Chris Froome (Team Sky) survived the last big test on this year’s Tour de France as he protected his advantage on a thrilling climb of Col d’Izoard won by Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb).
While Barguil broke clear up the road for a famous victory to confirm the polka dot jersey, back down the road Froome neutralized the attacks of main rivals Romain Bardet and Rigoberto Uran to keep control of the race with three stages left.
Froome, who began the final big day of climbing in the Alps with a 27-second lead over Bardet and Rigoberto Uran, was pressurized on the unrelenting slopes as Bardet’s AG2R La Mondiale team tried to loosen his grip.
But Froome crossed the line just behind Bardet, who he now leads by 23 seconds, with a Uran – now 29 seconds behind – also in close support, and now only an extraordinary meltdown or a crash seem likely to stop the Briton taking a fourth Tour title.
Barguil sealed the polka dot climber’s jersey with a brilliant ride up the iconic Izoard climb, which was staging a summit finish for the first time in Tour history. Darwin Atapuma was second.
Friday’s stage is a relatively straightforward 222-km ride south toward the coast before Saturday’s time trial in Marseille, where Froome is likely to extend his lead over his rivals for the yellow jersey .
Encore une pour Barguil ! / One more for Barguil! #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/84C1UQY5lM
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 20, 2017
Tour de France 2017 – stage 18 results (Briancon – Izoard):
| 1 | Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) | 4:40:33 |
| 2 | Darwin Atapuma (UAE Team Emirates) | +20” |
| 3 | Romain Bardet (AG2R) | ,, |
| 4 | Chris Froome (Team Sky) | ,, |
| 5 | Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) | +22” |
| 6 | Mikel Landa (Team Sky) | +32” |
| 7 | Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) | +37” |
| 8 | Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) | +39” |
| 9 | Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) | +59” |
| 10 | Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) | +01’09” |
| 11 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) | +01’18” |
| 12 | Carlos Betancur (Movistar) | +01’22” |
| 13 | Fabio Aru (Astana) | ,, |
| 14 | Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) | +01’37” |
| 15 | Brice Feillu (Fortuneo-Oscaro) | +01’54” |
| 16 | Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) | +02’15” |
| 17 | Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) | +02’54” |
| 18 | Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac) | +03’01” |
| 19 | Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) | ,, |
| 20 | Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) | +03’04” |
General classification after stage 18:
| 1 | Chris Froome (Team Sky) | 78:08:19 |
| 2 | Romain Bardet (AG2R) | +23” |
| 3 | Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) | +29” |
| 4 | Mikel Landa (Team Sky) | +01’36” |
| 5 | Fabio Aru (Astana) | +01’55” |
| 6 | Daniel Martin (Quick-Step Floors) | +02’56” |
| 7 | Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) | +04’46” |
| 8 | Louis Meintjes (UAE Team Emirates) | +06’52” |
| 9 | Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) | +08’22” |
| 10 | Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) | +08’34” |
| 11 | Damiano Caruso (BMC) | +13’41” |
| 12 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) | +13’52” |
| 13 | Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) | +23’11” |
| 14 | Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R) | +23’33” |
| 15 | Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) | +31’01” |
| 16 | Brice Feillu (Fortuneo-Oscaro) | +35’06” |
| 17 | Carlos Betancur (Movistar) | +36’25” |
| 18 | Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) | +37’31” |
| 19 | Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) | +40’49” |
| 20 | Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) | +47’03” |
