2019 Tour de France: Stage 18 Results

Nairo Quintana of the Movistar team grabbed his third Tour de France stage win, excelling in the first stage in the high Alps. Julian Alaphilippe surprised by staying in the maillot jaune but Egan Bernal moves into second place, just 1’30” behind the Frenchman.

156 riders started the stage today with only Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Soren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) dropping out of the race.

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) started off the stage as one of the most active riders until Kazakhstan national champion Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Cofidis) rode away 1km before the top of the côte des Demoiselles Coiffées (km 13). Périchon surrendered before Lutsenko who was reeled in at km 30.

At km 35, Lutsenko went again with Daryl Impey, Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), and Lennard Kämna (Sunweb).

At km 44, 34 riders managed to get a bit of a gap: Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos), Max Richeze (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Romain Bardet, Mikaël Chérel and Matthias Frank (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Merida), Matthieu Ladagnous (Groupama-FDJ), Nairo Quintana, Andrey Amador and Carlos Verona (Movistar), Gorka Izagirre and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Amund Groendahl Jansen and Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma), Alberto Bettiol and Michael Woods (EF Education First), Adam Yates, Daryl Impey and Chris Juul Jensen (Mitchelton-Scott), Greg Van Avermaet, Simon Geschke and Serge Pauwels (CCC), Sergio Henao (UAE Team Emirates), Julien Bernard (Trek-Segafredo), Nikias Arndt and Lennard Kämna (Sunweb), Pierre-Luc Périchon and Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis), Tiesj Benoot, Jasper De Buyst and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie), Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Amaël Moinard (Arkéa-Samsic).

De Buyst passed first at the intermediate sprint of Les Thuiles (km 45), but the Lotto-Soudal team was even more interested in Wellens getting KOM points at col de Vars. It turned out to being a duel between Wellens and Bardet, the Belgian going with more determination to the first place at the top of the of the three climbs of the day culminating over 2000 meters of altitude.

Arndt rode away solo for a little while in the downhill. The time difference between the group of Quintana who was 9’30’’ down on GC and the yellow jersey peloton was 7’40’’ at half way into the race. With 95km to go, before tackling the ascent to col d’Izoard, Van Avermaet rode away solo. The Olympic champion was soon caught up by Bernard who continued in his own and reach the summit of the Izoard in first position but was pipped on the line of the King of the Mountains prize by Caruso and Bardet.

In the valley, on the way to Briançon, a new group of nine riders was formed at the front: Bardet, Caruso, Quintana, Lutsenko, Woods, A. Yates, Pauwels, Kämna and Bernard. Wellens and six other riders went across.

Van Avermaet initiated a new leading group before the ascent to the Galibier: Woods, Pauwels, Lutsenko, Kämna, Chérel and Benoot. 11 riders eventually climbed together until Caruso and Lutsenko upped the tempo 9km before the summit.

With 7.5km of climbing remaining, Quintana rode away solo. 1km further, Bardet sped up and Lutsenko followed him. Team Ineos set the pace of the yellow jersey for Egan Bernal to go solo before the summit. Alaphilippe struggled uphill but made it back and passed the Pinot-Thomas group in the downhill.

Quintana kept a 1’30’’ lead over Bardet to power to victory in Valloire where the Frenchman took a consolation prize with the polka dot jersey while his compatriot Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey with Bernal as new runner up 1’30’’ adrift. This is the 20th stage victory for Colombian riders at the Tour de France.

Stage 18 Brief Results:

1. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) at 05h 34′ 15” (B : 18”)
2. Romain Bardet (Ag2R La Mondiale) at 1’35”
3. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) at 2’28”
4. Lennard Kamna (Team Sunweb) at 2’58”
5. Damiano Caruso (Team Bahrain Merida) at 3’00”
6. Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) at 4’46”
7. Michael Woods (EF Education First) s.t.
8. Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) s.t.
9. Serge Pauwels (CCC Team) s.t.
10. Steven Kruijswijk (Team Jumbo Visma) at 5’18”

General Classification After Stage 18:

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck Quick Step) at 75h 18’49”
2. Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) at 1’30”
3. Geraint Thomas (Team Ineos) at 1’35”
4. Steven Kruijswijk (Team Jumbo Visma) at 1’47”
5. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) at 1’50”