Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) climbed to an impressive solo victory on the Grand Colombier on stage 13 of the Tour de France.
The Polish rider dispatched the remnants of the day’s breakaway on the steeper gradients of the day’s final climb. James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost), Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan) and Max Van Gils (Lotto-Dstny) had no answer to Kwiatkowski’s acceleration as he caught and passed them on a hairpin bend.
Meanwhile Tadej Pogačar took back eight seconds in the battle for overall victory. The Slovenian now trails Jonas Vingegaard in the overall standings by just nine seconds.
Pogačar left it very late, but eventually launched a savage attack in the final kilometre which comfortably distanced Vingegaard and moved him even closer to the yellow jersey.
Despite Pogačar and UAE’s attempts to close him down, Kwiatkowski held out for a second-ever Tour stage win. Lotto-Dstny’s Max Van Gils was the only other rider who was able to hold off the rampaging Slovenian as he took second on the day, 47 seconds behind Kwiatkowski.
Pogačar took third, a further three seconds back.
