This 20th stage in Val Thorens was won by Italy’s Vicenzo Nibali on Saturday (July 27th). Egan Bernal kept his yellow jersey at the end of this penultimate stage.
Yellow jersey insured: Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos) kept the command of the Tour de France, Saturday, in Val Thorens, in the 20th and penultimate stage of the Tour de France illuminated by the Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain).
Today’s champion! 🦈
L’orgueil du champion ! 🦈@vincenzonibali 🏆#TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/ZYabqmqo8N— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) 27 July 2019
The 22-year-old has taken fourth place in the shortened 59-kilometre stage due to the harsh weather conditions and is set to become the first Colombian on the Tour on Sunday and one of the youngest winners in the event.
Alaphilippe loose
The last mountain stage came out of the podium Julian Alaphilippe , who initially occupied the second place of the Tour. The French, yellow jersey still the day before, gave in the last 14 kilometres and fell to 5th place.
⛰ This last long climb of the #TDF2019 is too hard for Julian Alaphilippe. The Frenchman is dropped with 13 kilometres to go.
⛰ Cette ascension est trop dure pour @alafpolak1. Le Français est lâché à 13 kilomètres de l’arrivée. pic.twitter.com/Qv5quLOxYJ
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) 27 July 2019
The Ineos team therefore places two riders at the top of the hierarchy with the outgoing winner, Welshman Geraint Thomas, second.
At the altitude of 2365 meters, one of the highest in the history of the event, Nibali has achieved a prestigious success, his sixth in the Tour which he removed the overall ranking in 2014.
Before the last stage, 128 km between Rambouillet and Paris, Bernal has a margin of 1 min 11 seconds on Thomas, who hugged him on the finish line.
The Jumbo team (Bennett, De Plus) hardened the race from the first ramps of the interminable climb of Val Thorens, 33.4 kilometres to 5.5% slope, to allow its leader, the Dutch Steven Kruijswijk, to take the podium, in third place.
At the front, the survivors (Gallopin, Nibali, Perichon, Woods, Zakarin) of a breakaway launched shortly after the start have long kept the advantage, which amounted to 2 and a half minutes at the foot of the climb.
Nibali, alone in the lead 13 kilometres from the finish, held up well until the end. The “Messina Shark”, second of the last Giro, resisted the counter-attackers (S. Yates, Barguil, Soler, Quintana) who ran out behind him.
The 34-year-old Sicilian preceded Alejandro Valverde, the 39-year-old world champion, on the line. Another Spaniard, Mikel Landa, took third place.
The Frenchman Romain Bardet, 27th of the stage, has kept the polka-dot jersey of the best climber.
