The 2020 Tour de France hasn’t exactly gone to plan for Ineos Grenadiers. The team’s leader Egan Bernal fell by the wayside at the end of the second week and by the start of stage 17 the defending champion was on his way home. But Ineos hasn’t given up — Richard Carapaz has been in the breakaway three days in a row, finishing second on stage 16, 11th on stage 17 (after leading solo and only being caught with 3 km to go), and second again on stage 18.
That runner-up finish on stage 18 might have been frustrating for Carapaz were it not for the fact that his teammate and breakaway companion, Michal Kwiatkowski, won the stage. In fact the pair crossed the line arm in arm, Kwiato’s wheel just in front, after riding away from the rest of the breakaway. As a bonus, Carapaz now wears the polka dots of KOM leader too.
It’s not the Tour Ineos was after; but stage 18 was a very respectable consolation prize. Here’s how our photographers saw the stage, with a particular focus on a late gravel section inside the final 30 km.
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- When Tadej Pogacar started bringing his own smoke machine to sign-on some people dismissed it as “ridiculous” and “over the top”, but the 21-year-old nailed the menacing vibe on stage 18.
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- The peloton let a break get up the road on the final day in the Alps.
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- A gravel section at the top of the day’s final categorised climb would add some extra challenge for the riders.
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- Ineos duo Richard Carapaz (front) and Michal Kwiatkowski were strongest in the breakaway and emerged at the front with just under 35 km to go.
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- Three breakaways in three days for Carapaz.
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- Marc Hirschi had been in the lead group when he crashed on a descent. He battled valiantly to rejoin the leaders but never got across.
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- A steep climb and then the gravel sector at the top thinned out the group of GC favourites.
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- Race leader Primoz Roglic tried to stretch his rivals …
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- … including Pogacar. Roglic had a small gap at one point, but it all came back together.
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- Richie Porte had rotten luck, puncturing in the GC group as soon as the gravel sector started. It took a tough chase for him to regain contact and hold onto his fourth on GC.
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- It was another tough day for Nairo Quintana (right) who’s suffering as a result of multiple crashes at this year’s Tour. He’s pictured here with his brother Dayer.
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- Another day closer to Paris for Sam Bennett who is the hot favourite to wear green on the final podium.
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- A spectator got onto the course just as dual leaders Carapaz and Kwiatkowski were approaching the finish. Thankfully the ASO’s finish line security chief, Stephane Boury, was there and able to prevent any further mischief.
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- Kwiato rolled across the line first to take his first Grand Tour stage win. After so many years spent riding in the service of others, the opportunity to take his own stage win meant a lot.
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- Carapaz now moves into the KOM jersey, thanks to a solid three days in the break.
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- Hirschi was awarded the most combative rider prize for his dogged chase.
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- Roglic heads into the final three days of racing with a nearly one-minute lead. He’ll be hard to beat from here.
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