Stage 5 of the Tour de France brings the peloton 183km from Gap to Privas and it could go several ways. The largely downhill nature of the route suggests that it will be a day for the sprinters but the gradual drag towards the finish town might burn off some of the fast men and produce a finale for finisseurs. Meanwhile, this is Mistral country, which means there is always the vague threat of crosswinds and echelons, though the forecast is for calm conditions. After a summit finish yesterday and with another to come tomorrow, the GC men will likely be keen to get through the day as calmly as possible.
The stage gets underway at 13.10 local time, with the peloton slated to hit kilometre zero at 13.20. There are two category 4 climbs on the agenda – the Col de Serre Colon (4.1km at 3.7%) after 130km and the Côte de Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès (2.7km at 4.2%) after 167km – though the real damage might be caused by the long, long false flat that leads to the finish in the marron glacé capital of Privas.
Per some accounts, Primoz Roglic and Jumbo-Visma won the Tour de France yesterday. According to others, men like Egan Bernal and Thibaut Pinot did well to limit their losses to (next to) nothing. The significance of the first rendezvous of a Grand Tour is almost always in the eye of the beholder. It was clear that the Slovenian and his team were the strongest on the Tour's first summit finish at Orcières-Merlette on stage 4, but his rivals only conceded a 10-second time bonus at the line, as all of the top tier of contenders - bar Emmanuel Buchmann - came home together. All to play for, at least if the race lasts the full three weeks.
10 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro Team 00:00:17
11 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 00:00:17
12 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale 00:00:17
13 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Bahrain McLaren 00:00:17
14 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:17
15 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Pro Cycling 00:00:17
16 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo 00:00:17
17 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:26
18 Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team 00:00:26
19 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 00:00:38
20 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) EF Pro Cycling 00:00:45
(Image credit: Wout Beel)
Away from the Tour, Imola has just been confirmed as the replacement for Aigle-Martigny as the host for the 2020 World Championships, which will take place on the weekend between the end of the Tour and the start of the Giro d'Italia. Imola last hosted the Worlds in 1968, when local favourite Vittorio Adorni scored a most famous solo victory.
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Tour peloton is rolling through the neutralised zone in Gap beneath pleasant sunshine and in temperatures of 24°C.
The day's intermediate sprint comes after 47km at L'Epine. Its positioning on the route and the downhill start could see a very, very rapid first hour of racing.
-183km
Christian Prudhomme waves the flag and stage 5 is underway. Bora-Hansgrohe and Deceuninck-QuickStep sit at the front but there is no immediate attack.
The road rises out of Gap for the first 5km or so before the drop towards the intermediate sprint. In these uphill opening kilometres, nobody seems willing to test the waters.
-178.5km
Gamekeeper turns poacher as Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) is the first rider to attack. And the poacher turns gamekeeper as Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) shuts him down.
Asgreen is brought to heel. It was interesting to see the Danish champion try to go up the road - a sign, perhaps, that Deceuninck-QuickStep don't want to spend the day riding on the front to defend Julian Alaphilippe's yellow jersey and tee up the sprint for Sam Bennett.
-177km
Alaphilippe held yellow yesterday even though he gave the impression that he is not quite at the same pitch as he was in the 2019 Tour. After the stage, he suggested that Deceuninck-QuickStep would not seek to control the race much longer. The Belgian squad were to the fore all day yesterday until Jumbo-Visma took over in the finale. "I don’t want to ruin the team either, we’re not here to control the race for three weeks," Alaphilippe said afterwards. "We’re just happy to be in yellow again tomorrow." Stephen Farrand has more here.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
-174km
The peloton remains compact and the pace is steady in these opening kilometers. We're only on day five but given the spate of early crashes and the fierce pace on the final climb yesterday, there'll be plenty of riders already grateful for a gentle opening to proceedings today.
-171km
Primoz Roglič's responses became increasingly laconic with each passing press conference on last year's Vuelta a Espana but the Slovenian was mercifully more loquacious on his first visit to the Tour's press conference van after yesterday's stage win. That said, he remained intent on giving little away, as Alasdair Fotheringham discovered: "Roglič seemed equally bent on muddying the waters when asked if he wanted the yellow jersey as well as the stage win, answering "yeah, no" before sidestepping the issue by saying that Deceuninck-QuickStep were also on the hunt for some good results." Read more here.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
-167km
This has not been the start that was advertised on the tin. Ten miles into the stage, the pace remains gentle and the peloton ambles along amiably in the early afternoon sunshine. The intermediate sprint after 47km should spark the stage into life.
Our man in Italy and the perpetual maglia iridata of the press room Stephen Farrand has the full story on the Imola Worlds, which will see the elite men's and women's time trials and road races take place from September 24-27. Read more here.
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
-163km
Thibaut Pinot drops back to the medical car for some attention to his shoulder or back. The Frenchman was a heavy faller on stage 1 and L'Equipe reported this morning that he has been receiving three and a half hours of treatment every day on his injuries - an hour and a half each morning before the stage and two hours every evening.
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
"It's evolving well, we're reassured," Groupama-FDJ doctor Jacky Maillot told L'Equipe of Pinot's back injury. "Today [Tuesday] was a good test. In a few days, it will get better. We can be reasonably optimistic."
-160km
Pinot rides back up to the rear of the peloton after receiving some attention from the medical car. He doesn't appear in any distress and, like many, he will be glad of the relaxed early tempo here.
-154km
The détente continues in the peloton. 30km into the stage and nary an attack, save for Kasper Asgreen's brief burst off the front.
Today's finish town of Privas featured on the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2008, when Alejandro Valverde was the stage winner ahead of Thor Hushovd. At this point in his interrupted but seemingly interminable career, trying to design a Tour (or Vuelta) route that avoids the sites of previous Valverde victories is probably akin to Leopold Bloom's puzzle of trying to cross Dublin without passing a pub.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Valverde looked short of his best in the lead-up to this Tour and that impression continued yesterday, where he conceded 21 seconds when the front group broke up in the final 1500m or so.
-144km
A shade under 10km to the intermediate sprint at L'Epine, where it looks as though there'll be something of a bunch sprint for the points between Peter Sagan, Sam Bennett, Matteo Trentin et al.
-140km
So far, today's stage has been a fairly compelling argument against the recent development of every stage of the Tour being broadcast live in its entirety. 5km to the intermediate sprint, which should add a little urgency to the day's proceedings.
The average speed thus far is 38.82kph per the on-screen graphic.
-136km
One kilometre to the intermediate sprint and there is a slight increase in pace as the peloton approaches...
Sam Bennett wins the sprint with his hands on the hoods ahead of Caleb Ewan and Michael Morkov. The Irish champion moves into the provisional lead in the points competition.
Correction, it was Morkov who took second in that sprint. Bennett picked up 7 points on Sagan and he is poised to become the second Carrick-on-Suir man to wear the green jersey at the Tour de France after a certain Mr Kelly.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
-130km
The result from the sprint was as follows:
1 Sam Bennett 20
2 Michael Mørkøv17
3 Caleb Ewan 15
4 Peter Sagan 13
5 Bryan Coquard 11
6 Alexander Kristoff 10
7 Matteo Trentin 9
8 Niccolò Bonifazio 8
9 Daniel Oss 7
10 Elia Viviani 6
11 Christophe Laporte 5
12 Giacomo Nizzolo 4
13 Nelson Oliveira 3
14 Cyril Barthe 2
15 Roger Kluge 1
Still no attacking in the peloton, where Alaphilippe's Deceuninck-QuickStep team have now assumed the pace-making at the front, though not with any particular intensity.
Wout van Aert was Jumbo-Visma's MVP on the final climb yesterday and he might have some freedom to have a crack at stage honours today, as he told Eurosport at the start. "It's a good stage for me," Van Aert said. "If the leaders are up there and out of trouble, then I can try my luck in the sprint."
(Image credit: Getty Images)
-128km
The uncertainty that shrouded this Tour led many to suggest that we might see a more aggressive and attacking race than usual in the opening days. So far, the GC contenders haven't looked inclined to expend any more energy than usual in the first week, and, on today's evidence, the rest of the peloton also seems to be of the same mind. The extremely tough parcours of this Tour is perhaps a double-edged sword. After a summit finish yesterday and with another to come tomorrow, it's maybe only to be expected that few riders are willing to go too deep at this very early juncture.
-121km
You can read more on Thibaut Pinot's treatment regimen on this Tour here. "I was miserably dragging myself around for two days so it was a very satisfying result," Pinot said of his display yesterday.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
-117km
Deceuninck-QuickStep and Bora-Hansgrohe are controlling the peloton for the time being and there is no sign of any willing attackers. It may well be that word has filtered through of a gentle but persistent headwind in the final 40km.
-113km
The finale at Orcieres-Merlette wasn't exactly suited to Nairo Quintana but the Colombian quietly caught the eye by taking 4th in that breathless sprint at the summit. Like Roglic, his display suggested that he had recovered well from his pre-Tour injury and Quintana will look with confidence to the days ahead, starting with tomorrow's summit finish at Mont Aigoual. Quintana's revival in Arkea-Samsic colours has been one of the stories of the season and it will be fascinating to see if the upward trajectory continues over the rest of this Tour. For an in-depth portrait of Quintana (and Colombian cycling's resurgence on the world stage over the past decade), Matt Rendell's Colombia Es Pasión!is required reading.
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Our man in Privas tells us that the wind has picked up at the finish, though it looks set to be a block headwind in the run-in.
-105km
It's not a completely straight run-in, mind, so those changes in direction will certainly cause some tense moments for the GC contenders before the day is out. For now, however, all is calm, with Bob Jungels setting the tempo on the front of a wholly intact peloton for Deceuninck-QuickStep.
-100km
It's still gruppo compatto as the race enters the final 100km, with Jungels setting the tempo and a delegation from Bahrain-McLaren tucked in behind them.
Landa did what he needed to do yesterday, holding onto the Jumbo-Visma train in the finale and placing 9th on the stage. He had been looking quite solid at the Dauphine until his sudden collapse on the final day, so the jury is out - as ever, one might say - as to what he can achieve on this Tour.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
-97km
Two hours into the stage and the average speed is 41.58kph thus far.
-90km
Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) caught the eye in the build-up to the race and he continued to impress at Orcieres-Merlette yesterday. The Frenchman was the only GC contender to try to upset Jumbo-Visma's dominance, kicking for home with 600m to go, and he still had the strength to place third on the stage. At the beginning of the season in Argentina - a lifetime ago - Martin sat down with us in the lobby of the Del Bono hotel in San Juan and discussed at length his life as a bike rider and writer. "This game, cycling, is something that I do very seriously," Martin told us. With 90km and no urgency in the peloton, there's ample time to read the whole interview here.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
-85km
The road is still gently descending but there is some climbing to come in 20km or so with the unclassified climb to Rousset-les-Vignes. That's followed by the category 4 Col de Serre Colon and Côte de Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès, before the long false flat towards the finish in Privas.
-81km
There's been a slight increase in speed over the past 10km or so, but it's still Jungels leading the bunch with Bahrain-McLaren's delegation tucked in just behind him.
-79km
This has been, in its own way, a remarkable stage of the Tour de France, purely because we have seen no breakaway and no genuine breakaway attempt, save for Kasper Asgreen's very brief and not entirely wholehearted effort early on. Jungels knocks off the front but nobody wants to take over and the bunch fans across the road again.
So far, this stage has been like an homage to transitional days on the Giro of the 1980s, where Francesco Moser and Giuseppe Saronni would often impose a go-slow in the opening kilometres and the race would only spark into action once live television began later in the day. John Trevorrow recalled the phenomenon when we spoke to him recently about his appearance in the 1981 Giro. “Piano, piano, they'd say,” he said. “There were still some days when it was all on from the start, but on the average day, while you weren't just rolling along, it would start at a good pace. Then the TV would start up, and it was almost like you'd flick a switch and hit it with all you had." Read the full story here. John Trevorrow's daily Tour analysis, incidentally, is worth a listen here.
-76km
José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar) rambles to the front of the peloton, but not with real intent. The intensity remains low in a stage that is several minutes behind the slowest predicted schedule.
This kind of impasse, unusual though it is, has probably been coming for years. In recent editions of the Tour (and the Giro, for that matter), the early break has felt the preserve of the invited teams, who drifted clear without a tussle and were then pegged back without much drama. This time out, the invitees include Arkea-Samsic, who have a GC contender in Nairo Quintana, and B&B Hotels-Vital Concept, who want to pilot Bryan Coquard in a bunch sprint this afternoon, and so they are not inclined to chase television time on a day like this. The reduction of team sizes from eight riders to nine also means that fewer riders have the freedom to go up the road.
-73km
Jumbo-Visma's yellow jerseys drift towards the front. The risk of crosswinds and echelons is not high at this point but present nonetheless. Better to be safe than sorry.
-70km
Delegations from Bora-Hansgrohe and Jumbo-Visma have moved to the head of the head of peloton. Nothing is happening but that's all the more reason to be vigilant.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) had the look of a man coming into form at the Dauphiné and the 21-year-old confirmed that impression at Orcieres-Merlette yesterday, where he placed second behind his fellow countryman Roglic. "Today's stage was not so hard but the final part was full gas," Pogacar. "Primož was a bit faster than me in the final but I'm happy with my result." Alasdair Fotheringham has more here.
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
-64km
We're 7km from the base of the day's first classified climb, the Col de Serre Colon (4.1km at 3.7%) and the skirmishes for the king of the mountains points at the summit might spark some life into a rather somnambulant stage.
-61km
Jumbo-Visma are present en masse near the head of the peloton. The pace is still steady, but the GC contenders are beginning to move up in anticipation of an acceleration in the finale.
-57km
The bunch - still together - hits the base of the category 4 Col de Serre Colon (4.1km at 3.7%).
-56km
Bahrain-McLaren, Jumbo-Visma, Movistar, Bora and NTT are all present towards the head of the bunch on this climb, where the pace remains steady rather than spectacular.
-53km
Benoit Cosnefroy keeps checking over his shoulder but the polka-dot jersey is allowed to pick up the point atop the Col de Serre Colon without a contest. It was in keeping with the tenor of the day so far.
-51km
The roads get a little narrower and more sinuous over the other side of this climb and we might - might - begin to see some frissons in the peloton as we head towards the finale of this stage.
-49km
Into the final 50km, and the race is more than 10 minutes down on the slowest predicted schedule after a day with no breakaways, but the speed is beginning to pick up.
-47km
Wout Poels is beginning to struggle at the rear of the peloton as the intensity ratchets upwards. The Dutchman broke a rib in a crash on the opening stage of the race.
Ryan Gibbons (NTT) rides on the front in his South African champion's jersey. Cofidis move up on the right-hand side. They have twin objectives today - delivering Elia Viviani to stage victory and piloting Guillaume Martin through a potentially perilous finale for the GC men.
-42km
Poels was briefly off the back a while ago, but the Dutchman is now tucked into final position in a peloton that is beginning to line out a little.
-41km
Delegations from Arkea-Samsic and Groupama-FDJ move up towards the head of the peloton. The speed is ratcheting up considerably now ahead of the finale.
-38km
The scrambling for positions at the front here suggests that the race might well hit an exposed section of crosswind at some point before they turn into the headwind on the approach to the finish.
-35km
The bunch is just making its way through Montelimar. It seems that they will hit an exposed section on the exit from the town, hence the jostling for position at the head of the race.
Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) is a faller in the peloton. His jersey is torn but the American is back on his back and chasing back on. He doesn't appear to be in undue distress, but a crash always has an effect.
-33km
Groupama-FDJ hit the front. They don't want to get caught out like at Albi a year ago.
-31km
Kuss is almost in touch with the rear of the peloton. Up front, there is pelnty of activity from the GC contenders' teams as they cross the Pont du Teil over the Rhône and into the Ardèche.
-29km
Kuss is making his way through the cars though he still has 40 seconds to recoup on the bunch, which is being led by Astana.
-28.5km
Jumbo-Visma take over at the head of the peloton. They are keen to guide Roglic and Dumoulin safely through a final where road furniture and the wind might trigger splits.
-27km
Julian Alaphilippe has been tucked deep in the peloton much of the day, but the maillot jaune is now moving up. The finale looks one for his teammate Sam Bennett rather than for him, but if it all breaks up, the complexion of Deceuninck-QuickStep's day might change.
-25km
One climb remains on the route today, the category 4 Côte de Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès, the summit of which comes with 16km to go.
Ineos were conspicuous by their absence on the front yesterday but a delegation is trying to position Egan Bernal near the head of the bunch here.
Kuss has rejoined the peloton but Richard Carapaz (Ineos) has stopped with an rear wheel puncture. He gets a quick change and gives chase. Felix Grossschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe) also suffered a rear wheel puncture earlier and the Austrian is still in pursuit.
-21.5km
Carapaz is on rim brakes rather than disc brakes, so the wheel change is a quick one and he has every chance of latching back on.
-20km
Pavel Sivakov is helping to pace Carapaz back on. The peloton, meanwhile, has swung into a headwind and is spread across the road.
-19km
Ineos and Cofidis are prominent near the front as the peloton heads towards the base of the day's final climb, the Côte de Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès (2.7km at 4.2%).
There aren't many spectators on the roadside on this Tour, but there is a big, big banner feting Thibaut Pinot as the climb begins.
-17km
The peloton is still together on a day remarkable only for the fact that there hasn't been a single breakaway. This stage looks destined to end in a bunch sprint, though the GC men will be eager to make sure there are no splits on the run-in.
-16.5km
Benoit Cosnefroy moves up in search of the king of the mountains point.
-16km
Benoit Cosnefroy leads over the Côte de Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès. For the second time, he faces no contest in the king of the mountains sprint and he again stretches out a hand in acknowledgement to those behind him.
World champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) is in the cars chasing back on. We can only assume the Dane suffered a mechanical problem.
-13km
The bunch is riding into a block headwind on wide roads at the moment but the roads get much narrower and more technical in a finale liberally pockmarked with roundabouts and traffic islands.
-11km
EF Pro Cycling, Arkea-Samsic and Ineos are among the teams positioned at the head of the bunch on the wide roads at this point. The headwind means the peloton is bunched tightly for the time being.
-10km
Into the final 10km. It's been a most sedate stage for much of the day - not attacks, remember - but this could be a very high-octane and nervous finish, considering the firepower in the peloton and the lay-out of the finale.
-9km
Andrey Amador and Luke Rowe leads the peloton into a section of cross-tailwind and the race lines out suddenly.
-8km
The peloton is stretched out thanks to Michal Kwiatkowski and Luke ROwe's pace-making, though the elastic doesn't appear to have broken anywhere.
Julian Alaphilippe is well posted just behind the Ineos cohort. Quintana is also well placed. Jumbo-Visma were a bit far back but they are moving up as the bunch fans out again.
-7km
The peloton has split slightly, but at first glance, it looks like the GC teams are all present at the front of the race.
-6km
There is a split but the principal contenders all appear to be in front. Alaphilippe, Bernal, Roglic, Dumoulin and Quintana are all visible near the head of affairs.
-5km
Ineos and Jumbo-Visma are in front and each team is taking a different side on the roundabouts and traffic islands that pepper this finale.
-4km
Ineos and Jumbo-Visma are still in front but the fast men, Sam Bennett included, are assembling behind them.
Caleb Ewan is still in this front part of the peloton, but Sonny Colbrelli is among the fast men to be distanced on this gradually climbing finale.
-3km
Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos) leads a slightly reduced peloton into the final 3km. THey are riding uphill and into a headwind at this point.
Sunweb move up on behalf of Cees Bol. Astana are also present in front.
Marc Hirschi (Sunweb) is among the riders who lost out when the split occurred in the crosswind.
-2km
Sunweb lead into the final 2km. Trek-Segafredo are also prominent. Peter Sagan and Caleb Ewan are well placed near the front, as is possible dangerman Greg Van Avermaet.
-1.5km
Sunweb are smartly in front at the point where the road narrows.
-1km
Sunweb lead into the final kilometre...
Wout van Aert is tucked in just behind them, with Sagan and Bennett on his wheel.
Casper Pedersen leads out the sprint for Cees Bol...
Bol opens his sprint but Van Aert is with him...
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) wins stage 5 of the Tour de France.
Cees Bol (Sunweb) is second. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-QuickStep) came third. He finished rapidly but had too much ground to make up.
Jumbo-Visma are on another level at this early juncture of the Tour and Wout van Aert has been reaching places nobody else can reach since racing resumed in August. Already winner of Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, and a stage of the Criterium du Dauphine, he continues his remarkable sequence with a Tour stage win.
Result
1 Wout van Aert (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma 04:21:22
2 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb
3 Sam Bennett (Irl) Deceuninck-Quickstep
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
5 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
6 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Mitchelton-Scott
7 Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels-Vital Concept
8 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal
9 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
10 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel Start-Up Nation
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Julian Alaphilippe finishes safely in the peloton to retain the yellow jersey.
10 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro Team 00:00:17
Wout van Aert speaks: "It was a heavy finish. It was maybe the most easy stage I ever did in a cycling race because there was no breakaway, not a high pace at all, but then the last hour was really hectic with the wind. All of the sprinter and GC teams went to the front and then the last kilometre was slightly uphill. I knew it was a stage that suited me and I’m just so happy I got the opportunity from the team to go for it. If you have one shot and you can finish it off, it’s even more sweet.
"I think it was before already quite important to keep the position because it was hard uphill. I managed to be behind Sunweb which did a good lead-out. Then I launched my sprint from the moment I saw Bol going in front of me. it was quite tight but I was also on the outside so I think it was maybe just half a wheel or something, but it was enough."
Van Aert led the peloton most of the way up a category 1 climb at the finish yesterday and by today he had recovered sufficiently to win a bunch sprint. How on earth? "They gave me a lot of time to recover because the start was quite easy but if the shape is good you recover well. The team is going strong. I have my stage win and now I will support my team even harder than I did before," said Van Aert, who will resume domestique duties on Thursday. "Yeah, but with a lot of happiness. Our leader showed he is strong and tomorrow is again an important stage."
Sam Bennett will be disappointed to have missed out on stage victory given the paucity of sprint opportunities on this year's Tour but he does have the consolation of taking possession of the green jersey. It's the first time an Irish rider has worn led the points classification since Sean Kelly won his fourth and final green jersey in Paris in 1989.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
There has been a delay to the podium ceremony. France TV reports that Alaphilippe may be at risk of receiving a time penalty that would lift Adam Yates above him and into yellow.
Alaphilippe is reported to have taken an illegal feed in the final 20km and the provisional results have now been adjusted to show Adam Yates in the yellow jersey. Yates looked to be in yellow at Mont Ventoux in 2016 only for the results to be revised after Chris Froome's crash on the climb. It looks this time as though he will indeed get to wear the maillot jaune.
The revised provisional results on the race website show Julian Alaphilippe has been docked 20 seconds for taking a feed inside the final 20km of the stage. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) is the new yellow jersey, 3 seconds up on Primoz Roglic. Alaphilippe drops to 16th overall, 16 seconds down on Yates.
A disappointed Julian Alaphilippe is in discussions with the new yellow jersey Adam Yates behind the podium. He confirmed the illegal feed to France Télévisions but said that he hasn’t received official confirmation of his time penalty.
Television images show Alaphilippe taking a bottle from a soigneur 17.8km from the finish. "It’s not the fault of Julian, it’s the team’s fault for having a soigneur at that point and not before," says Thomas Voeckler.
Alaphilippe waves to the fans and then rides away from the podium area. He has been informed that he has lost the yellow jersey due to a 20-second time penalty. Adam Yates is on the podium receiving the maillot jaune. Read the full story here.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Adam Yates on his unexpected yellow jersey: "I don’t think any rider would want to take the jersey like this. I just found out. Nobody wants to take a jersey like this. I’ll wear the jersey tomorrow.
"I just asked him what happened, I only just found out what happened. He told me he took a feed or a bottle in the last 20k. like I said before, this is not how you want to take the jersey. We’ll have to wear the jersey tomorrow and take it day by day.
"I got back to the bus and then they called my directeur sportif to send me back here. It will be a big battle tomorrow. I’ll try something tomorrow. A stage interests me more than the GC."
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Adam Yates' words recall his sporting response when the GC was revised in Chris Froome's favour at Mont Ventoux in 2016. "Froome's a way stronger than me and the way he's been riding in the Tour so far, he is the rightful owner of the yellow jersey," Yates said then. "It wouldn't have felt right to take the jersey like that." He has the jersey now, in even more unexpected circumstances.
9 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro Team 00:00:13
10 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 00:00:13
This is what Julian Alaphilippe told France Televisions as he was awaiting confirmation of his time penalty: “I’m waiting for confirmation. Apparently I took a feed in a non-authorised zone. That’s a 20-second penalty so it’s Yates in the yellow jersey, normally, I don’t know. I’m waiting for the confirmation, for it to be official. If that’s the case, that’s how it goes. It’s the decision of the jury so I can’t do anything about it."
Asked if he had the feeling he was doing anything wrong, Alaphilippe added: "Not at all. Not at all. It was a very long and very boring stage, with a very nervous finale. I had to stay concentrated to defend the jersey and try and win the stage with Sam, who’s in green, which is good news. But voilà, if that’s how it is then no worries, tomorrow I’ll pick myself back up and we won’t talk about it anymore."
Not for the first time in recent weeks, a Deceuninck-QuickStep finish bottle dominates headlines. Adam Yates, meanwhile, is the new maillot jaune.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
On a day where the combination of a headwind and the circumstances of the race meant that nobody saw any point in attacking, the bulk of the action took place in the closing kilometres - and, of course, after the stage finished. A full report, results and pictures will be available here.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Aside from Alaphilippe's time penalty, there was no change among the GC contenders, who all finished in the same time. Tomorrow's summit finish at Mont Aigoual might shake things up a little more. At the very least, it might bear out the first impressions from yesterday's finale at Orcieres-Merlette.
Today's stage, meanwhile, confirms that Jumbo-Visma are on an extremely high level. Team Sky in 2012, incidentally, are the only team in the 21st century to claim a bunch sprint (they won three with Mark Cavendish) and overall victory in the same Tour. Before that, you have to go back to Telekom in 1997. Jumbo-Visma have a bunch sprint win, but impressive as Roglic was yesterday, Paris is still a long way away.
(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Whatever way you look at it, it simply beggars belief that Deceuninck-QuickStep had a soigneur standing inside the final 20km handing out a bidon. A bizarre end to an otherwise calm day on the Tour.
