Julian Alaphilippe of the Quick Step Floors team survived a brave solo attack to win Stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France. It is the Frenchman’s first Tour de France stage win. Alaphilippe went solo after a long ride with race leader Greg Van Avermaet and others. Alaphilippe takes the KOM jersey while Van Avermaet solidifies his race lead.
Race leader Greg Van Avermaet attacked early in the stage in an attempt to hold onto his yellow jersey. Joining him were most of the G.C. contenders including Tony Gallopin (AG2R), Elie Gesbert and Amaël Moinard (Cofidis), Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida), Jack Bauer and Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Julian Alaphilippe and Philippe Gilbert (Quick Step), Peter Sagan and Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe), Serge Pauwels and Tom-Jelte Slagter (Dimension Data), David Gaudu, Rudy Molard and Arthur Vichot (Groupama-FDJ), Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo), Lilian Calmejane and Rein Taaramäe (Direct Energie), Guillaume Martin and Thomas Degand (Wanty-Groupe Gobert). The peloton, led by Team Sky, were being held at at 2’10” by km 29.
The climb of the Col de la Croix-Fry took the lead group down to a core group of eight riders. Van Avermaet was still in there along with Philippe Gilbert +0:44, Serge Pauwels +5:12, Amael Moinard +9:06, Rudy Molard +24:10, Rein Taaramäe +24:11, David Gaudu +25:02 and Lukas Pöstlberger +35:31. They were able to open their lead to nearly 4 minutes, but they still had 107km of road in front of them.
The leaders even managed to leave behind points leader Peter Sagan for a bit, leaving him chasing with 11 others 40 seconds off the lead group.
With Van Avermaet in the lead, this is not a day that the peloton was going to sit up and wait for the catch. They were definitely racing today.
Julien Alaphillipe pulled clear from the lead group in the Plateau des Glieres gravel section, but was pulled back fairly quickly. With 80km remaining, the lead group had opened their lead to nearly 7 minutes over the Chris Froome led peloton. Froome, meanwhile, suffered a flat in the gravel and had to chase back on. Meanwhile, Peter Sagan was still out in no man’s land, about two and a half minutes clear of the peloton, chasing the leaders.
With 55km remaining, Van Avermaet and his group of 18 still led by seven and a half minutes, but the Col de la Romme and Col de la Columbiere climbs still loomed in the distance.
As the leaders started up the final climbs, they still led by more than 6 minutes.
Gilbert was the first to pop on the climb, while Degand and Impey also showed signs of struggling, but Rein Taaramae attacked and was leading Van Avermaet’s group by 8 seconds.
Van Avermaet seemed content to let Taamarae go. The Direct Energie rider sat 24 minutes back in the G.C., so he posed no threat to the yellow jersey. Gaudu and Alaphillipe go on the chase after the Estonian rider.
As Taaramae crested the Col de la Romme summit, he was joined by Alaphillipe, with Van Avermaet’s group just 35 seconds back. The peloton was still nearly 6 minutes back, a gap that was sure to open a little as the leaders descended.
With less than 4km to the summit of the Col de la Columbiere Julien Alaphillipe was riding solo at the front, with Taaramae, Pauwels and Van Avermaet trailing behind. The peloton still trailed by 6 minutes.
Alaphillipe crested Columbiere in the lead, virtually guaranteeing that he’ll take the KOM jersey. With 14.5 mostly downhill kilometers to go, he could take the day. Race leader Greg Van Avermaet still trailed him by about a minute while Chris Froome and the rest of the peloton sat another 4 minutes back.
Alaphilippe stays away, crossing the line alone at 4 hours, 25 minutes and 27 seconds. Taraamae and Izaguirre cross nearly together, with Van Avermaet and Pauwels crossing 1’44” back.
Chris Froome and the peloton came in nearly three and a half minutes later, strongly securing Van Avermaet’s lead on yellow.
2018 Tour de France Stage 10 Brief Results:
- Julian Alaphilippe (QST) at 4h25’27”
- Jon Izaguirre (Bahrain-Merida) at 1’34”
- Rein Taaramae at 1’40”
- Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) at 1’44”
- Serge Pauwels (TDD) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 10:
- Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) BMC Racing Team 40h34’28”
- Geraint Thomas (GBR) Team Sky +2’22”
- Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team +3:10″
- Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) Astana Pro Team +3’12″
- Bob Jungels (LUX) Quick-Step Floors +3’20”
- Chris Froome (GBR) Team Sky +3’21″
- Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton – Scott s.t.
- Mikel Landa (ESP) Movistar Team s.t.
- Vincenzo Nibali (ESP) Bahrain-Merida +3’27”
- Primoz Roglic – LottoNL Jumbo + 3’36”
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