Tour de France 2018 – stage 20 LIVE: Latest updates as Geraint Thomas set to win after flawless time trial
If Tom Dumoulin could have designed the final stage it would have been something like this – a lumpy 31km time trial for which he is a strong favourite. But the Dutchman must make up more than two minutes on Geraint Thomas if he is to win the yellow jersey, and over a course expected to take around 44 minutes that seems an unlikely proposition.
Thomas just needs to avoid some disastrous moment – a crash or puncture or sudden blow-up – on route from Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle to Espelette, and in the form he is in he will surely have enough to clinch his maiden grand tour.
Meanwhile Chris Froome will be fighting with Primoz Roglic for a place on the podium, having been displaced by the Slovenian who won yesterday's stage 19 to Laruns, albeit in controversial circumstances.
The last time I cried was at my wedding, and I don't know what happened then. I know what's happened now, but I really don't know what to say. Wow, unbelievable.
The man of the moment, Geraint Thomas truly is speechless after winning the Tour de France:
Oh man, just really trying not to cry. Unbelievable, I never thought about it and always said day after day. To win the Tour de France...I don't know what to say.
Chill out a bit. Get on the radio and make sure we win the Tour.
After clinching stage 20 victory, here's what Tom Dumoulin had to say:
That's crazy, I didn't know anything about split times and I still thought Froome was one second ahead of me when I crossed the line. Wow.
It's been an amazing last day. I was so nervous. This morning I found out I lost my skinsuit but my clothing sponsor are in the Basque country nearby so they made a new one this morning and I'm forever thankful. Otherwise I wouldn't have finished in this beautiful world champion's jersey.
I had such a hard time yesterday, the frustration came out after the finish but today is amazing, I can't believe it.
After no British winners for so, so long, Britain now has its third Tour de France champion in the space of seven years, with Geraint Thomas following in the footsteps of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, and ensuring that he is the first Welshman to ride into Paris in yellow. It also continues Team Sky's remarkable run of form at the Tour de France, clinching their sixth victory in the last sevens years.
Confirmation that Tom Dumoulin has won stage 20, much to his delight, by just one second from Chris Froome.
That secures him second place at Le Tour with Froome joining him and Thomas on the podium after he overhauled Primoz Roglic, who finished down in eighth after taking too much out of himself during yesterday's astonishing victory.
There's a fair amount of confusion down on the finish line, mainly because nobody is quite sure who's won the stage. Froome looked to have just done enough when Dumoulin crossed the line, but the times have been altered to show the time trial world champion ahead by a single second, with Thomas 14 seconds off the leading time. Neither Froome nor Dumoulin are quite sure who's won, but there's smiles all round regardless.
Not least over in team Thomas, where his wife Sara has joined him much to his surprise!
Chris Froome clocks the exact same time as Kwiatkowski, though he has been given the provisional lead, and that means he will finish on the podium in Paris, because Primoz Roglic has lost plenty of time. Not a bad result, all told, for the four-time champion.
The gap between Froome and Dumoulin remains at exactly two seconds at the second checkpoint, at 22km. Roglic is way down and Froome is going to clinch a podium spot here.
Thomas is fastest through the first checkpoint! He talked this week about not just limiting the damage but trying to win this time trial, and it might just come to pass here.
Yikes! Thomas almost crashes, his bike wiggling underneath him as he entered a tight right turn, but he was at a slow pace and managed to keep control. That was terrifying.
A reminder that Chris Froome is 13 seconds down on Primoz Roglic in the standings and needs to overturn that deficit if he is to finish on the podium. The first checkpoint is 13km in and Froome is nearly there.
The final man to go: Geraint Thomas. How must he be feeling now? If the rest of the Tour is anything to go by then he's probably absolutely fine, but I must admit I'm a little nervous for him, even if it's virtually a done deal. Here comes the man in the yellow jersey...
