July 26/19 14:01 pm - Bernal New TDF Leader after Shortened Stage

Posted by Editoress on 07/26/19
 

Egan Bernal was first to top col d’Iseran where the times of stage 19 were to be taken as final.  Stormy conditions brought the race to a halt due to huge amounts of hail and ice on the road on the downhill. He was declared the winner and became the third Colombian to take the yellow jersey after Victor Hugo Peña in 2003 and Fernando Gaviria last year. Julian Alaphilippe is second. Thibaut Pinot has abandoned.

Twenty-nine rider leading group
156 riders started stage 19 in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. After 4km of racing and a demanding uphill start, Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Pello Bilbao (Astana), Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) and Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) on the day of his 29th birthday rode away. The front part of the peloton remained very active. The leading quartet was caught at km 35 by a group that escaped from the main bunch while Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) was in distress. Hampered by a knee injury, the Frenchman who was fifth on GC had no choice but pull out at km 36.

Twenty nine riders formed the front group after 50km of racing: Dylan van Baarle (Ineos), Patrick Konrad (BORA-hasngrohe), Tony Gallopin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Vincenzo Nibali and Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Merida), Sébastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ), Alejandro Valverde, Marc Soler and Andrey Amador (Movistar), Pello Bilbao, Gorka Izagirre, Magnus Cort and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Laurens De Plus (Jumbo-Visma), Rigoberto Uran, Alberto Bettiol and Michael Woods (EF Education First), Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Dan Martin and Fabio Aru (UAE Team Emirates), Giulio Ciccone and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), Michael Matthews (Sunweb), Jesus Herrada (Cofidis), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Guillaume Martin (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Roman Kreuziger (Dimension Data), Warren Barguil and Elie Gesbert (Arkéa-Samsic).

Egan Bernal first at col d’Iseran
Team Ineos led the peloton until AG2R-La Mondiale took over at the bottom of the col d’Iseran when the time difference was 1:40, down from the  maximum gap of two minutes at km 60. Geraint Thomas attacked with 6.5km to go to the top of the climb. It was the beginning of the assault on the yellow jersey. Barguil attacked from the last 4 remaining riders in the break until Egan Bernal rode across to him 4.5km before the summit (at 89 km), followed by Nibali, S. Yates and Uran. Bernal dropped his opponents one by one to reach the top alone in the lead.

Bernal was over the summit and had been joined by Yates on the long descent when the decision to end the stage was made by TDF organizer Prudhomme was made.

Road damage on descent ends stage at mountain summit
Because of a sudden storm, the road was impassable at km 112 in the downhill leading to Tignes. Huge amounts of hail and a mass of rubble made it impossible for the race to continue. There was much confussion at the front of the peloton with many top riders continuing on despite being told the race was over.  The times were taken at col d’Iseran, meaning Bernal who crested it first 2:07 head of Alaphilipe is the new leader of the Tour de France.  With two days to go Bernal's  advantage is 45s over the Frenchman and 1:03 over Thomas. There is no stage winner for stage 19.

Jerseys after Stage 19

Yellow - Overall GC:  Egan Bernal (Team Ineos)
Green - Points:  Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe)
Polka Dot - KoM: Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale)
White - Best Young rider: Egan Bernal (Team INEOS)
Best Team: Movistar Team