Sometimes it takes a while in a long stage race for the dramatis personae to be matched up in the standings and for the real racing to begin. Not at this year’s Tour de France.
In Monday’s 11th stage, Belgium’s Wout van Aert won in the final wild sprint, but defending champ Geraint Thomas (GBR), challenger Egan Bernal (COL) and France’s Julian Alaphilippe and Romain Bardet stayed with the sprinters, while other challengers fell back. That brought the two favorites – Thomas and Bernal – right up behind Alaphilippe with 11 stages to go:
1. 43:27:15 Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
2. +1:12 Geraint Thomas (GBR)
3. +1:16 Egan Bernal (COL)
4. +1:27 Steven Kruijswijk (NED)
5. +1:45 Emanuel Buchmann (GER)
6. +1:46 Enric Mas (ESP)
7. +1:47 Adam Yates (GBR)
8. +2:04 Nairo Quintanna (COL)
9. +2:09 Dan Martin (IRL)
10. +2:32 Guilio Ciccone (ITA)
French fans are happy because Frenchman Alaphilippe is leading the race, but the rest of the way will be miserable:
● Flat stages: 3
● Hilly stages: 2
● Mountain stages: 6
This is now a climber’s race, with three mountain stages this week. Thomas, the defending champion, is the overwhelming favorite of the oddsmakers to win the overall race:
● 4/7 Geraint Thomas (GBR)
● 7/1 Egan Bernal (COL)
● 12/1 Nairo Quiintana (COL)
● 12/1 Thibaut Pinot (FRA)
● 14/1 Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
● 18/1 Enric Mas (ESP)
● 22/1 Adam Yates (GBR)
● 22/1 Steven Kruijswijk (NED)
Alaphilippe will certainly not be favored to hold on to the yellow jersey, but he’s shown himself quite capable in climbing stages. This coming week will be very interesting to see who stay in position to win. Summaries so far:
UCI World Tour/Tour de France
France ~ 6-28 July 2019
(Full results here)
Stage 1 (194.5 km): 1. Mike Teunissen (NED), 4:22:47; 2. Peter Sagan (SVK), 4:22:47; 3. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 4:22:47; 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 4:22:47; 5. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA), 4:22:47.
Stage 2 (27.6 km Team Time Trial): 1. Jumbo-Visma (NED), 28:57; 2. Team Ineos (GBR), 29:17; 3. Deceuninck-Quick Step (GER), 29:18; 4. Team Sunweb (GER), 29:23; 5. Team Katusha Alpecin (SUI), 29:23.
Stage 3 (215.0 km): 1. Julien Alaphilippe (FRA), 4:40:29; 2. Michael Matthews (AUS), 4:40:55; 3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL), 4:40:55; 4. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 4:40:55; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:40:55.
Stage 4 (213.5 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 5:09:20; 2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR), 5:09:20; 3. Ewan (AUS), 5:09:20; 4. Sagan (SVk), 5:09:20; 5. Dylan Groenewegen (NED), 5:09:20.
Stage 5 (175.5 km): 1. Sagan (SVK), 4:02:33; 2. Wout van Aert (BEL), 4:02:33; 3. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:02:33; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 4:02:33; 5. van Avermaet (BEL), 4:02:33.
Stage 6 (160.5 km): 1. Dylan Teuns (BEL), 4:29:03; 2. Giulio Ciccone (ITA), 4:29:14; 3. Xandro Meurisse (BEL), 4:30:08; 4. Geraint Thomas (GBR), 4:30:47; 5. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 4:30:49.
Stage 7 (230.0 km): 1. Groenewegen (NED), 6:02:44; 2. Ewan (AUS), 6:02:44; 3. Sagan (SVK), 6:02:44; 4. Colbrelli (ITA), 6:02:44; 5. Jasper Philipsen (BEL), 6:02:44.
Stage 8 (200.0 km): 1. Thomas de Gendt (BEL), 5:00:17; 2. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 5:00:23; 3. Alaphilippe (FRA), 5:00:23; 4. Matthews (AUS), 5:00:43; 5. Sagan (SVK), 5:00:43.
Stage 9 (170.5 km): 1. Daryl Impey (RSA), 4:03:12; 2. Tiesj Benoot (BEL), 4:03:12; 3. Jan Tratnik (SLO), 4:03:22; 4. Oliver Naesen (BEL), 4:03:22; 5. Stuyven (BEL), 4:03:22.
Stage 10 (217.5 km): 1. Van Aert (BEL), 4:49:39; 2. Viviani (ITA), 4:49:39; 3. Ewan (AUS), 4:49:39; 4. Matthews (AUS), 4:49:39; 5. Sagan (SVK), 4:49:39.
17 July: Stage 11 (167.0 km): Albi to Toulouse (flat)
18 July: Stage 12 (209.5 km): Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre (high mountains)
19 July: Stage 13 (27.2 km Indiv. Time Trial): Pau to Pau (flat)
20 July: Stage 14 (117.5 km): Tarbes to Tourmalet (high mountains)
21 July: Stage 15 (185.0 km): Limoux to Foix (mountains)
22 July: Rest day
23 July: Stage 16 (177.0 km): Nîmes to Nîmes (hilly)
24 July: Stage 17 (200.0 km): Pont du Gard to Gap (hilly)
25 July: Stage 18 (208.0 km): Embrun to Valloire (high mountains)
26 July: Stage 19 (126.5 km): Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes (high mountains)
27 July: Stage 20 (130.0 km): Albertville to Val Thorens (high mountains)
28 July: Stage 21 (128.0 km): Rambouillet to Paris (flat)
