimage town of Lourdes.
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- Julien Vermote visits the Massabielle Grotto before the start of the stage.
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- Thomas Voeckler might have retired from racing but you’ll still see him out and about at the Tour. He’s now working in TV.
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- Mat Hayman warms up before a tough day in the mountains.
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- Campervans are a common sight by the roadside in the Alps and Pyrenees.
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- Laurens Ten Dam was called up at the last minute to race the Tour de France for Tom Dumoulin. He’s done a fine job.
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- Taylor Phinney crashed on one of the day’s early descents and hit a tree. He broke his nose and the Tour’s doctor had to re-set it out on the road.
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- There’s little margin for error on the precarious roads of the Pyrenees.
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- After his crash on stage 17, Sagan suffered mightily on stage 19, finishing 38 minutes down on the stage winner.
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- “It’s the worst day I’ve had on a bike for 10 years,” said the world champion. “Had this been a classic, I would have pulled out. Had I not had the green jersey, I may have acted differently. But I was wearing it and I was going to make it to the finish line, within or outside the time limit.”
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- Cycling fans catch up with the locals on the Col d’Aubisque.
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- Rafal Majka led solo up the last climb of the day.
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- After being caught, Majka finished stage 19 in fifth, in an elite chase group behind solo winner Roglic. It hasn’t been Majka best Tour ever, but it was certainly better than last year when he crashed out.
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- Egan Bernal was monstrous on stage 19. Again. He rode in support of a struggling Chris Froome, helping the defending champion to regain contact with the leaders. It’s hard to imagine Bernal not being a Grand Tour GC leader in his own right in the very near future.
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- Adam Yates had another day he’d like to forget. He was up front midway through the stage, but soon lost contact then was dropped by the peloton. He ended up nearly half an hour down.
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- Tom Dumoulin tried to escape Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome on the final climb, but to no avail.
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- Steven Kruijswijk was on the move again on stage 19, but he couldn’t snap the elastic.
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- Roglic and Bardet opened a gap on the final climb of the day, the Col d’Aubisque, but they were soon caught.
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- When the group of GC favourites hit the final descent, Roglic went to the front.
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- He strung out the group, putting pressure on those behind.
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- Roglic would eventually open up a gap on the 20km descent to the line …
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- … taking the stage win by 19 seconds.
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- Geraint Thomas was second on the stage, leading in a group of seven chasers.
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- Phinney reached the finish line looking battered and bruised.
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- Jack Bauer gives his shoes a good clean before the Tour’s penultimate stage.