The break are nearing the intermediate sprint, which is 10km away. This is the reason Pedersen has gotten into the break yet again, and he has Gee-West, Vacek and Simmons with him to help ensure he gets the points.
Another 25 points would give him a very healthy lead in the classification, and make it very hard for Philipsen to take the green jersey from him.
DNF – AFFINI
Despite their good work in the break, Visma-Lease a Bike are now down a rider – Edoardo Affini has just abandoned the race. He had looked better at this race, after going into it with injury scares, but will not make it to Paris.
60KM TO GO
Visma’s staff are happy with how they’re riders are going, and their quartet of Jorgenson, Kuss, Piganzoli and Armirail are working hard at the front of the break. They’ve helped grow the lead out to just short of four minutes.
“I like this, it’s a really good, really strong job. Keep it up!”
Visma-Lease a Bike DS
Along with Visma-Lease a Bike, EF Education-EasyPost are, yet again, doing much of the work at the front of the breakaway group. Despite winning the stage yesterday with Richard Carapaz, both the team and the rider are hungry for more success today.
70KM TO GO
The UAE and Red Bull teammates of Pogačar and Evenepoel are pulling at the front of the peloton. The fate of this stage will largely depend on how much they (especially the former) want to bring back the break and go for the stage win, and so far the signs are that they are keen to. With 70km to go, they are keeping the break at about 3:30.
CRASH
Two riders have gone down in the peloton – Haller and Planckaert. They’re both back up and riding again after hitting some road furniture protected by padding, but it took Haller a while.
80KM TO GO
3:20 is the gap between the peloton and the leaders. It’s looking promising for the break, but they will need to grow it more on this valley road.
The scenery is spectacular here in the Alps. But Alpe d’Huez will be a whole different beast, with every inch of roadside covered in fans. It promises to be some spectacle, that also has the potential to get chaotic.
Fears of chaos on L’Alpe d’Huez as crowds pack Alpine climb for Tour de France showdown
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90KM TO GO
3:30 now for the break.
There are a lot of teams represented in it that will be desperate for it to succeed, and to have a shot at winning a stage before times run out – perhaps most of all, Netcompany Ineos. They’ve endured a tough race, but are still fighting, and have Arensman Foss and Tarling up the road today.
Red Bull have joined UAE at the front of the peloton as they take on the descent of the climb, which is shallower and longer than the way they went up it.
As things stand they’re giving the break a great chance of succeeding, as they’ve allowed them to get 3:35 up the road. The upcoming 50km or so will be crucial as to determining the break’s chances, as they’re mostly valley roads, where they will need to build and maintain a big lead to hold off the inevitable charge of the GC riders on the final climb.
KOM – COL DU NOYER
EF were unable to carry out their plan as outlined by DS Charly Wegelius at the top of the climb, as Paret-Peintre jumped early 200m from the summit, again out-sprinting Carapaz for the 10 points.
Paret-Peintre is now virtual leader in the classification, which he has made his aim at this Tour de France to win.
“Closer to the top, Sean [Quinn], you can ride harder to put Paret-Peintre in difficulty for the top.”
Charly Wegelius
Fears about UAE Team Emirates XRG have been mostly allayed so far. Wellens is being dropped again now having made his way back on the descent, but Pogačar still has Del Toro, Großschartner, Politt and Vermeersch (who is leading it currently) in the peloton with him, while Yates was strong enough to get himself into the break.
The team also insist that their leader is feeling fine.
The riders are climbing again, and this time its a category one climb, the Col du Noyer. It’s not as hard as Alpe d’Huez, but with an average of 8.4% for 7.3km it’s still a tough one, and could see the break split up with the superior climbers going clear.
The break’s lead continues to grow, now up to 1:50.
110KM TO GO
Lidl-Trek (pictured here at the start) are the main team pushing at the front of the breakaway group, along with EF – despite the fact that Martinez could leapfrog their GC men Skjelmose and Ayuso. They’re prioritising the green jersey, with Pedersen in the group, and just one more (albeit hard) climb for him to survive until the intermediate sprint.
Their work is seeing the group move away from the peloton, which is now 1:30 adrift.
A rider in the top ten has managed to sneak into the break, which has a lead of one minute – Lenny Martinez, who is seventh overall at 12:50. This could cause the teams of riders ahead of him, notably Lidl-Trek and Decathlon CMA CGM, to chase.
Also among the 40 or so riders in this group are Pedersen, Arensman, O’Connor, Voisard and Tobias Halland Johannessen, plus the stage-hunting Visma trio of Jorgenson, Kuss and Piganzoli, and UAE’s satellite rider Adam Yates, who is clearly feeling much better than a few days ago.
KOM – COL BAYARD
Carapaz and Paret-Peintre are both in this breakaway group, and, as ever, sprint for the KOM points. It’s the usual outcome, with the latter out-kicking the former.
Meanwhile in the peloton, which is 35 seconds adrift, UAE have lost Wellens and Vermeersch, who have both been dropped.
Rubio and Martin did briefly join those leading four, and now dozens of other riders have joined them. It’s a group almost big enough to be called a peloton – a lot of riders are desperate to get away into the break today. How will UAE cope with controlling things?
OFFICIAL START
And they’re off! And immediately they’re climbing, up the category two Col Bayard (4.7km at 7.1%). Already sprinters are being dropped out of the peloton, and attacks attempted out of the front The first group to go clear has four riders in it – Healy, Quinn, Gee-West and Tobias Halland Johannessen.
Tadej Pogačar at the start with Valentin Paret-Peintre, who still wears his polka-dot jersey on loan. Expect the latter to attack towards the start in an aim to pick up enough points to take the jersey outright.
The riders are on the move in Gap, and heading towards the official start and the flag. Anticipation is brewing!
All eyes are on Tadej Pogačar.at the start today. How is he feeling? Could he possibly be sick?Or is he about to make history, and add Alpe d’Huez to the long list of famous summits he has won on?
The yellow jersey had felt all wrapped up, with Pogačar coasting to victory, but there’s an air of doubt surrounding him and the team now. Illness is circulating the team, and suddenly they look a lot weaker than previously at this Tour, and are unable to exercise as firm a grip.
With this comes the lingering possibility that Pogačar either is, or could become sick. And if ever there’s a climb you can’t afford not to be firing on all cylinders on, it’s Alpe d’Huez.
This is Alpe d’Huez day at the Tour de France, but not the only one – for the first time ever, it will be raced two days in a row.
But today is the day where the climb takes centre stage, tackled via its hardest side, and the headline climb of the day, much harder than the three that precede it. The climb is often talked about for its decisive role in the race for the yellow jersey – that feels like what today’s ascent will be.
Hello and welcome to stage 19 of the Tour de France – which this year, is Alpe d’Huez day!