That’s me done. Thanks for your emails and tweets. A real slow burner today, culminating in a very exciting finish. Join us tomorrow for the time trial. See ya!
Read Jeremy Whittle's stage report
Updated
While you wait for Jeremy Whittle’s stage report, have a gander at this.
What a huge day for France, what a huge day for Jumbo Visma. The home nation’s first stage of this year’s Tour, Jumbo’s third different winner of this Tour, and their fifth stage win.
Laporte takes to the stage to raucous cheers from the crowd in Cahors. Chapeau.
Britain’s Fred Wright, who was leading today with 1km to go, speaks:
With about 30km to go, I saw an opportunity on the climb. I was flat out till the top. I’m not disappointed. I wouldn’t have won the bunch sprint anyway... Fair play to Laporte — he’s got legs. We were all on our knees.”
A big performance from the 23-year-old. Would not be surprised to see a stage win here in the years to come.
Vingegaard safely retains the yellow jersey
Vingegaard finishes safely in 13th place here, six seconds behind Laporte and five seconds behind Pogacar. That means that the gap at the top of the GC standings remains well over three minutes going into Saturday’s time trial. Three minutes and 21 seconds, to be exact. So that’s the yellow jersey battle done, barring any catastrophe tomorrow or on Sunday.
Updated
Here's how it finished in Cahors
1. Christophe Laporte
2. Jasper Philipsen
3. Alberto Dainese
4. Florian Sénéchal
5. Tadej Pogacar
🏆🇫🇷 @LAPORTEChristop wins in Cahors!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2022
🏆🇫🇷 @LAPORTEChristop s’impose à Cahors !#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/HrYWhUvAJ4
Updated
Laporte kicked, and nobody was within 20 metres of the home favourite when he crossed the finish line, hands on head in disbelief. There was a brief moment where it looked like Wright might take it, but his legs gave out, and Laporte secured his first ever stage of the Tour de France.
Christophe Laporte wins stage 19!
WHAT A FINISH BY THE FRENCHMAN!
Updated
Wright is caught, just a few hundred metres left! Laporte surges past on the final climb! Jumbo Visma are going to do it again!
OMG: FRED WRIGHT IS GOING FOR IT!
1km to go: The peloton look like they have timed this perfectly! They catch the trio. The peloton are one again!
2km to go: One final climb to go. Have the breakaway trio got anything left?
3km to go: Van Aert’s day is done. He’s dropping off. The peloton must surely be starting to panic. They have no made any inroads. The gap is still 11 seconds! They might just do this!
4km to go: The gap is still 10 seconds! Eleven!
5km to go: Testing terrain here! Lots of little climbs to make the riders think, and here comes that street furniture, including two tricky roundabouts.
6km to go: The gap is still 10 seconds! What a win this could potentially be for Britain’s Fred Wright, who is among the leading trio.
7km to go: Here come Jumbo–Visma and Ineos Grenadiers, who now lead the chasing pack. Van Aert is there, protecting the yellow jersey of Vingegaard.
9km to go: Quickstep are the first team to get their shit together at the front of the peloton. Fresh riders come to the fore. The pace suddenly increases. And almost immediately the lead falls to 13 seconds. Things are hotting up!
11km to go: The trio of Wright, Gougeard and Stuyven are rotating nicely at the front. They are really giving this a go. The breakaway is still 22 seconds in the lead.
13km to go: This is what is coming up in the final stretch at Cahors.
30'' with 20km to go
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 22, 2022
A tense and spectacular finale is shaping towards Cahors - watch out for the final turns!#TDFdata #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/dNzvCyR4Aq
15km to go: We’re back out on the flat. Vingegaard and Van Aert are nestled at the front of the peloton, which is still trailing around 30 seconds behind the breakaway leaders. There is a distinct lack of team coordination at the front of the peloton, though, which is therefore struggling to close the gap!
Updated
18km to go: Worth mentioning there is quite a lot of pesky street furniture coming up, crucially inside the final five kilometres but outside the final three kilometres*. So the GC riders will have to be on their guard, particularly if there are in the peloton being squeezed towards a bollard or a roundabout.
*that with the 3km rule in mind:
Article 20: In the event that a rider or riders suffer a fall, puncture or mechanical incident in the last 3 kilometers and such an incident is duly recognised, the rider or riders involved are credited with the same finishing time of the rider or riders they were with at the time of the incident.
22km to go: Teams are starting to position their riders, Sagan is there, biding his time. The peloton remains around 28 seconds behind the leaders.
25km to go. Now, then. We have a race on our hands now. A trio of capable riders lead and the peloton must be panicking somewhat, as they make their way down a narrow descent, which stretches things out a little. There are five (modest) climbs still to come. Wright, Gougeard and Stuyven have a 30 second lead.
28km to go: Alas, Pogacar is caught. But then, another breakaway! This time it’s Fred Wright (Bahrain), Alexis Gougeard (B&B) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek). And they’ve managed to forge a lead! It’s creeping up towards a 30-second gap between themselves and the peloton.
Updated
Pogacar attacks!
30km to go: Pogacar has only just come back to the peloton after his puncture, but after reeling Simmons in, the Slovenian attacks!
🤍 @TamauPogi promessed he would try EVERYTHING, and that's what he does again!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2022
🤍 @TamauPogi a promis qu'il tenterait TOUT, et c'est ce qu'il fait à nouveau !#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/PqSdiQc8ib
34km to go: The good news for Simmons: he took the KOM point at Côte de Saint-Daunès. The bad news: his lead over the peloton has now completely evaporated. The riders are one once more.
Updated
36km to go: Pogacar is safely back with the peloton. Simmons remains our lone leader, he’s around 15 seconds clear.
Updated
Puncture for Pogacar!
40km to go: UAE Team Emirates work awfully hard to get him back towards the peloton, which has actually been split in two.
🇸🇮@TamauPogi has a puncture! 🇩🇰 @MikkelBjerg waits to bring him back to the peloton.
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2022
🇸🇮@TamauPogi est victime d'une crevaison ! 🇩🇰 @MikkelBjerg l'attend pour le ramener dans le peloton.#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/G7MjTUxS4E
Quinn Simmons drops Mohoric! We have a sole breakaway leader!
47km to go: Quinn Simmons drops Mohoric! The American is all alone at the tête de la course. What a strange way to do it, too, on the flat after Lauzerte, but it seems Mohoric is happy to return to the peloton behind him. A bold move from Simmons, who has a long way to go on his lonesome. The breakaway had a much better chance if it had stuck together as a four-ball.
Updated
51km to go: Mohoric takes the point! He pips Simmons to the line. There are only two more climbs before we reach Paris.
Updated
52km to go: Simmons and Mohoric make a break for it up the narrow paved street into Lauzerte. It looks like they are going for the KOM point, but perhaps this is a longer play to create their own breakaway and take the stage.
55km to go: The breakaway quartet start the climb.
57km to go: It’s around a 1.5km climb, mostly at a touch over 6%.
62km to go: We’re approaching the first of our Category four climbs, up to Lauzerte, where there is a feverish atmosphere. Lots of Danish supporters there, apparently. Here’s a reminder of the topography to come. Fairly flat in general, but will be interesting to see if anyone attacks on those climbs.
70km to go: Those average speeds are probably down to the nervous energy within the peloton. The sprint teams don’t want this to become a breakaway stage, and so are keeping close tabs on the breakaway quartet. They’ve kept them within a minute since we left Fleurance. Currently, the gap is 57 seconds.
Updated
74km to go: Well.
😅 Surely the easiest way to watch the #TDF2022 on the "roadside"
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2022
😅 Très certainement la manière la plus simple de regarder le #TDF2022 au bord de la route.#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/DGKcPBmpqm
77km to go: Below is particularly interesting as race organisers thought the highest average speed would be around 41km/hr. This year’s Tour could yet be the fastest in history.
The attackers upped their pace again to bring their lead back up to 1'
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 22, 2022
Average speed in the first 90km
Breakaway 47.0km/h
Peloton 46.5km/h #TDFdata #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/zgGf6NlJEc
84km to go: The wind is there, but it’s only around 10 knots. That’s probably not enough to be a decisive factor in this stage.
90km to go: A few answers to my question asking for this year’s favourite moment on the Tour.
Favourite moment @michaelbutler18?
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 22, 2022
The road is the real opponent and your heart is your weapon. Even without the backstory of Jakobsen's recovery from death's door, this is what the Tour can do like no other event.
There won't be a dry eye dans la maison if he wins in Paris. https://t.co/Oqpyht30vG
From Paulo Biriani: “Seeing Chris Froome back racing in the TdF.”
Robin Lynch offers four moments, via email!
1. Little Jonie Vingegaard getting on his dad’s bike
2. The guy who nipped ahead of Van Aert on the intermediate sprint...and just kept on riding.
3. Wout’s wings celebration on stage 4 and just the sheer poetry of his utter devastation
4. Gilet-gate
That Van Aert performance on stage four was pretty special. I haven’t seen a climb like that in quite a while.
Another answer comes in from Cameron Climie: “As a Canadian, it has to be Stage 16, where Hugo Houle and Michael Woods went 1-3 (with great team tactics) to get Canada’s first Tour stage win since 1988. The recent history of Canadian cyclists at the Tour is littered with painful moments, from Giro winner Ryder Hesjedal withdrawing in 2012 after a bad crash to Svein Tuft “winning” the Lanterne Rouge a year later. So to see Houle win the stage in such commanding fashion - and with so much emotion wrapped up in it - was incredible. The buzz still hasn’t worn off.”
100km to go: Anyway, back to the stage. The breakaway quartet are around 55 seconds clear, they’ve done remarkably well to pull clear of the peloton again. You wonder how much these efforts could cost them later on.
I wonder if Emmanuel Macron is watching these protests today. The French president was in attendance to watch the finish at Hautacam … and then left in the army’s Superpuma helicopter. Ah.
The television cameras did not show the protestors, but here is a snap for you. They were campaigning to bring attention to the climate emergency. Remember folks, this is just a bicycle race.
Ce qui n'est pas diffusé n'est jamais arrivé.
— Dernière Rénovation (@derniere_renov) July 22, 2022
Aucune image de l'action en direct. #TDF2022
image © S. Mantey / L'Équipe pic.twitter.com/5SSm3EcCa4
Updated
114km to go: Cyril Barthe tries to catch the leading quartet, breaking away from the peloton. He got to within five seconds of the breakaway but was undone on an incline and has had to drop back into the peloton.
🥔 🇫🇷 @CyrilBarthe has set off in a "chasse-patate" (potato-chase) behind the break!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2022
🥔 🇫🇷 @CyrilBarthe tente de rejoindre l'échappée et part en CHASSE-PATATE !!#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/tIxEbOmNL0
“Since the race today has been a little less than exciting so far, could we have a picture of the beautiful sunflowers you mentioned earlier on?” asks Jan Bruck via email.
122km to go: The riders reach Fleurance, which has hosted two Grand Départs, in 1977 and 1979. The peloton got as close as eight seconds to the breakaway, who take off again down the road, stretching their lead again back to 24 seconds. One of the five riders, Nils Politt, has dropped back into the peloton, so the breakaway is just four riders strong now: Quinn Simmons, Taco van der Hoorn, Mikkel Honoré, and Matej Mohoric.
As the riders leave Fleurance, there is a little tailwind, which should persist for another seven kilometres or so before another turn in the road.
What’s been your favourite moment of the Tour this year? Hard to beat this, from yesterday, in my opinion.
An incredible act of sportsmanship ❤️️
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) July 21, 2022
After @TamauPogi crashes on the final descent of Stage 18, Jonas Vingegaard waits for his rival to catch up and the duo exchange a handshake before the final summit finish of the 2022 Tour de France 🤝
___________
🇫🇷 #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/11LH1zWBi0
Email michael.butler@theguardian.com or tweet @michaelbutler18.
132km to go: We’re in a little bit of a holding pattern at the moment. The peloton have slightly closed the gap to around 43 seconds. Not a lot else to report. Some nice sunflowers out there.
Updated
Before the départ today, Matej Mohoric (one of our breakaway riders), explained that he think it will be more of a headwind (“or a head-cross”) rather than a crosswind. That should make things easier for the peloton.
For what it’s worth, Van Aert is second in the peloton (and seventh overall) to add to his tally. Here are the results.
Result of intermediate sprint at Auch (38.4km)
1. Quinn Simmons, 20 pts
2. Nils Politt, 17 pts
3. Taco van der Hoorn, 15 pts
4. Mikkel Honoré, 13 pts
5. Matej Mohoric, 11 pts
At 1’30’’
6. Jasper Philipsen, 10 pts
7. Wout van Aert, 9 pts
8. Chris Juul Jensen, 8 pts
9. Guillaume van Keirsbulck, 7 pts
10. Chris Hamilton, 6 pts
11. Philippe Gilbert, 5 pts
12. Mathieu Burgaudeau, 4 pts
13. Nathan van Hooydonck, 3 pts
14. Michael Storer, 2 pts
15. Jonas Vingegaard, 1 pt
Quinn Simmons wins the intermediate sprint, although with Wout van Aert comfortably leading the standings for the green jersey, nobody is particularly bothered about that today.
RACE RESUMES
Huge frustration for the riders, particularly the breakaway riders who won’t be able refuel from their team’s cars. Those riders in the peloton will indeed get their fluids and snacks. With the breakaway already back underway, the peloton once again give chase. On we go.
Updated
The breakaway will resume racing with the same time gap: 1min20secs. It’s unclear what the protests were for.
Updated
RACE SUSPENDED DUE TO PROTESTS
The commissaires stop the race.
Not sure what the curry houses are like in the Pyrenees, but Mads Pedersen, who won stage 13, will do his best to stagger through today and get himself to Paris.
#TDF2022 Mads Pedersen had a troubled night with some stomach issues. He will race today and try to recover before Sunday.
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) July 22, 2022
Apologies to those who just confirmed their fantasy teams.
The breakaway lead is now over a minute.
A surprise not to see more riders from the sprint teams in the breakaway, as it will likely be a sprint finish come the end of the stage. Would be nice to see Peter Sagan do something.
The riders have just left Castelnau-Magnoac. We join the race around 10km in, and there has been a five-strong breakaway. Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious), Nils Politt (Bora–Hansgrohe), Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo), Taco Van der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) and Mikkel Honore (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) lead stage 19. They’ve got about a 50 second lead over the peloton.
Updated
Preamble
The race is probably run. Probably. Jonas Vingegaard put another minute and four seconds onto his lead at the top of the GC standings, now at 3min26secs, leaving Tadej Pogacar for dead on Thursday in the final mountain climb in the Pyrenees. With Saturday’s time trial and the final procession into Paris on Sunday, this is PROBABLY the final chance for any sort of miraculous late development in the battle for the yellow jersey.
Stage 18 result (Lourdes-Hautacam)
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den, Jumbo-Visma) 3h 59m 50s
2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo, UAE Team-Emirates) +1:04
3. Wout van Aert (Bel, Jumbo-Visma) +2:10
4. Geraint Thomas (GB, Ineos Grenadiers) +2:54
5. David Gaudu (Fr, Groupama-FDJ) +2:58
6. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz, Astana) +3:09
7. Daniel Martínez (Col, Ineos Grenadiers) st
8. Sepp Kuss (US, Jumbo-Visma) +3:27
9. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus, Bora-Hansgrohe) +4:04
10. Thibaut Pinot (Fr, Groupama-FDJ) +4:09
General classification
- Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 71h 53m 34s
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) +3m 26s
- Geraint Thomas (Ineos) +8m 0s
- David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) +11m 5s
- Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) +13m 35s
- Louis Meintjes (Intermarché) +13m 43s
- Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) +14m 10s
- Romain Bardet (DSM) +16m 11s
- Aleksey Lutsenko (Astana) +20m 9s
- Adam Yates (Ineos) +20m 17s
You can read about Thursday’s exploits right here. Today, the 188km track between Castelnau-Magnoac is a flat one, but not without some jeopardy. There are crosswinds “all day”, according to Geraint Thomas, who lies nicely in third. The terrain will be exposed and as the riders wind north from the mountains. Make no mistake, there will be nerves. This is not done yet. Probably.
