Good afternoon,
Welcome to our coverage of stage 18 of the Tour de France.
After the fireworks of the last couple of days, today's flat stage should provide a bit of respite for the riders as they edge closer to the final day in Paris on Sunday.
On the menu for the peloton is 185 undulating kilometres between Moûtiers and Bourg-en-Bresse.
You can reach out to me on Twitter - @thewlistt throughout the day and let me know how you see the day going.
The biggest news ahead of today's stage is that Wout van Aert has left the Tour to be with his wife Sarah back at home.
She is set to give birth 'imminently' to their second child.
Tour de France stage 18 - Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse 185 kilometres
The riders are out on the road and rolling through the neautralised section of today's stage.
It's 16 kilometres in total to the start. The peloton have 12 kilometres left to go before we'll see Christian Prudhomme emerge from the sun roof of the race director's car.
Today's stage is a very flat 185 kilometres between Moûtiers and Bourg-en-Bresse. There are two small categorised climbs to get over, although they are just category four.... nothing compared to what the riders faced yesterday!
It could be a day for the sprinters, or maybe one for a breakaway depending on how things pan out.
Here's the general classification ahead of today's stage-
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma in 67-57-51
2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 7-35
3. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Team Emirates, at 10-45
4. Carlos Rodriguez (Spa) Ineos Grenadiers, at 12-01
5. Simon Yates (Gbr) Jayco-AIUla, at 12-19
6. Pello Bilbao (Esp) Bahrain Victorious, at 12-50
7. Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 13-50
8. Felix Gall (Aut) AG2R Citroën, at 16-11
9. Sepp Kuss (Usa) Jumbo-Visma, at 16-49
10. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 17-57
Jonas Vingegaard's lead is now pretty unassailable with just two road stages left after today.
ICYMI -
Former pro Tommy Voeckler was in trouble yesterday for his part in the incident on the Col de la Loze which saw Jonas Vingegaard and several other riders forced to a standstill.
Voeckler and his motorbike driver have subsequently been suspended from the race for today's stage.
Here we go! We're off and underway! A Soudal Quick-Step rider has just torn up the road almost instantly with an Uno-X rider in hot pursuit.
183km to go:
We've got an initial three man break that have got up the road, although they have just a handful of seconds for now.
Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step), Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) have 25 seconds over the chasing main field.
180km to go:
The break's advantage has already rocketed up.
They've got nearly a minute now but it's obviously an awfully long way to go still.
175km to go:
The trio of leaders have 1-46 now.
If they don't make it, there's a very real possibility that Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) could grab his fifth stage win of the race today.
We haven't had a sprinter as dominant as the Belgian for a very long time indeed.
138km to go:
The peloton led by DSM seem relatively calm at the moment and are happy to just let the break hover up ahead.
Asgreen, Campenaerts and Abrahamsen still have 1-11 over the bunch as they roll through the French countryside.
123km to go:
The break are on the first of the two categorised climbs at the moment, although they have no interest whatsoever in that.
Quick-Step really want a stage win here, and that's what will be on Asgreen's mind.
123km to go: Alpecin are still leading the peloton as they hover at around a minute behind the leaders.
Abrahamsen has just taken the only point available at the top of the Côte de Chambery-le-Haut.
105km to go: The peloton are keeping close watch on the leaders at the moment.
The gap has just dropped to 41 seconds and there are reports of a bit of a headwind out on the road.
Here's the maillot jaune out on the road.
He looks very relaxed now and understandably so. Vingegaard pretty much just has to ride from A to B for the next couple of days and then the Tour is in the bag.
93km to go: This stage is a bit of a dull affair at the moment, although there's some incredible scenery on display in this part of France.
While the breakaway roll on through to Bourg-en-Bresse, get in touch with us on Twitter and let us know your favourite moment of the race so far?
For me it was undeniably the stage to Laruns in the Pyrenees won by Jai Hindley.
The peloton has just gone through a feed zone.
The riders pick up bidons, energy bars and gels as they carry on through the stage.
It's extremely hot out on the road. Riders are visibly emptying water bottles over themselves and stuffing socks with ice down the back of their jersey's when they get a chance.
52 kph is the average speed in the break at the moment.
Asgreen is really driving them on.
81km to go:
The breakaway and peloton are all onto the second climb of the day now - the Côte de Boissieu - and the gap is now around 40 seconds.
We need someone like Matej Mohorič to launch across the the leaders now and power over the top. The Slovenian has done similar in the past before at the Tour and it resulted in a stage win in 2021.
80km to go:
Just as I've typed that several teams have really lifted the tempo on the front of the bunch as several riders attempt to get across to the break.
Anthony Turgis of TotalEnergies is in the gap between the peloton and the lead trio at the moment.
79km to go:
Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) has attacked now and almost bridged across.
79km to go:
Just as another Lotto Dstny rider attempted to attack and move up the road, Jasper Philipsen himself came out of the peloton and literally blocked him from moving up the road.
I'm not sure who that was for Lotto, but that's not what you want to see from Philipsen. Not particularly sporting to say the least.
78km to go:
As Philipsen did that, Fred Wright shot across out of the bunch and joined Pacher but they have been swept up by the peloton now.
Looks like the Lotto rider blocked by Philipsen was Pascal Eenkhorn.
Not cool at all from the green jersey wearer. Not cool at all.
Here's Philipsen blocking Eenkhorn.
Jasper Philipsen bullying Eenkhoorn who tries to attack, not very nice. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/l9T3MWxhnuJuly 20, 2023
Calm has been restored in the peloton for now as DSM take over.
75km to go: Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Dstny) has just been over to Philipsen and spoken to him about what happened.
He looks pretty disappointed.
72km to go: Looks like Simon Geschke (Cofidis) has just abandoned after struggling through yesterday.
That's a real shame.
The German is an immensely popular rider in the peloton and many will be disappointed to see him pull out.
Here's Geschke just before he abandoned.
A tough day for Cofidis out on the road.
🔴It's a difficult day for @TeamCOFIDIS as both @simongeschke and @victorlafay are now at the back 🔴C'est un jour difficile pour @TeamCOFIDIS car @simongeschke et @victorlafay sont tous les deux à l'arrière#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/aXkAjqPRhqJuly 20, 2023
61km to go: Eenkhorn wasn't put off by Philipsen and has gone again.
Campenaerts has dropped back to collect his teammate before they drive back to the breakaway.
The gap is hovering at 29 seconds now and they'll almost definitely be caught well before the finish.
47km to go:
Abrahamsen takes maximum points at the intermediate sprint point with Eeenkhorn in second.
The peloton don't seem too fussed behind them and Philipsen takes fifth.
46km to go:
The break is still Campenaerts and Eenkhorn from Lotto, Asgreen and Abrahamsen.
Here's Eenkhorn and Campenaerts in action.
🇫🇷 #TDF2023😍 @VCampenaerts & @PascalEenkhoorn pic.twitter.com/StWOPgVcu6July 20, 2023
40km to go:
Things are pretty strung out in the peloton now as they thunder after the breakaway.
The leader's advantage has gone up to 1-11 but it's going to be immensely difficult for them to retain that as the finish approaches.
33km to go: Lidl-Trek, Bora-Hansgrohe and Jayco-AIUla have now moved to the front of the peloton to share the work.
DSM are there too.
The peloton suddenly seem keen to get the breakaway back in its midst as soon as possible.
27km to go:
55 kph is the average speed in the bunch now.
They are absolutely flying! Even with a slight head wind.
Is it going to be this man that wins this afternoon in Bourg-en-Bresse?
The break still have 50 seconds on the bunch as the finish looms.
20km to go:
The breakaway deserve huge praise for the way in which they've taken this on today.
Campenaerts is on the front now as they absolutely power towards town.
48 seconds is the gap as Asgreen takes over.
17km to go:
The gap is now 36 seconds.
It's starting to drop down slowly, but if anyone has anything left, a solo move is possible.
Could Asgreen do something here?!
16km to go:
Asgreen and Eeenkhorn are fuelling ready for one final push.
15km to go:
DSM and Trek have dropped away from the front of the bunch. It's 27 seconds to the breakaway as Asgreen takes over again.
There's a lot of talk of crosswinds at the top of the next slight uncategorised rise in the road.
13km to go: Alpecin assemble on the front of the peloton.
You can see that the break are all really starting to hurt now.
12km to go:
As the stress levels ramp up, Jumbo-Visma have really pushed to make sure Jonas Vingegaard is right up at the head of the race.
Dylan van Baarle, Tiesj Benoot and Laporte are all around him.
11km to go:
Julian Alaphilippe is floating around at the head of the bunch trying to disrupt things.
The gap to the leaders is 21 seconds..... it's really getting close now!
7 km to go:
Intermarche are now there chasing at the front!
Do they fancy this for Biniam Girmay?!
7km to go:
The break still have 24 seconds..... Mattias Skjelmose is there now helping Intermarche and Alpecin-Deceuninck but it's still too hard to call.
5km to go:
Nils Pollitt (Bora-Hansgrohe) has just taken over at the front.
The German rider has a HUGE engine and is the literal definition of power.
The breaks gap has plummeted to 12 seconds.
10 seconds now!
Now's the time to go if anyone's got anything left! It's almost done for the break.
3km to go:
Eenkhorn takes the break under the banner marking three km to go.
Asgreen is on the front as Astana get on the front now to help with the chase ready for Cees Bol.
Fred Wright is there now for Bahrain along with Mohoric. This is getting tasty!
1.3 km to go:
This could get messy if the riders aren't careful.
Campenaerts leads the break under the flamme rouge
900 metres to go:
The break are still out there! Wow !! it's possible
500 metres:
The break start to hesitate
HERE GOES ASGREEN!
WOW!!!!!!
WHAT A WIN!!! KASPER ASGREEN SPRINTS LIKE AN ABSOLUTE WEAPON AND WINS THE STAGE!
Quick-Step have their win! What a phenomenal victory!
He's been out front all day and completely outfoxes the peloton.
That's got to be up there as the best win of the Tour.
Asgreen was out front with the leaders for pretty much the entire day and still had enough left to give in the sprint.
Superb.
Looks like Eenkhorn got second and Abrahamsen third
We'll have a full stage report for you shortly.
Here's our stage report after a brilliant day for Asgreen and Soudal Quick-Step.
