Nibali wins stage as Bernal takes Tour de France lead to Paris – Video

Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) proved that persistence pays off, winning the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, and the final stage in the mountains, at Val Thorens on Saturday. Fourth place on the stage for overall race leader Egan Bernal (Team Ineos), meanwhile, meant that the 22-year-old Colombian is poised to take his first Tour title in Paris on Sunday.

Stage 20 may have been shortened to just 59km following landslides in the Alps on Friday, but all eyes were on the final 33km climb up to the ski resort of Val Thorens, where this year's podium places would be decided.

French hero Julian Alaphilippe would fall out of contention for a top-three finish, dropping to fifth place on the GC by day's end, thanks in part by sterling work from Steven Kruijswijk's Jumbo-Visma team setting the pace to ensure that the Dutchman moved up from fourth place to third overall.

Up front, Nibali took a well-earned solo win, having tried for a stage victory on multiple occasions at this year's race, while a delighted Bernal trailed in some 17 seconds later, hand-in-hand with almost-as-delighted teammate and 2018 Tour champion Geraint Thomas, who will finish second overall, 1:11 down.

Watch the highlights of stage 20 below.