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Bonjour and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 20 of the 2024 Tour de France!
Around 90 minutes to go before the start of today's final mountain stage.
Here's the route profile and map of today's stage 20.
And a look back at the stage 19 result and current general classification.
Tour de France: Tadej Pogačar takes stunning solo win on stage 19 to secure yellow jersey
Vingegaard holds Evenepoel despite losing 1:42 to yellow jersey
July 20, 2024: Nice - Col de la Couillole,132.8km
The Tour de France is over, but Tadej Pogačar is still running up the score – Analysis
Slovenian takes retribution for Col de la Loze and Hautacam defeats with exhibition at Isola 2000
Around an hour to go until the stage gets underway in Nice.
We're already in Nice, where this Tour de France unusually concludes on Sunday, but we're heading back inland and into the Alpes Maritimes for what is a big old day of climbing considering we're not in the high Alps. Yesterday was marked by extreme altitude HC climbs, and while we don't get near the 2000-metre barrier today and are limited to cat-1s, we do have more climbing in total, with 4,600 metres of elevation (compared to 4,400 yesterday). With a distance of 132.8km, that leaves little room for flat roads, and the constant up-and-down should make for an action-packed day out.
The only thing is, the Tour is over. Anything can happen of course, and Tadej Pogačar will need to stay upright and healthy today, but barring an extraordinary turn of circumstance, he'll be crowned as a three-time champion in Nice tomorrow. Even he has already acknowledged as much, ignoring the standard cautious tone of GC leaders and vowing enjoy the day out on climbs he knows well, living in Monaco. His closest rival Jonas Vingegaard - not that close at over five minutes down - has practically admitted defeat too, so there's very little suspense left in the battle for the yellow jersey.
We could see Remco Evenepoel looking to expose those weary cracks that emerged in Vingegaard yesterday in a bid to bring second place into play on Sunday's time trial, while there's stuff still to be gained and lost further down on GC. But the real drama on this stage could revolve around the breakaway. Pogačar has all-but given it his blessing, and there should be an almighty fight to make it in, with the first climb coming after just 15km and promising an explosive start to the day.
A glance above and you should see the special jersey wearers, and they're pretty much set in stone now. Pogačar obviously has yellow firmly on his shoulders, likewise Evenepoel has no close competition in the young rider classification, and Biniam Girmay cannot lose the green jersey for points classification winner. Richard Carapaz took the polka-dots yesterday after leading over the Cime de la Bonette, and while it's not mathematically certain, only Pogačar could divest him of the mountains jersey, so he for one will be hoping the Slovenian is as good as his word.
Sure is a hot one
Here's Jonas Vingegaard's reaction after yesterday's fatal blow.
There'll be a race at the front and there'll be a race at the back. Arnaud Démare missed the time cut yesterday but Mark Cavendish fights on, with one more gruppetto slog to go before he can complete his final Tour de France. A slight shame that he won't get to cap it off in Paris, but with that record-breaking 35th stage win in the bag his farewell Tour has been a resounding success.
The riders have all signed on and have gathered on the start line - they'll be rolling very shortly. We have a lengthy neutral zone today so racing proper is expected to get underway in around 20 minutes.
They're off
After a slight delay due to traffic conditions for teams getting to the start area on the harbour in Nice, they're on the move now.
Here's the race leader at the start a little earlier
And here's Pogačar's reaction after yesterday's victory, his fourth of this Tour (and 15th of all) and one that effectively sewed up a third yellow jersey.
We're edging closer to kilometre zero so we'll be properly underway in just a few minutes.
Here we go then. Race director Christian Prudhomme rises from the sunroof as we approach kilometre-zero.
The race is underway
The flag is waved and we are racing. The first attacks come immediately, and they might not let up until we get a selection on our first climb.
Uno-X look keen here, EF as well.
Soren Waerenskjold takes off solo for Uno-X as things settle down in the bunch after the opening flurry. Plenty of riders biding their time here.
Waerenskjold is now joined by his teammate Magnus Cort. Rui Costa and Jai Hindley are hitting out with more now jumping from the pack.
Waerenskjold and Hindley drop away as Neilson Powless, Hugo Houle, Anthony Turgis and Jordan Jegat come across to Costa and Cort to make a six-man group.
Bora are now chasing in the peloton, at 15 seconds. Hindley looked to be in that move but then dropped back, and his team are now on the back foot. They haven't won a stage at this year's race and lost their leader - and star signing - Primož Roglič to injury, so they'll be desperate to get something out of this race.
12 teams have won a stage at this Tour. That leaves 10 that haven't:
Ineos Grenadiers, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek, Bahrain Victorious, Movistar, Groupama-FDJ, Decathlon-AG2R, Israel-Premier Tech, Uno-X, Cofidis
That six-man break has been swallowed up as we start to climb.
We're on a kicker ahead of the Col de Braus and EF are trying to rip it up already, with Powless now setting a pace for Carapaz.
The peloton is splitting here.
14 riders in this front split being driven by Powless.
The road now dips down ahead of the climb proper and we have this 14-man lead group, a larger pack, and a gruppetto that's already forming with the sprinters.
A few new additions to the lead group as we hit the climb. Full composition on the way shortly.
The Col de Braus is a category-2 climb measuring 10km at an average gradient of 6.6%>
We can see Adam Yates up front for UAE, Matteo Jorgenson for Visma.
There are only 25 riders in the yellow jersey group, with plenty of splits on this climb.
And that yellow jersey group is coming across to the break!
Wilco Kelderman sets off now as the yellow jersey approaches. Riders all over the place here.
Derek Gee - 8th overall - has gone with Kelderman and now Bruno Armirail sets off for AG2R. Behind, UAE are now setting pace in a heavily fragmented GC group that has swallowed most of the break.
113km to go
Gee has dropped back so we have Kelderman and Armirail at the head of affairs half-way up this climb, 16 seconds up on a small yellow jersey group.
Enric Mas (Movistar) attacks now as the pace eases off in the yellow jersey group.
Carapaz attacks! And Jorgenson hits out too! Pace is lifted.
The yellow jersey group splits again under that latest push. A really chaotic start here on a cat-2 climb on a day when Pogačar said he'd allow a breakaway to go clear.
UAE are attentive here as Ciccone gets on board with the accelerations. Plenty of the top 10 on GC getting involved here.
Soler pushes things on for UAE now. Armirail sees him from one of the numerous hairpins on this climb, and waves his arm in frustration. 'You said you weren't going to do this', he's thinking.
17 riders in the yellow jersey group, 15 seconds down on Armirail, Kelderman, and Mas out front, and 2km from the summit of this first climb.
Ineos have no one in there. Carlos Rodriguez dropped already.
Mas accelerates out front and Kelderman is dropped, Armirail is going all-out to get back on.
108km to go
Mas leads the race over the summit of the Col de Braus. Armirail trails by a few seconds.
The reduced yellow jersey group comes to the top almost a minute in arrears. Will Pogačar challenge Carapaz for the polka-dots today? No, he's not that much of a cannibal. The Ecuadorian is ushered through.
Jorgenson nips through to deny Carapaz the maximum collection of points from that group. Not sure why - Jorgenson can't win that competition.
The yellow jersey swelled to 25 riders towards the top of that climb, and it could well swell again on this descent. Rodriguez - 6th overall - isn't far behind at the moment. Buitrago and Gall are other members of the top 15 overall who are with him.
That Jorgenson move should get the tongues wagging. UAE made a peace offering to Carapaz but the American disrupted it for no apparent reason. He was denied a stage win yesterday by Pogačar's eagerness, which triggered complaints from the Visma team management. Pure pettiness perhaps.
The three-man breakaway has reformed on this descent, with Armirail and Kelderman both linking back up with Mas. They have a minute over the yellow jersey group.
Rodríguez is back.
The group containing Ineos' GC leader comes back and the yellow jersey group swells to at least 40 riders.
Five riders have managed to get away from the yellow jersey group on this descent: Carapaz, Bardet, Soler, Tratnik, Champoussin.
We're climbing again, albeit on an uncategorised drag that will take us onto the day's second climb, the Col de Turini.
93km to go
And onto the Turini we go. It's a cat-1 climb, measuring 20.7km at an average gradient of 5.7%.
Here's a closer look at the Col de Turini
The situation on the lower slopes:
3-man breakaway – Mas, Armirail, Kelderman
5-man chase – Carapaz, Soler, Bardet, Champoussin, Tratnik – at 30 seconds
Yellow jersey peloton – at 2:25
Things have eased off in the bunch now and we have new attacks: Powless, Johannessen, Geniets, Stuyven, Peters.
The race is settling down on the Turini. UAE are en masse on the front of what is now very much a peloton again.
Three separate breakaway groups out front. Let's see if they come together and whether UAE definitively let them off the leash.
The chase group is being pegged at 30 seconds from the front three, and that's the cue for Carapaz to rip it up. Bardet follows him, Soler and Tratnik are briefly distanced, Champoussin is dropped.
That group isn't working too well together but they're within 20 seconds of the front of the race now.
83km to go
Half-way up the Col de Turini and UAE have let the front of the race out to four minutes - they could yet set this up for another Pogačar win but the rest of the climb will tell us more.
Carapaz and Bardet are propelling the chase group to within 20 seconds of the leading trio. Tratnik, who has Kelderman up the road, is sandbagging there but they should make contact to form a lead group of seven.
The second chase group - containing Powless, Stuyven, Peters, Johannessen, Geniets - is now more than two minutes back and doesn't look competitive today.
Contact up front.
As suggested the front two groups merge to make a lead group of seven. We still have a chase group in between but it's unlikely they'll come across and so it's this seven versus the peloton at 4:30.
There's no cohesion in this newly formed lead group. Tratnik, who has been dragged up there by the others, launches an acceleration.
An exchange of words between Tratnik and Carapaz, and now things do settle down, with Tratnik doing a more traditional turn and the others coming through now.
Soler is the one with the excuse to sit on here, as UAE lead the peloton, where they're holding it at 4:30.
Soler is contributing to the break. The final 6.5km of the Turini will tell us more but it looks like UAE might let this drift out.
78km to go
In the chase group, Peters and Powless have been dropped. Johannessen nearly takes himself out as he half-wheels Stuyven, who apologises but is riding a hell of a race today. He's not a climber but he's looking very strong as he propels the group onwards. Geniets isn't a climber either but is also looking very good. They've reduced the gap to the front to 1:15.
A nice shot of the hairpins on the previous climb, and you can make out the yellow jersey in what was an extremely fragmented group.
Tim Wellens is on the front for UAE and they've let another 10 seconds slip, but that's not a lot in the space of 3km. They're holding this at a distance in which it's feasible the winner could still come from the peloton (ie Pogačar).
Stuyven, Geniets, and Johannessen continue to make inroads, and contrary to my earlier suggestions, it looks like they'll join the leaders, who are riding within themselves for the time being.
Contact up front
Just over a kilometre from the top of the Col de Turini, Stuyven, Geniets, and Johannessen join the lead group to make it 10 out front.
Powless is a minute back, Peters and Champoussin are now together at 2:30, and the bunch are at 4:45.
And as I write that Champoussin suffers a mechanical. Curtains for him now, you'd think.
We're nearing the top of the climb now. Carapaz is poised. Will Visma flick him again?!
No. Carapaz hits out with a little more eagerness now, not wanting to be burnt twice, but no one challenges him. Another 10 points added to his collection and that's the polka-dot jersey sewn up beyond all doubt now.
Change in the peloton.
Soudal Quick-Step take over from UAE and raise the pace. They're still 4:30 behind.
We wondered whether Evenepoel might try and apply pressure on Vingegaard today, and he has certainly sent his men to the fore to make the last few minutes of this climb difficult.
69km to go
Gianni Moscon leads the line of five Quick-Step riders on the front of the bunch as they head over the summit of the Col de Turini. They have brought the gap down to 4:11, so they've shaved off just under half a minute.
Powless is making a good go of this descent. He has closed to within 35 seconds of the leaders. He doesn't look to have his best climbing legs today but he could yet play a role for Carapaz.
Quick-Step continue to lead the peloton as they head downhill. They've slipped back to 4:22, but we'll see if they continue the effort onto the next climb.
The road rises again as the descent ends and we begin the approach to the penultimate climb, the Col de la Colmiane. It's a long uphill drag that'll take us through the day's intermediate sprint before we start the climb proper.
Powless didn't make it and now the road is tilting uphill he slips away. Back out to over a minute now and he blows a kiss to the cameras. Day done.
The answer to our previous question is that yes, Soudal Quick-Step are pressing on with this. They're not doing damage on this false flat, but they're still riding a solid tempo and the gap is stable at 4:25.
A reminder of our stage profile. We're on our way up to the green badge of the intermediate sprint. From there two tough climbs that will be familiar from recent editions of Paris-Nice.
Moscon continues his turn and lifts it a little. The gap comes down to below the four-minute mark and it does indeed look like Evenepoel wants to take a pop at Vingegaard today.
A reminder that Evenepoel is 1:58 down on Vingegaard overall. He can reasonably expect to take some time back in tomorrow's time trial but will need to deal a really heavy blow here to set that up.
Yesterday he had Vingegaard suffering in his wheel all the way up to Isola 2000. Can he drop him today?
Here's Enric Mas on the front of the breakaway
And here's a shot of the peloton
44km to go
We're through the intermediate sprint and it's something of an irrelevance here (Stuyven leads them through) but does mark the gate to the Col de la Colmiane. We've already been going uphill for a while, but here starts the official ascent of 7.5km at an average gradient of 7.1%
In the break the accelerations come almost immediately. Mas is keen here. Carapaz, Kelderman, and Bardet are up with him.
Moscon still on the front as Quick-Step lead the peloton onto the climb. They're 3:55 down so the gap has been stable enough for a while, but where will it go from here?
Ilan Van Wilder takes over for Quick-Step. He's a strong climber and should lift the pace. Evenepoel also still has Jan Hirt and Mikel Landa in front of him.
Soler is struggling slightly, dangling off the back of the break, which is otherwise still together.
2.5km to the top of the Colmiane for our breakaway and their advantage has been cut to 3:30.
Soler attacks!!
Epic bluffing.
The Spaniard was fighting with the bike, desperately calling for his team car. He looked done. But he shoots out the front of the break. Comical stuff.
Soler is quickly caught, but his attack as shed Armirail from the group.
Armirail gets back in as the pace eases again in the break. The bigger riders like Geniets and Stuyven are still here and their advantage comes down to 3:10.
Tratnik, who has Visma teammate Kelderman with him, pushes the break on in the final kilometre of the Colmiane. Loads of fans here.
Carapaz nudges forward, accelerates out of the saddle, and takes them over the top. He wants, but doesn't need, the maximum KOM points, and while no one's fighting him for them, this might be a little push of the pace to get things moving again.
Mas takes over from Carapaz and attacks the descent. 20km downhill now before we take on our final climb.
Van Wilder leads the peloton over the top of the climb for Quick-Step. They've brought the gap down to 2:45. This stage is very much in the balance.
The breakaway are smashing this descent and their lead has grown back out to 3:15 over a peloton where Quick-Step aren't wanting to take so many risks.
Into the final 25km and the stage hangs in the balance. The final climb of the Col de la Couillole is long and tough and a big lifting of pace + attacks from the GC men could yet take this stage away from the breakaway, which will hit the final climb as a group of 10 but will surely split before long.
We're just 5km away from the foot of the Col de la Couillole, which looks like this
The Col de la Couillole was used in last year's Paris-Nice, where Pogačar responded to an opening Vingegaard attack and then put him under big pressure before winning the final dash for the line at the top. He'd win three stages and the overall in that race but would bow to Vingegaard in the Tour de France later in the year.
Final climb begins
The breakaway tick off the small section of flat and they now hit the Couillole. They do so with a lead of 2:55. Here we go!
Armirail is the first rider dropped from the break. Soler is back dangling off the back - and this time it doesn't look like a bluff.
Van Wilder takes the peloton onto the final climb. Quick-Step still have two men left once he's done.
Geniets is the next man distanced from the break. They're not hanging about now.
Tratnik is pushing the pace and Stuyven is still hanging on. Remarkable ride from the Belgian.
Van Wilder is done. Jan Hirt takes over for Quick-Step. Gap 2:45 now.
20 riders are left in the bunch, and Hirt is really lifting it now.
Tratnik pulls off the break. He has done a lot of work for Kelderman and he's handing over now.
Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos) - who was in trouble from the very first climb - is dropped from the GC group.
Rodríguez is 6th overall, 1:42 ahead of Adam Yates (UAE), 4:16 up on Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), and just over five minutes up on Matteo Jorgenson (Visma) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek).
Soler is back! Surreal.
Stuyven is finally dropped now. Just under 12km to the top.
Carapaz and Mas go clear!
The break is blown apart 11km from the top. Bardet is clawing his way back.
Bardet is dropped again as Carapaz and Mas open the taps again.
Just 12 riders left in the GC group. Still Hirt on the front. The gap is 2:15 with just over 10km to go.
The gap goes back out to 2:25. Is Hirt fading?
Immediate answer. Yes. Landa comes through for Quick-Step now. That's Evenepoel's last man.
Buitrago dropped from the GC group.
Ciccone drops as well.
Landa is scorching this. Suddenly only six riders are left in the GC group!
GC group in order: Landa, Evenepoel, Vingegaard, Pogačar, Almeida, Jorgenson.
Landa's turn has whacked the gap to the break down to 1:42.
90 seconds is the gap now half-way up this final climb, with 7.5km to the finish line at the summit. At this rate, the GC favourites will contest stage honours once again.
Carapaz attacks!
The polka-dot jersey drops off the wheel slightly then hits his rival with a huge acceleration.
Mas brings it back with apparent ease.
Evenepoel attacks!
The Belgian makes his move around 8km from the top.
Vingegaard is immediately alive to it. Pogačar follows along and the trio are away.
Almeida, Jorgenson, and Landa come back as the trio ease up. Vingegaard looked good there - it doesn't look like he'll crack today.
Landa falls away and that must be music to the ears of Carapaz and Mas - who's going to set pace now? Well, Joao Almeida, that's who. The UAE man is setting a strong tempo and is he going to set this up for yet another Pogačar stage win?
Almeida brings the gap down to 1:12 with just under 6km remaining.
Jorgenson is dropped from the GC group.
Four left in there: Almeida, Pogačar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel.
5km to go now and the gap dips below the one-minute mark as Almeida continues the charge. Mas gives it a big acceleration but they're losing ground now.
Carapaz attacks now! Once again he backs off before hitting his rival with a huge out of the saddle surge.
Evenepoel attacks again!
Vingegaard responds well once more, and counter-attacks!!
Evenepoel is dropped! Wow.
Evenepoel's plan has backfired, but there was no shame or any real price to pay in trying. Vingegaard is a different beast to yesterday and he pushes on up the mountain.
Pogačar sits in Vingegaard's wheel. It looks like he is asked for a turn but that'll be a no.
4km from the top and the leading duo have just 35 seconds in hand over the top GC duo!
Pogačar does a short turn but Vingegaard is soon back on the front. 25 seconds to the leaders and it's hard to see anything but a fifth Pogačar stage win loading here.
Evenepoel is 15 seconds back.
Carapaz rips it again, for one last time. He could look back and see the yellow jersey before launching that one.
Mas responds beautifully once again. Both riders look really strong here. A shame it'll come to nothing.
Vingegaard and Pogačar reach Carapaz and Mas with 2.5km to go
Carapaz and Mas manage to slot into the wheels and hold on.
Vingegaard doesn't really need much more time on Evenepoel. It's 25 seconds here and was already almost two minutes at the start of the day. But he remains resolutely on the front driving this on, rather than playing cagey for the stage.
Mas is dropped with 1800m to go. Carapaz still there.
Vingegaard still on the front. Pogačar sitting pretty behind. Carapaz fighting in third wheel.
1km to go
Into the final 1000 metres we go. Vingegaard still on the front, Carapaz losing the wheel!
Carapaz is losing several bike lengths now. We're heading for a two-up sprint between Pogačar and Vingegaard.
Will Vingegaard lead out Pogačar all the way to the top? He's looking really strong today but Pogačar has done so much less work, and possesses the better sprint.
Pogačar comes through and hits the front in the final 400m.
Track sprint coming up. Pogačar looks over his shoulder repeatedly.
Pogačar opens the taps! 150m to go and he's immediately clear.
No contest really, he soars clear to collect his fifth stage win of this Tour de France.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) wins stage 20 of the Tour de France
Carapaz takes third place at 23 seconds.
The winner's shot
Evenepoel crossed the line in fourth place, 53 seconds down on Pogačar, who ended up gapping Vingegaard by a staggering seven seconds in the sprint.
Stage 20 results
Let's hear from the winner
"I enjoyed it very much. It didn't go as we planned, but I couldn't be happier with that - another stage win. It's just one more day, and tomorrow I think I'm going to enjoy it as well," says Tadej Pogačar.
"I was really surprised how the race exploded on the Col de Braus," he adds. "Our guys did a super good job, we came all together. Then Soler went in the breakaway, which was good for us. We tried to take it easy to bring guys to the final to have a group ride to the final climb, but Soudal decided to try and take some time on Jonas I guess, or win the stage, which played into my hands."
On this five stage wins: "If you told me this before the Tour I would not have believed you. It's out of this world actually."
On Vingegaard: "He had some tough days and today he showed he's not easy to crack and is a real fighter. He gave everything today and was super strong."
On this form, Pogačar is arguably the favourite for tomorrow's race-ending time trial, which climbs out of Monaco and then descends to Nice. It would make for an extraordinary sixth stage win, matching his tally from his victorious Giro d'Italia in May.
"I think tomorrow can still be dangerous so I will try and come safely into Nice. I can enjoy a bit more the crowds tomorrow, I think," Pogačar says.
Then again, he said he wouldn't try and win this one. At this point, he seems to find it harder to lose races than win them.
This was Vingegaard and Pogačar on the final climb.
Here's Jonas Vingegaard, second on the day and second overall.
"I felt super good when Remco attacked, and decided that the second time he attacks I will counter-attack, and that's what I did. Then I was riding more to put more time into him rather than going for the stage today. He's the best time triallist in the world so you never know [tomorrow]. Of course, three minutes sounds like a lot but last year I took 1:40. You can easily lose a lot of time. I'm happy I got almost a minute more. One more day and I'll do everything I can to keep this second place."
On Pogačar sitting on his wheel and then taking the sprint: "Everyone has their tactics. I don't judge anyone on their tactics. He was sitting more on. i think I'd probably do the same in his situation. He didn't need to ride, he already has five minutes on me. It's just how it is. I'm just happy with how I rode today, how I recovered from yesterday. To be honest, I felt really bad, completely empty, so to bounce back like this is really nice."
Here's Carapaz, who went down fighting and at least secured the polka-dots.
Check out our race report and full results:
Jonas Vingegaard consolidated his hold on second place overall, finishing 7 seconds behind Tadej Pogačar on the mountaintop finish, and more importantly, put 46 seconds into third-placed Remco Evenepoel. After the finish, the Dane admitted, "I felt better than yesterday. Friday was one of my worst days on the bike."
‘More than a stage win, I wanted more time’ - Jonas Vingegaard rebounds hard at Tour de France
Read what Remco Evenepoel had to say about his attack with 4.5km to go and the failed plan to make up time to Jonas Vingegaard.
How is Mark Cavendish doing? How close was he to the time cut on the mountainous stage 20? Read Barry Ryan's account of the Astana rider's Saturday, and what the team did to recognise his 35th Tour stage win.
Mark Cavendish survives the Alps to ensure his final Tour de France will end in Nice
“You don’t give away stages just to your closest competition, for sure not,” Tadej Pogačar said in his post-stage press conference. “But sprinters also don’t say ‘OK, today another sprint can win, I will back off a little bit'. It’s a sport where you want to win, where you need to win. You’re also paid to win."
Read what the race leader had to say about outsprinting Jonas Vingegaard on the Col de la Couillole to claim fifth stage win of race.
