July 25/19 19:22 pm - Tour de France: Stage 18, Woods 7th

Posted by Editoress on 07/25/19
 

Colombia's Nairo Quintana claimed his third stage win at the Tour de France after stage 20 to Annecy-Semnoz in 2013 and stage 17 to col du Portet last year as he rode away solo from an long lasting breakaway 7.5km before the col du Galibier. The other successful attack in the mythical climb enabled his compatriot Egan Bernal to move to second overall behind Julian Alaphilippe who successfully defended the yellow jersey.

34 riders in the lead
156 riders started stage 18 in Embrun. Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe) was one of the most active riders until Kazakhstan national champion Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Cofidis) rode away 1km before the top of the côte des Demoiselles Coiffées (km 13) they passed in that order. Périchon surrendered before Lutsenko who was reeled in at km 30.

At km 35, Lutsenko went again with Daryl Impey, Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), and Lennard Kämna (Sunweb). At 44km, 34 riders managed to get a bit of a gap: Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos), Max Richeze (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Romain Bardet, Mikaël Chérel and Matthias Frank (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Merida), Matthieu Ladagnous (Groupama-FDJ), Nairo Quintana, Andrey Amador and Carlos Verona (Movistar), Gorka Izagirre and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Amund Groendahl Jansen and Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma), Alberto Bettiol and Michael Woods (EF Education First), Adam Yates, Daryl Impey and Chris Juul Jensen (Mitchelton-Scott), Greg van Avermaet, Simon Geschke and Serge Pauwels (CCC), Sergio Henao (UAE Team Emirates), Julien Bernard (Trek-Segafredo), Nikias Arndt and Lennard Kämna (Sunweb), Pierre-Luc Périchon and Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis), Tiesj Benoot, Jasper De Buyst and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie), Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Amaël Moinard (Arkéa-Samsic).

Olympic champion in action between Vars and Izoard
De Buyst passed first at the intermediate sprint of Les Thuiles (km 45), but the Lotto-Soudal team was even more interested in Wellens getting KOM points at col de Vars. It turned out to be a duel between Wellens and Bardet, the Belgian going with great determination to be the first at the top of the of the three climbs of the day culminating over 2000 meters of altitude. Arndt rode away solo for a little while in the downhill.

The time difference between the group of Quintana who was 9:30 down on GC and the yellow jersey peloton was 7:40 at half way into the stage. With 95km to go, before tackling the ascent to col d'Izoard, Van Avermaet rode away solo. The Olympic champion was soon caught up by Bernard who continued in his own and reach the summit of the Izoard in first position but was pipped on the line of the King of the Mountains prize by Caruso and Bardet.

Alaphilippe in yellow, Bardet in the polka dot jersey
In the valley, on the way to Briançon, a new group of nine riders formed at the front: Bardet, Caruso, Quintana, Lutsenko, Woods, A. Yates, Pauwels, Kämna and Bernard. Wellens and six other riders went across. Van Avermaet initiated a new leading group before the ascent to the Galibier: Woods, Pauwels, Lutsenko, Kämna, Chérel and Benoot.

Eleven riders eventually climbed together until Caruso and Lutsenko upped the tempo 9km before the summit. With 7.5km of climbing remaining, Quintana rode away solo. One km further, Bardet sped up and Lutsenko followed him. Team Ineos set the pace of the yellow jersey for Egan Bernal to go solo before the summit. Alaphilippe struggled uphill but made it back and passed the Pinot-Thomas group in the downhill.

Quintana kept a 1:30 lead over Bardet to power to victory in Valloire where the Frenchman took a consolation prize with the polka dot jersey while his compatriot Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey with Bernal as new runner up 1:30 adrift. This is the 20th stage victory for a Colombian rider at the Tour de France.

Mike Woods finished 7th on the stage at 4:46 back and moves up to 36th at 1:07:37 back.

Jerseys after Stage 18

Yellow - Overall GC:  Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep)
Green - Points:  Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe)
Polka Dot - KoM: Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale)
White - Best Young rider: Egan Bernal (Team INEOS)
Best Team: Movistar Team
Combative: Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team)

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