Geraint Thomas became Britain's third winner of the Tour de France when he crossed the finish line in Paris.
The Team Sky rider, 32, follows Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and four-time Tour champion Chris Froome as Britain celebrates a sixth win in seven years.
Alexander Kristoff won the final sprint finish on the Champs-Elysees as Thomas crossed the line arm-in-arm with Froome after three weeks of racing.
He beat Dutchman Tom Dumoulin by one minute 51 seconds, with Froome third.
The Welshman, who rode in support of Froome in each of his four wins, had built up that lead over the previous 20 stages and Tour convention dictates that the yellow jersey is not challenged on the final stage.
Sunday, 29 July 2018
Saturday, 28 July 2018
Tour De France 2018 Stages 17-20
Stage 17
Britain's Geraint Thomas extended his lead in the Tour de France as defending champion Chris Froome faltered on the final climb on stage 17.
The Welshman, 32, who is chasing his first Grand Tour victory, leads Team Sky team-mate Froome by two minutes 31 seconds with four stages left.
Thomas' closest general classification rival is now Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, who is 1:59 behind, with Froome in third.
Nairo Quintana held off Ireland's Dan Martin to win the 65km (40-mile) stage.
Featuring a Moto GP-style grid start, the shortest stage of the modern era from Bagneres-de-Luchon to the summit of the Col du Portet began with Thomas briefly on his own in front of the rest of the field.
After three brutal climbs in quick succession, separated by twisting technical descents, he had strengthened his hold on the yellow jersey with a commanding ride that showed his all-round ability and no sign of weakness.
Stage 17 result
1. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) 2hrs 21mins 27secs
2. Dan Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +28secs
3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +47secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +52secs
5. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) - same time
6. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) +1min 5secs
7. Egan Bernal (Col/Team Sky) +1min 33secs
8. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +1min 35secs
9. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) same time
10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +2mins 1sec
General classification standings
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 70hrs 34mins 11secs
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +1min 59secs
3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 2mins 31secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 47secs
5. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +3mins 30secs
6. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) +4mins 19secs
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 34secs
8. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +5mins 13secs
9. Dan Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 33secs
10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +9mins 31secs
Stage 18
Britain's Geraint Thomas retained his overall lead in the Tour de France as Arnaud Demare won a sprint finish in Pau to take the 18th stage.
Team Sky's Thomas finished safely in the peloton to maintain his lead of one minute 59 seconds over Tom Dumoulin.
Defending champion Chris Froome remains third, a further 32 seconds back, with only a mountain stage, a time trial and Sunday's finale in Paris to come.
Demare held off fellow Frenchman Christophe Laporte to win.
Peter Sagan, who is assured of the green jersey in the points classification, provided he makes it to Paris, briefly looked set to contest the finish.
The Slovak's Bora-Hansgrohe team-mates set the pace into the final kilometre but Sagan, who suffered cuts in a crash yesterday, opted to stay out of the fray.
Stage 18 result:
1. Arnaud Demare (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) 3hrs 46mins 40secs
2. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Cofidis) Same time
3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/UAE Team Emirates)
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Dimension Data)
5. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita/Bahrain-Merida)
6. Maximiliano Richeze (Arg/Quick-Step Floors)
7. John Degenkolb (Ger/Trek-Segafredo)
8. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe)
9. Taylor Phinney (US/Team EF Education First-Drapac P/B Cannondale)
10. Timothy Dupont (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert)
General classification after stage 18:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 74hrs 21mins 1sec
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +1min 59secs
3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 31secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 47secs
5. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +3mins 30secs
6. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +4mins 19secs
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 34secs
8. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +5mins 13secs
9. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 33secs
10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +9mins 31secs
Stage 19
Geraint Thomas edged closer to winning the Tour de France by finishing second to Primoz Roglic on stage 19, the final day in the mountains.
The Briton outsprinted closest rival Tom Dumoulin on the run-in to Laruns to pick up six bonus seconds and extend his overall lead with two stages left.
Thomas leads Dutchman Dumoulin by two minutes, five seconds with Saturday's 31km individual time trial to come.
Sunday's processional finale into Paris will see no change in the standings.
Stage 19 result:
1. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) 5hrs 28mins 17secs
2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +19secs
3. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) same time
4. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates)
5. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe)
6. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb)
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar)
8. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky)
9. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +31secs
10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) same time
General classification after stage 19:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 79hrs 49mins 31secs
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +2mins 05secs
3. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 24secs
4. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 37secs
5. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +4mins 37secs
6. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 40secs
7. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +5mins 15secs
8. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 39secs
9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +10mins 26secs
10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +11mins 49secs
Stage 20
Britain's Geraint Thomas is set to win the Tour de France after maintaining his overall lead on the penultimate stage of the race, a 31km time trial.
The Team Sky rider, 32, finished third behind Tom Dumoulin but still leads the Dutchman by one minute, 51 seconds.
Tour convention dictates that the race leader is never challenged on the final stage, so Thomas only needs to reach the finish in Paris on Sunday to win.
"It's insane. Tour de France! I can't believe it," said Thomas on ITV4.
"I'm really trying not to cry, it's unbelievable. I tried not to think about it, just take it day by day. I've won the Tour de France man, I don't know what to say."
Dumoulin beat defending champion Chris Froome by one second to win stage 20.
Froome's second place in the time trial means the four-time Tour champion climbs to third overall, leapfrogging Slovenia's Primoz Roglic.
However, his hopes of winning a record-equalling fifth Tour title were effectively ended in the Pyrenees mountains on stages 17 and 19, as his team-mate Thomas proved he was the man to beat.
It will be a sixth British and Team Sky victory in seven years in the three-week race and Thomas will be the first Welshman to win one of cycling's three Grand Tours.
He will also become the third Briton to win the Tour de France, after Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Froome.
Stage 20 result:
1. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Sunweb) 40mins 52secs
2. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +1sec
3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +14secs
4. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Team Sky) +50secs
5. Soren Kragh Andersen (Den/Sunweb) +51secs
6. Bob Jungels (Lux/Quick-Step Floors) +52secs
7. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +1min 02secs
8. Primoz Roglic (Slo/LottoNL-Jumbo) +1min 12secs
9. Marc Soler (Spa/Movistar) +1min 22secs
10. Michael Hepburn (Aus/Mitchelton-Scott) +1min 23secs
General classification after stage 20:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 80hrs 30mins 37secs
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +1min 51secs
3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 24secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +3mins 22secs
5. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +6mins 08secs
6. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +6mins 57secs
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 37secs
8. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +9mins 05secs
9. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +12mins 37secs
10. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +14mins 18secs
Britain's Geraint Thomas extended his lead in the Tour de France as defending champion Chris Froome faltered on the final climb on stage 17.
The Welshman, 32, who is chasing his first Grand Tour victory, leads Team Sky team-mate Froome by two minutes 31 seconds with four stages left.
Thomas' closest general classification rival is now Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, who is 1:59 behind, with Froome in third.
Nairo Quintana held off Ireland's Dan Martin to win the 65km (40-mile) stage.
Featuring a Moto GP-style grid start, the shortest stage of the modern era from Bagneres-de-Luchon to the summit of the Col du Portet began with Thomas briefly on his own in front of the rest of the field.
After three brutal climbs in quick succession, separated by twisting technical descents, he had strengthened his hold on the yellow jersey with a commanding ride that showed his all-round ability and no sign of weakness.
Stage 17 result
1. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) 2hrs 21mins 27secs
2. Dan Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +28secs
3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +47secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +52secs
5. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) - same time
6. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) +1min 5secs
7. Egan Bernal (Col/Team Sky) +1min 33secs
8. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +1min 35secs
9. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) same time
10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +2mins 1sec
General classification standings
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 70hrs 34mins 11secs
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +1min 59secs
3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 2mins 31secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 47secs
5. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +3mins 30secs
6. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) +4mins 19secs
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 34secs
8. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +5mins 13secs
9. Dan Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 33secs
10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +9mins 31secs
Stage 18
Britain's Geraint Thomas retained his overall lead in the Tour de France as Arnaud Demare won a sprint finish in Pau to take the 18th stage.
Team Sky's Thomas finished safely in the peloton to maintain his lead of one minute 59 seconds over Tom Dumoulin.
Defending champion Chris Froome remains third, a further 32 seconds back, with only a mountain stage, a time trial and Sunday's finale in Paris to come.
Demare held off fellow Frenchman Christophe Laporte to win.
Peter Sagan, who is assured of the green jersey in the points classification, provided he makes it to Paris, briefly looked set to contest the finish.
The Slovak's Bora-Hansgrohe team-mates set the pace into the final kilometre but Sagan, who suffered cuts in a crash yesterday, opted to stay out of the fray.
Stage 18 result:
1. Arnaud Demare (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) 3hrs 46mins 40secs
2. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Cofidis) Same time
3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/UAE Team Emirates)
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Dimension Data)
5. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita/Bahrain-Merida)
6. Maximiliano Richeze (Arg/Quick-Step Floors)
7. John Degenkolb (Ger/Trek-Segafredo)
8. Peter Sagan (Svk/Bora-Hansgrohe)
9. Taylor Phinney (US/Team EF Education First-Drapac P/B Cannondale)
10. Timothy Dupont (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert)
General classification after stage 18:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 74hrs 21mins 1sec
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +1min 59secs
3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 31secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 47secs
5. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +3mins 30secs
6. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +4mins 19secs
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 34secs
8. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +5mins 13secs
9. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 33secs
10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +9mins 31secs
Stage 19
Geraint Thomas edged closer to winning the Tour de France by finishing second to Primoz Roglic on stage 19, the final day in the mountains.
The Briton outsprinted closest rival Tom Dumoulin on the run-in to Laruns to pick up six bonus seconds and extend his overall lead with two stages left.
Thomas leads Dutchman Dumoulin by two minutes, five seconds with Saturday's 31km individual time trial to come.
Sunday's processional finale into Paris will see no change in the standings.
Stage 19 result:
1. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) 5hrs 28mins 17secs
2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +19secs
3. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) same time
4. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates)
5. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe)
6. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb)
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar)
8. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky)
9. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +31secs
10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) same time
General classification after stage 19:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 79hrs 49mins 31secs
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +2mins 05secs
3. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 24secs
4. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 37secs
5. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +4mins 37secs
6. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 40secs
7. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +5mins 15secs
8. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 39secs
9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +10mins 26secs
10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +11mins 49secs
Stage 20
Britain's Geraint Thomas is set to win the Tour de France after maintaining his overall lead on the penultimate stage of the race, a 31km time trial.
The Team Sky rider, 32, finished third behind Tom Dumoulin but still leads the Dutchman by one minute, 51 seconds.
Tour convention dictates that the race leader is never challenged on the final stage, so Thomas only needs to reach the finish in Paris on Sunday to win.
"It's insane. Tour de France! I can't believe it," said Thomas on ITV4.
"I'm really trying not to cry, it's unbelievable. I tried not to think about it, just take it day by day. I've won the Tour de France man, I don't know what to say."
Dumoulin beat defending champion Chris Froome by one second to win stage 20.
Froome's second place in the time trial means the four-time Tour champion climbs to third overall, leapfrogging Slovenia's Primoz Roglic.
However, his hopes of winning a record-equalling fifth Tour title were effectively ended in the Pyrenees mountains on stages 17 and 19, as his team-mate Thomas proved he was the man to beat.
It will be a sixth British and Team Sky victory in seven years in the three-week race and Thomas will be the first Welshman to win one of cycling's three Grand Tours.
He will also become the third Briton to win the Tour de France, after Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Froome.
Stage 20 result:
1. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Sunweb) 40mins 52secs
2. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +1sec
3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +14secs
4. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Team Sky) +50secs
5. Soren Kragh Andersen (Den/Sunweb) +51secs
6. Bob Jungels (Lux/Quick-Step Floors) +52secs
7. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +1min 02secs
8. Primoz Roglic (Slo/LottoNL-Jumbo) +1min 12secs
9. Marc Soler (Spa/Movistar) +1min 22secs
10. Michael Hepburn (Aus/Mitchelton-Scott) +1min 23secs
General classification after stage 20:
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 80hrs 30mins 37secs
2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +1min 51secs
3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 24secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +3mins 22secs
5. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +6mins 08secs
6. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +6mins 57secs
7. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +7mins 37secs
8. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +9mins 05secs
9. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +12mins 37secs
10. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +14mins 18secs
Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Tour De France 2018 Stage 16
Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe won an eventful stage 16 of the Tour de France after Britain's Adam Yates crashed late on while leading.
Yates crested the final climb alone but fell on the descent 7km before the finish in Bagneres-de-Luchon.
Alaphilippe was applying the pressure behind and swung past to claim his second victory of this year's Tour.
Geraint Thomas kept the yellow jersey and leads fellow Briton and team-mate Chris Froome by one minute 39 seconds.
The race was delayed 29km into the 218km stage from Carcassonne after a protest by French farmers.
Hay bales were thrown across the road before police appeared to use a spray on protesters, which then blew into the peloton.
Some riders, including Team Sky's Thomas and Froome, stopped and doused their eyes with water.
The race was delayed for 15 minutes while riders received medical attention, before a large group broke clear after the resumption, from which Alaphilippe attacked throughout, also extending his lead in the polka dot jersey mountains classification.
Sunday, 22 July 2018
Tour De France 2018 Stage 15
Magnus Cort dominated a three-man sprint finish to win stage 15 of the Tour de France as Team Sky's Geraint Thomas retained the overall lead.
Denmark's Cort was in a leading group with Bauke Mollema and Ion Izagirre for the run-in on the 181.5km stage.
He was the strongest sprinter of the trio, and proved so by easily claiming his first Tour stage win and giving Astana back-to-back stage victories.
Welshman Thomas crossed the line in Carcassonne with the peloton.
Stage 15 result
1. Magnus Cort (Den/Astana) 4hrs 25mins 52secs
2. Ion Izagirre (Spa/Bahrain-Merida) same time
3. Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek-Segafredo) +2secs
4. Michael Valgren (Den/Astana) +29secs
5. Toms Skujins (Lat/Trek-Segafredo) +34secs
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) same time
7. Lilian Calmejane (Fra/Direct Energie)
8. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) +37secs
9. Nikias Arndt (Ger/Sunweb) +2mins 31secs
10. Julien Bernard (Fra/Trek-Segafredo) +2mins 38secs
General classification after stage 15
1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 62hrs 49mins 47secs
2. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +1min 39secs
3. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Sunweb) +1min 50secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 38secs
5. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +3mins 21secs
6. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +3mins 42secs
7. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) +3mins 57secs
8. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +4mins 23secs
9. Jakob Fuglsang (Den/Astana) +6mins 14secs
10. Dan Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 54secs
Saturday, 21 July 2018
The Open 2018 Round 3
-9 Spieth (65), Kisner (68), Schauffele (67)
-7 Chappell (67)
-6 Molinari (65),
-5 Woods (66), McIlroy (70), Simpson (67), Noren (67), Kuchar (70), Fleetwood (71), Johnson (72)
Selected others:
-4 Rose (64), Scott (68)
-3 Wood (66), Willett (70)
-1 Mickelson (70), Langer (68), Reed (68), Folwer (73), Pepperell (71)
Level Westwood (69)
-7 Chappell (67)
-6 Molinari (65),
-5 Woods (66), McIlroy (70), Simpson (67), Noren (67), Kuchar (70), Fleetwood (71), Johnson (72)
Selected others:
-4 Rose (64), Scott (68)
-3 Wood (66), Willett (70)
-1 Mickelson (70), Langer (68), Reed (68), Folwer (73), Pepperell (71)
Level Westwood (69)
Tour De France 2018 Stage 14
Spaniard Omar Fraile won stage 14 of the Tour de France in a dramatic finish as Team Sky's Geraint Thomas retained the leader's yellow jersey.
Jasper Stuyven led the chasing pack by one minute 40 seconds going into the final climb of the 188km stage.
But he was caught by Fraile before the summit, and the Astana rider easily held off Stuyven and Julian Alaphilippe in the final 1.2km to secure victory.
Thomas finished alongside nearest rivals Chris Froome and Tom Dumoulin.
Jasper Stuyven led the chasing pack by one minute 40 seconds going into the final climb of the 188km stage.
But he was caught by Fraile before the summit, and the Astana rider easily held off Stuyven and Julian Alaphilippe in the final 1.2km to secure victory.
Thomas finished alongside nearest rivals Chris Froome and Tom Dumoulin.
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