Froome crosses some 1'30" behind Quintana, meaning he will win the Tour de France
With an overall lead of more than a minute and only tomorrow’s ceremonial ride to Paris left, Froome will not be caught.
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Pinot wins Stage 20
Quintana rolls in second 20 seconds behind ... and the clock begins counting for Froome ...
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1km. Pinot has stretched his lead to 40” over Quintana, who appears now to have accepted that he is not going to win the stage and not going to do enough damage to Froome. Mind you, if the Colombia does catch Pinot, he’ll get a 10 second bonus as stage victor ...
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Pinot senses glory - he stands to become only the fourth Frenchman to win a stage at the Alpe D’Huez - and Quintana edges 1’16” in front of Froome. 2km to go.
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2.5km to go. Quintana speeds past Hesjedal: now only Pinot is ahead of him, by about 35 seconds. Quintana might take the stage, but it does not look like he is going to take yellow, as the gap to Froome has stopped growing, remaining around the one minute mark.
According to the Eurosport commentators, Froome has been abused by the crowd again “by more than just words”. But at least he still has Ritchie Porte by his side and his trusty Sky team-mate is assisting his attempt to keep tabs on Quintana, who is now more than a minute in front. 3km to go.
3.8km to go. Quintana is 54” in front of Froome - and now the Colombia is visibly suffering, too. Pinot, meanwhile, continues to lead the stage, by some 40 seconds.
Quintana is out of the saddle and peddling hard. He’s gong for broke and looking almost leisurely as he scales one of the most fearsome peaks in cycling! Valverde can’t keep up any more. How will Froome cope?
As they reach the 5km-to-go milestone (or kilometere stone), Quintana continues to eat into the lead. But is he doing it quickly enough? He has 32 seconds on Froome in this stage, but needs to extend that by more than another two minutes.
Pinot is the first to reach Dutch corner, where the real loolaas start running and gyrating alongside the riders. The mayhem in the crowd must seems a special kind of torture as the climb reaches its most agonising point, with just under 7km to go. Hesjedal is just behind Pinot. Quintana’s gap over Froome does not appear to be growing fast enough.
Hesjedal has got a second wind - and first place. And he’s trying to shake off Pinot. But Quintana and Valverde are just one minute behind. Sky are on a damage limitation mission now, intent to just prevent the Colombia from negting the 2’38” lead tht froome had at the start of the day. And they’re doing a pretty good job, as Quintana, despite looking powerful, has only managed to establish a 28” lead. Is there enough distance and altitude left for Quintana to complete the job?
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Froome is in trouble!
8km to go. Geniez, who led from the first few metres, has been caught and dropped. And Quintana is chomping away on Froome’s lead. And the most punishing part of the climb lies ahead ...
Froome is suffering. Quintana and Valverde have opened up a 20 second gap to the yellow jersey group. Froome has two team-mates with him but is finding it hard. How much time can Quintana take off him now?
Hesjedal is fading, and Pinot has left him in his dust and goes off to join his FDJ team-mate, Geniez, at the front.
Quintana goes again! Three Sky riders - including Froome - go right behind him. The Colombian is doing his utmost to shake off Sky but so far they’ve reacted strongly to everything he has tried.
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Geniez, visibly suffering, is 30 seconds clear of Pinot and Hesjedal, who is travelling fast and looks deadset on overtaking Geniez.
11km to go. Quintana’s two attacks have reaped no reward. He knows he’s got to keep trying and he looks sideways at Froome as if to assess his rival’s ability to keep responding. He holds fire for now ...
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Quintana attacks again! But Sky, through Porte, reel him in again. But Quintana looks sprightly, more so than Froome who is just clinging to his team-mates’ coat-tails.
Geniez is weakening at the front - his lead is now below one minute - and Hesjedal spies an opportunity to strike!
Quintana attacks again! Sky immediately set off in pursuit. The Colombian is struggling to get away from them ...
A blow-out for Nibali!
As if the ascent was not harrowing enough, Nibali suffers a flat tyre just 800 metres into it, costing him precious time and causing him a huge pain.
It has been confirmed that Peter Sagan can no longer, mathematically, be caught in the sprint standings so has secured the green jersey.
The nine-strong chasing group sheds a man - Bak- as soon as the ascent begins. That’s how tough the transition is.
Geniez begins the climb, hitting a slope that rises quickly to a gradient of nearly 14%: this is going to break many riders. Can Geniez possibly hold on to his narrow lead? And is this where Quintana will come into his own?
2km until the start of the ascent up the Alpe d’Huez. Geniez remains in front, nearly two minutes ahead of a group of nine featuring Rolland, Pinot, Edet and Plaza Molina. The yellow jersey group is a further 90 seconds or so back. When will Quintana try to seize his last chance? Sky are cruising along nicely at the moment, with Froome flanked by all his team-mates.
21km to go, Geniez is four minutes in front of the yellow jersey group, and Rolland’s mob in between. But the Alpe d’Huez looms. “Regarding the earlier messages about Quintana and his attack yesterday, my two Franc’s worth are that it was a measured and calculated attack based on he (Quintana) had a lot to lose if he ‘bonked’ on the attack - Froomey could have buried him,” reckons Jim Brown. “Today Quintana has nothing to lose, other than coming second again. Quintana will attack on the Alpe D’Huez, he will blow and Chris will take the stage, the Tour and stick two proverbial digits up to the filthy rats who have abused him during this tour.”
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Pierre Rolland, clad i the jersey for the most feisty rider, has burst out of the peloton and formed a six-strong group or riders chasing Bak, Navardauskas and Edet, who have been let nearly two minutes behind Geniez, who seems hellbent on a stage victory even though he seems unlikely to gather a big enough lead ahead o the Alpe d’Huez ascent.
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Sky have re-established the order they want. The rank and file have rejoined Froome and taken a grip on proceedings behind the fragmented four breakaway riders.
Froome took eight points as he crossed that last peak, meaning he is now the King of the Mountain, as Bardet failed to glean any. Meanwhile on the descent, Geniez is 50 seconds clear of Navardauskas, who is just in front of Bak and Edet. Then, just over two minutes back, come the big four of Froome, Quintana, Valverde and Nibali.
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Quintana’s did not succeed in shaking off Froome, who is hot on his trail, but he did manage to burn off the rest of Sky. It looks like Froome will have no help from his team-mates for the rest of the race...
Quintana reaches the summit, with Valverde, Froome and Nibali just seconds behind him: the big four begin their descent almost simultaneously!
Contador has lost touch with the peloton as Porte continues to lead the pursuit of Quintana, who’s now looking ruefully over his shoulder.
Geniez summits the Col de la Croix de Fer, ignoring the throngs with flags, horns and who knows what else.
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Quintana is hurtling along and Valverde is struggling to keep up with him! But Sky have responded, led by Porte, who is driving the peloton along and preventing Quintana and Valverde from getting more than 10 seconds away.
Quintana makes his move!
He darts out of the peloton just a few kilometres short of the summit, and for now Sky do not react. That’s dangerous, as Quintana is looking strong and is clearly attempting to join Valverde, leaving the Movistar team-mates in a powerful position...
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The front four has fragmented. Geniez nears the summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer, followed by Navardauskas some 20 seconds back. Meanwhile back in the peloton, Roche has rejoined his Sky team-mates, Porte and Froome.
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As Valverde continues his solo effort to bridge the gap between the peloton and the four leaders and perhaps consolidate his third place in the GC (he’s 5’25” behind Froome), Quintana loiters just behind Froome in the peloton.
There’s movement through the peloton 0 which continues to gain on the breakway quartet - and Valverde is making a break for it! He opens up a 20” gap to the peloton, where Froome remains close to the front but only with Porto for company, as his other Sky team-mates appear to find the going gruelling. Thomas has been dropped again.
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“At this point I would say it doesn’t much matter whether Quintana wants to win or not; he can’t, barring a Froometastrophe,” blurts Richard Fleming. “Maybe Movistar are happy with their standing. Or at least happy enough that their risk-reward analysis is telling them not to try anything rash.”
“I agree with Andrew Mullinder,” announces Elliot Wilson. “Does Quintana really want to win? Or just place well? It wasn’t exactly a Merckx style blow to the heart yesterday.”
Peraud and his AG2R comrades are setting a cracking pace at the front of the peloton (with Sky just behind), whittling down the leaders’ lead to under four minutes now. They’re going to be caught.
“Am I the only one who thought that Quintana’s performance yesterday was lamentable?” wonders Andrew Mallinder. “Attacking so late left him with hardly any chance of putting serious time into Froome, who was afforded the luxury of riding within himself, because he knew Quintana wasn’t going to be able to take that much out of him over four kilometres. If he’d attacked earlier and often, he himself might have suffered a big loss, but at least he’d have given himself a chance of cracking Froome. You know that’s what Niballi would have done. As it is, he’s left himself with a huge ask on the Alpe.”
The peloton are striking back. The gap to the front is now down to 5’18”, and the counter-attackers have been devoured.
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Geniez, the man who launched a breakaway in the first few metres, has suffered a flat tyre. He changes quicker than Clarke Kent, though, and should be able to rejoin the leaders.
Bardet and his crew have barged to the front of the peloton and are attempting to get away in a bid to nab some King of the Mountain points. Point are up fro grabs for the first 10 riders over the Col de la Croix de Fer, ranging from 25 for the first down to two for the 10th. Bardet’s main goal will be to secure more than his main challenger, Froome. He’ll have to go some to be one of the first 10, though.
Sky are controlling the peloton and setting a fair clatter, leaving some unfortunates falling out at the back.
This is a kind of sawtoothed climb, meaning there are a few downhill bits within the generally upward crawl. And the riders are starting to scatter: the quarter that has led from the start remain nearly eight minutes clear, and then there is a seven-strong group about the same distance back and seven minutes clear of the peloton, where all the main GC contenders are ensconced. The group of seven is made up of Barguil, Majka, Plza Molina, Sicard, Grivko, anacona Gome and Huzarski. And they’ve just been joined by Jungels, who makes it eight.
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Ruben Plaza Molina decides to break out of the pack in the early part of the climb. A handful of riders go with him, but the bulk of the peloton continue to take it easy. Relatively speaking, that is.
The peloton, like the men of the Grand Old Duke of York, are beginning their march up the hill. 29km to go, and no sign of a strategic play by any of the main racers yet.
Speaking to Eurosport, Movistar team director Jose Luis Arrieta says: “I haven’t enjoyed the tension of the last few days; it hasn’t been a particularly sporting tension. I hope today will be better.”
The front four (7’25” ahead) begin the 29km ascent up the Col de la Croix de Fer, where the average gradient is 5.25 and pain is your sidekick. Will this be where the peloton starts to fragment?
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It has to be said, this is terrible viewing. The peloton are trundling along while the four giddy types extend their lead to nearly six minutes. It’s not much of a spectacle, even with the awesome natural backdrop. Go out and enjoy your Saturday, would be my advice if I didn’t value your company. Mind you, with 85km left, the fearsome Col de la Croix de Fer looms just 30km away so maybe things will start getting interesting around then.
Froome is rolling along comfortably, flanked by his team-mates in the heart of the peloton. The leading quarter are hurtling along 3’30” in front.
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The easy-going peloton seem content to let the leading quartet hurry on over to the Col de Croiz de Fer, with the gap now approaching two minutes.
Four eager riders have opened up a 25’ lead. They are named Bak, Edet, Geniez and Navardauskas and they are reckless optimists. Just the 105km for them to hold on now.
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“For those interested, the chapter on the 2004 Alpe d’Huez time trial in Daniel Coyle’s book Tour de Force is one of the most stellar pieces of sports writing I have ever read, even - especially - read from the point of view of what we know now about Armstrong as opposed to what we knew then,” advises Boris Starling. “I can still quote from memory Coyle’s words as Armstrong flashes across the line with ‘a face that did not ask for applause or love or understanding or anything except the animal respect due a superior force’.”
No pussyfooting here: right from the start there’s an attempted breakaway, with Alexandre Geniez departing like a torpedo. Three riders try to go with him, while the rest bide their time.
And they're off ...
The 160 riders still in the race get stage 20 under way, from Froome in first to Chavanel in the lanterne rouge spot (four hours 34 minutes and 40 seconds behind but a trooper, nonetheless). 110km to go today, including a couple of hellish climbs.
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Preamble:
Hello and welcome to the penultimate stage of this year’s Tour and the last one that really matters. And, oh la la, does it matter! Chris Froome still has, in his own words, “a decent advantage” of 2’38”, but Nairo Quintana is getting stronger and will do his utmost to make the most of his final chance to seize the yellow jersey. The climb to the iconic Alpe d’Huez offers plenty of scope for the Colombian to break Froome. But here’s the thing: if Quintana does start to demonstrate superiority, will fans start assailing him with dark accusations, phlegm and pee? In other words, has the widespread hostility to Froome in France actually discouraged others from trying to oust him? Does the fury of Froome’s detractors’ play into his hands? Ever wondered what Darth Vader would look like on a bike? Anyway, let’s hope we get plenty of hard riding today as Froome and Quintana battle for glory and plenty of others compete for places. There is also the King f the Mountain to be decided, with Romain Bardet currently enjoying just a three point lead over Froome, with Joachim Rodrgiuez another nine points back. There are 75 points to play for today.
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Paul will be here soon enough. In the meantime, take a look at this fantastic climb of Alpe d’Huez 3D interactive.
And here’s what today’s stage 20 – the penultimate one – has to offer.
Short and very nasty, even with the change in route due to a landslide, with the Col du Croix de Fer replacing the Galibier; it is tackled soon after the start, so will present almost as big a challenge before the finish up l’Alpe d’Huez.
This is the third time in recent years the Tour has had a summit finish on the penultimate stage; the intention is to enable a final showdown for the overall standings but in 2009 and 2013 the finishes at Mont Ventoux and Semnoz merely confirmed Contador and Froome’s respective wins. The pair should be contenders here, along with Nibali, but the big favourite will be Quintana.
And here’s William Fotheringham on Chris Froome’s chances of surviving the stage intact to set up a procession to the Champs Elysées on Sunday.
Chris Froome has only Saturday’s brief stage over the Croix de Fer to l’Alpe d’Huez to survive, but at just 110.5km its brutal brevity will suit Quintana down to the ground.
The Croix de Fer is tackled in the opposite direction to Friday, but omitting the Col du Mollard, before descending the Col du Glandon via the road the race ascended on Thursday. The riders would be justified in feeling they have seen enough of the Belledonne chain after three uphill visits in three days, but after they have left it the Alpe awaits with its legendary hairpins.
There is much to play for. If Froome and Quintana look relatively secure in first and second, and Alberto Contador looked exhausted at the finish to stage 19, Nibali has a chance of overhauling Alejandro Valverde for the third slot on the podium, and the polka-dot jersey is still up for grabs, with France’s Bardet fighting manfully for points on every climb, but ending the day just three ahead of Froome.
The Alpe witnessed the most serious blip in Froome’s largely serene road to victory in 2013, when he suffered from “hunger knock” – as cyclists call hypoglycaemia – close to the top of the climb after being unable to take food from his support car, which had suffered an electrical fault due to a spilt coolbox. That was a freak event, but a reminder that no maillot jaune is ever secure until Paris is reached. The Champs Elysées are 24 hours from the top of the Alpe and if Quintana gets another whiff of weakness, anything could happen.
