Good morning,
Welcome to our live coverage of stage 17 of the 2023 Tour de France.
Have you all recovered from the drama of yesterday's time trial yet?
We're getting closer and closer to Paris now. Today's stage of the race has been billed as the "Queen stage" and rightly so. It finishes with a brutal ascent of the hors categorie Col de la Loze.
Fasten your seat belts and get ready, it's bound to be a good one.
You can reach out to me on Twitter - @thewlistt throughout the day and let me know how you see the day going.
Here's a little look at the picture in the overall standings going into today's brutal stage.
Jonas Vingegaard leads the race by 1-48 over his nearest rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in second.
The Danish rider put in one of the time trial performances of the ages yesterday to extend his overall lead.
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma in 63-06-53
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 1-48
3. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Team Emirates, at 8-52
4. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers, at 8-57
5. Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 11-15
6. Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma, at 12-56
7. Pello Bilbao (Spa) Bahrain Victorious, at 13-06
8. Simon Yates (GBr) Jayco AlUla, at 13-46
9. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 17-38
10. Felix Gall (Aut) AG2R Citroën, at 18-19
There were doubts about the weather this morning at the start with thunder storms rumbling overhead.
However, it appears that's now cleared up in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.
Here's a video shared by Orla Chennaoui of Eurosport and GCN this morning of the rain earlier today.
Our teams in France waking up to this today… 🤔 Remember what Tadej said about hoping for bad weather? pic.twitter.com/noNbmiGWrDJuly 19, 2023
Although as I say, reports from those on the ground in France suggest the weather has cleared up now.
When the Col de la Loze was first introduced to the Tour de France in 2020, many shuddered and grimaced at the sheer sight of it.
It's an absolute monster of a climb, that's fair to say.
Today's 165.7km stage includes three early climbs which includes the Cormet de Roselend, but the Col de la Loze should completely destroy the peloton in the finale today.
Right! Here we go! The riders are off and into the neutralised section.
It's a short one today, just 3.3 kilometres, so expect them to get this out of the way pretty quickly.
We'll have a full stage report online for you at the end of today.
Cycling Weekly journalists Vern Pitt, Adam Becket and James Shrubsall are on the ground today.
They'll be bringing you all the reaction from Courchevel later on this evening.
With over 5,000 metres of elevation gain today, it's no wonder the stage has been dubbed as the "Queen Stage."
Here's the full profile of the 167 kilometres from Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc to Courchevel.
Will Tadej Pogačar go all out and grab the time back that he needs?
164km to go:
Here we go!
Christian Prudhomme waves them off and the attacks fly almost immediately as multiple riders try to get an early breakaway going.
Looks like it's Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) who have pushed on to try their luck.
Krist Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech) and a couple of riders from DSM are trying to join them.
Those two riders have been reeled back in, although expect someone like Cort to try again.
and just as I write that.... he's managed to get in the next group to try their luck!
Cort is up the road again along with Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and several others.
We'll have the full list in a moment.
Wow! There were no major attacks just then but the high intensity at the front of the peloton briefly caused a split in the bunch.
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) were both caught out there along with multiple other riders.
It looks like it's pretty much back together, although that will have been a scary moment for Yates and co there.
So the breakaway has about 35 seconds now on the main field.
It's all about the battle for the King of the Mountains jersey.
Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) is up the road along with his teammate Mads Pedersen, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Luca Mezgec (Jayco-AIUla) and Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X).
Here's Ciccone in the polka-dot jersey at the start this morning.
150km to go:
Quick-Step are really putting the hammer down on the front of the peloton.
They desperately want one of their riders in that break this morning.
Julian Alaphilippe has just dashed off the front of the bunch with a couple of other riders in an attempt to bridge across to the leaders as they begin the first climb of the day, the Col de Saisies.
Woah!
Tadej Pogačar has just hit the deck in a small crash in the main field. Looks like it was only the Slovenian that went down, but not an ideal start at all.
He's back up and riding and looks absolutely fine but as I say, not an ideal start for him at all.
I expect the stress levels in the UAE camp have ramped right back up.
Meanwhile the break now has 11 seconds on the peloton thanks to the efforts of Alaphilippe, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citreon) and a few other riders in the second group on the road.
Marc Soler from UAE Emirates and Victor Lafay (Cofidis) are both there too.
148km to go: Ciccone along with Powless and Gregaard are still up the road but only just.
The race is nearly all back together for now.
Here's a closer look at the remnants of the breakaway led by Ciccone in the polka dot jersey.
A few of the chases including Skjelmose have managed to get across the gap but it's not going to last for much longer.
That initial breakaway has been bolstered by some serious firepower now. An immensely strong group packed full of quality is at the head of the race.
Simon Yates is in there which is a big surprise.... especially as he's eighth overall.
Felix Gall is up the road too.
Here's the group in full:
Rafal Majka (UAE Emirates)
Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ)
Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-EasyPost)
Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step)
Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious)
Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Felix Gall (AG2R Citroen)
Rui Costa (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty)
Kevin Vermaeke (DSM)
Krist Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech)
Simon Yates (Jayco-AIUla)
Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AIUla)
Chris Harper (Jayco-AIUla)
Clement Champoussin (Arkea-Samsic)
Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)
Neilson Powless has been dropped.
Here's Tadej Pogačar's little incident here earlier courtesy of ITV Cycling.
Pogačar has been down! 😬#TDF2023 #ITVCycling pic.twitter.com/ajyJdTJJTNJuly 19, 2023
139km to go: There was a little bit of panic earlier as to the whereabouts of Jonas Vingegaard's teammates in the remnants of the main field.
Dylan van Baarle is leading the peloton for Jumbo-Visma, Tiesj Benoot is there too as is Wout van Aert and a couple of others including Sepp Kuss.
Panic?! What panic?!
138km to go: Wow! Benoot is really riding here and is absolutely shredding that group containing Vingegaard and Pogacar already.
Jumbo are absolutely intent on putting the Slovenian under even more pressure today.
137km to go: That big effort from the Benoot led group has brought Pogacar, Vingegaard and several other riders across to the breakaway.
Meanwhile Ciccone has just taken maximum points at the top of the Saisies.
That puts the Italian 15 points clear of Neilson Powless in second place in the mountains classification.
135km to go: Alaphilippe, Ciccone and Neilands have continued that acceleration over the top of the climb and onto the descent of the Saisies.
The Frenchman is bombing it down the descent and seems absolutely desperate to get a stage win today.
Sorry Julian, but I think that'll be a tall order with whose racing behind you.
This is pretty terrifying stuff from Alaphilippe here!
He is absolutely gunning it.
Average speed of just under 80 kph at the moment.
Quick reminder that there's three more categorised climbs to go today.
The Cormet de Roselend, the Cote de Longfoy and the Col de la Loze.
127km to go: Ciccone, Neilands and Alaphilippe are together now and continuing to push on.
They've got about 18 seconds on the second group on the road now which is the yellow jersey group.
123km to go: Jack Haig is leading the GC group down the Saisies in pursuit of the trio up ahead.
Looks like it was Vermaeke from DSM who went just before him.
Alaphilippe is first across the intermediate sprint there at Beaufort.
From there it's pretty much straight onto the Cormet de Roselend.
118km to go:
Haig, Skjelmose, Vermaeke and Gregor Muhlberger (Movistar) are almost with the Ciccone led trio up ahead.
117km to go: and they're with them as the Roselend kicks up!
The lead group has just over a minute now on the yellow jersey group.
There are several smaller groups of chasers dotted in no-mans land between them.
Haig drives the break on along with Skjelmose.
114km to go: As they continue to push on up the Roselend, Majka and Soler from UAE looked to launch a move and push on in search of the break.
Tiesj Benoot and Wilco Kelderman (Jumbo-Visma) were straight onto it though with Wout van Aert hovering behind.
111km to go:
We've now got a huge group of 34 men at the head of the race.
Thibaut Pinot and Rigoberto Uran have made it across to them now to bring some extra firepower.
It feels a little too big to go all the way as there will undoubtedly be a lot of different agendas in there.
Marc Soler, Majka, Kelderman and Benoot also made it across.
110km to go:
Here's the full run down of whose there for now ----->>>
Ties Benoot and Wilco Kelderman (Jumbo-Visma)
Rafal Majka and Marc Soler (UAE Emirates)
David Gaudu, Valentin Madouas, Thibaut Pinot and Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ)
Magnus Cort and Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-EasyPost)
Julian Alaphilippe and Dries Devenyns (Soudal Quick-Step)
Pello Bilbao and Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious)
Giulio Ciccone and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Ben O'Connor, Nans Peters and Felix Gall (AG2R Citroen)
Rui Costa (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty)
Guillaume Martin (Cofidis)
Gregor Muhlberger (Movistar)
Simon Yates, Chris Harper and Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AIUla)
Aleksey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan)
Tobias Johanneson and Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)
Krists Neilands , Hugo Houle and Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech)
Matthew Dinham and Kevin Vermaeke (DSM)
Simon Gugliemi (Arkea-Samsic)
108km:
Looks like Soler is dropping back to the yellow jersey group for UAE.
Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) has just abandoned the race.
107km to go:
Van Aert and Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) are leading the yellow jersey group behind the breakaway.
Things are nicely poised for Jumbo just in case Pogacar and UAE are planning something.
103km: Ciccone looks like a man on a mission today.
He's still leading the charge at the head of the breakaway as they push on.
Stunning views from the Cormet de Roselend today.
My colleague, Tom Davidson, says its the nicest climb he's ever ridden. I'm starting to see why now.
Right! Speaking of Mr Davidson.... he's about to jump on while I'm off for some lunch! See you back here in one hour.
Hello, Tom Davidson here. While my namesake gets his lunch, you can all feast on the beauty of Lake Roselend.
I did this climb last summer, and I have never known water to be so beautifully turquoise.
🤩 Le Lac de Roselend#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/yopl5gkf4jJuly 19, 2023
100km to go: Just one kilometre remains of the most stunning climb in the Alps. Polka-dot-jersey-wearer Ciccone is poised to dart for points at the front of this 34-rider breakaway group.
99km to go: Right on cue, Ciccone takes maximum mountains points over the Cormet de Roselend.
Wondering why there's a telephone booth at the top of the climb?
According to Alltrails.com: "The cabin is located at the roche du Biolley belvedere, about 700m from the Plan Mya refuge. According to the owners of the shelter, their clients kept asking them where they could make a phone call. Not having a network at the shelter, the owners often joked by telling them that they could go to the telephone booth, previously a fictitious place. Years later, the owners decided to make this anecdote a reality and buy a telephone booth to install it at the belvedere of the rock of Biolley, the closest place with the network."
A random telephone box on top of Cormet de Roseland...sure#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/0fGoBEfxtUJuly 19, 2023
91km to go: It's hard to tell at this point whether this is a day for the breakaway or the GC favourites. The peloton seems to be keeping the front group on a tight leash, allowing them 1-45 at the moment.
88km to go: This descent will last another 20 or so kilometres before the riders reach the category-two Côte de Longefoy - an amuse bouche for the monstrous Col de la Loze that awaits.
80km to go: We're still descending here. The gap to the break has pushed out a little bit to 1-50, but it's being closely policed.
Vingegaard undergoes extra anti-doping tests
There has been a lot of skepticism about the top riders' performances over the past few stages, and as a result, Jumbo-Visma and UAE have been subject to additional anti-doping tests.
According to Wielerflits, the two teams were visited by doping inspectors on their team buses ahead of today's stage.
"I applaud this,” said Jumbo-Visma team manager Richard Plugge. “In fact, I also worked hard for this. In this way we are taking another step in the fight against doping. Jonas Vingegaard has had no less than four blood tests in the last 48 hours. We are happy to participate in this.”
A reminder that ASO have added giant crash mattresses to some of the descents on today's stage, one of a host of new safety measures.
Here's a picture our colleague Adam Becket has just sent across.
66km to go: Back to the race and the breakaway is climbing. They're at the foot of the Côte de Longefoy. It's steep at 7.5%, but it's not the longest. They'll be over the summit and descending again in 6km.
60km to go: The polka-dot-clad Ciccone goes unchallenged over the summit of the category-two climb. There are double points available on the next ascent, the Col de la Loze, as it marks the highest point of this year's race (2,304m).
Hello! Big thank you to Tom Davidson for his updates in the last hour.
Tom Thewlis here, back and ready to take you through to the line.
55km to go: This climb looks like it's starting to bite for a few riders in the break.
We're on an 8% slope at the moment, so in principle this shouldn't challenge anyone, but Hugo Houle is distanced thanks to the furious pace being set by Nans Peters and AG2R.
54km to go:
3-12 to the breakaway and Van Aert is really putting the hammer down on the front of the yellow jersey group.
Ineos briefly came to the head of the group with Omar Fraile, although that didn't last long whatsoever.
52km to go: There are 24 hairpin bends on the way down from this climb hence the battle for positioning.
CRASH! and it's Egan Bernal!
Oh no! Just as we saw that there was going to be a bit of a fight for positioning in the start of that descent, Bernal's front wheel slipped in front of him and he slammed to the floor.
51km to go: That's so unfortunate for Bernal.
Luckily he looks ok, although it's very clear that's knocked his confidence a little. Hopefully he's ok and can just get to the finish now.
47km to go:
We're roughly 20km from the start of the final climb, the Col de la Loze.
Expect the current advantage to the break (3-09) to shatter once the road kicks up.
Here's Jonas Vingegaard on the descent of the Cormet de Roselend.
Will be interesting to see how this plays out when the Col de la Loze arrives and whether Jumbo will look to win the stage with the maillot jaune.
37km to go:
The Col de la Loze is almost upon us.
It's the souvenir Henri Desgrange this year as the highest point in the race.
The last five kilometres will almost certainly be the toughest point when the riders will face gradients of getting on for 24%.
Brutal indeed.
Right! Here we go! The breakaway are onto the Col de la Loze.
It's 28 kilometres of absolute hell. All the best to everyone having to ride that monster today.
32km to go: Uran and Alaphilippe are out the door!
Ben O'Connor is on the front of the breakaway and ripping it up along with Jack Haig. Fair play to them both.
If O'Connor or Haig want to win the stage they'll need to get rid of Simon Yates. I can't see either of them being able to do that.
31km to go: O'Connor's AG2R teammate Felix Gall is locked into his wheel.
Haig's colleague Pello Bilbao is sat just behind him.
Meanwhile the peloton have just swept up Alaphilippe.
Here's Ben O'Connor in action.
He's still leading the charge at the front of the breakaway.
The Australian has had a bit of an underwhelming Tour, so this is his chance to potentially put things right.
26km to go: Worth noting that Jack Haig has ridden the Tour of the Alps, Giro d'Italia, Criterium du Dauphine and now the Tour de France in quick succession.
Pretty impressive to say the least.
Haig would be a real worthy winner of the stage today.
26km to go: There are some serious climbers still left up the road today. At this rate unless Jumbo do something soon, expect one of these guys to go all the way.
Yates is still there, as is Gall, O'Connor, Bilbao and Gaudu.
All of those men are equally capable of winning the stage.
23km to go: Jonathan Castroviejo leads the yellow jersey group behind the breakaway.
Dylan van Baarle is sat just beside him. A big surprise to see the Classics man still there for Jumbo-Visma. Usually it would be Sepp Kuss sat at the front of the bunch for Jumbo.
22km to go: The break is into the slight downhill that comes in the middle of the climb.
It's a brief bit of respite for the leaders before the really serious stuff starts.
Great shot of Tadej Pogačar here.
Does he have enough left in the tank to make up a bit of time today? It doesn't look like it at the moment.
16km to go:
Van Baarle drops away from the yellow jersey group. Sepp Kuss is still in there for Jumbo alongside him and he still has two teammates up the road in the shape of Benoot and Kelderman.
Haig dropped away at the head of the breakaway as the leaders started the toughest part of the climb coming out of Meribel.
This is where it gets really nasty indeed.
15km to go:
Whatever happens today, O'Connor deserves huge credit and praise for his ride in the breakaway.
The Aussie has put in a huge effort at the head of the race which has forced Ineos to really chase from the yellow jersey group.
Chapeau indeed.
Simon Yates is sat a couple of wheels down from O'Connor.
He looks remarkably fresh.
Right! That's it!
O'Connor has dropped away now. He was all in for teammate Felix Gall.
Chris Harper - Yate's Jayco AIUla teammate - has taken over at the head of the breakaway.
When will Yates make his move for the stage win?
14km to go: Pogacar is dropped!
He's clearly massively suffering! Jumbo have moved to the front of the bunch with Kuss and Pogacar has dropped like a stone!
13km to go: That doesn't look good whatsoever for the Slovenian! He looks exhausted!
That's got to be the Tour done and dusted.
When does Vingegaard make his move if he wants the stage win?!
13km to go:
Tadej Pogačar has already lost another 20 seconds to Vingegaard here according to the commentators.
Meanwhile Gall launches at the head of the race! Looks like Yates can't respond for now!
12km to go: Gall has already opened up a decent gap to Yates now.
Majka is with Yates and Harper in the second group on the road.
Tadej Pogačar looks absolutely spent. A really sad sight.
His crash earlier today won't have helped things, but he looks absolutely burnt out.
11km to go: Poor Pogačar.
He's now lost nearly another minute to Vingegaard.
Meanwhile Gall continues up ahead and is weaving all over the road. He looks exhausted.
11km to go: and this is where Vingegaard and Jumbo take flight!
Huge turn from Benoot sets him up and he takes off like a rocket!
Can he go on and win the stage?
10km to go: Vingegaard will be able to see Gall and the remnants of the breakaway up ahead through the hairpins.
They are so high now.
He's got 2-20 to make up if he still wants the stage win.
Gall is in pieces here on the 13% slopes.
Vingegaard is flying and just continuing to twist the knife in Pogacar's wounds.
9km to go:
Yates drops Majka and leaves him for dead. He's got 23 seconds on Yates and 1-53 on Vingegaard.
Tadej Pogačar has just said on the team radio "I'm gone, I'm dead" poor Tadej indeed!
NO!!!
The crowds are completely in the way and have caused the car at the head of a race to come to a standstill in front of Jonas Vingegaard.
He's just been forced to a standstill and had to unclip.
Pello Bilbao has just lashed out at a fan. The riders are getting incredibly frustrated out there.
Meanwhile Gall is screaming through the pain up ahead!
Yates has 21 seconds to make up.
Where are the Police or Gendarmes keeping the crowds back up here?!
They're thinning out now but it's not a good look.
7km to go:
Vingegaard seems to have not been thrown whatsoever by having to stop back there.
He's got nearly four minutes on Pogacar now.
Gall is on the 24% section now! Wow!
5km to go: Vingegaard sails past Gaudu.
He's 1-29 from the head of the race.
Only Pello Bilbao can keep tabs on him.
3km to go: Gall took the KOM at the top of at the top of the Col de la Loze and takes this year's souvenir Henri Desgrange.
Gall, Yates and Vingegaard and co are onto the descent towards the climb to Courchevel.
Pogacar has only just crossed the summit of the climb.
2.3 km to go: This is nail biting stuff!
It's a two way fight between Gall and Yates for the stage win but its going to go down to the line! My word!
Jonas Vingegaard can sit up and relax now.
He doesn't need another stage win. The Tour title is essentially wrapped up bar any major disaster.
Gall has the stage win in the bag! What an effort from the Austrian!
He approaches the line and can relax.
Simon Yates will take second and has made big gains on GC here.
FELIX GALL WINS STAGE 17 OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE!!
WHAT A DAY FOR THE AUSTRIAN. A VERY WORTHY WINNER INDEED.
Simon Yates grabs second
Vingegaard and Bilbao are coming to the line now.
The Danish rider will have getting on for 8 or 9 minutes on Pogacar come the end of the day.
Right! Time for a stage report.
We'll wrap everything up on here shortly.
A stage report will follow.
Here's our stage report on a scintillating day of action at the Tour.
