The Tour de France was stopped mid-stage Friday after a freak hailstorm caused the valley beneath the highest peak in the Alps portion of the course, Col de l’Iseran, to be impassable. As a result of the storm, timing splits from earlier in the stage were used, and Egan Bernal took the yellow jersey from Julian Alaphilippe.
Alaphilippe had a one minute, thirty-second lead over Bernal to begin the Stage after having held on to the yellow jersey throughout all previous mountain stages of the race.
While Bernal took control on the climb, Alaphilippe had shown off his skills in the descent for the second time this week by shaving off part of the lead. The progress, however, was not recorded. “I gave it all, I don’t have any regret,” he said. “I’ve been beaten by stronger than me.”
The unusual day sets Saturday up to be a free-for-all as five cyclists have a realistic opportunity to take the yellow jersey in the final competitive Stage before Sunday’s ride into Paris.
