Tour de France 2017: Barguil wins thriller on Izoard, while Froome holds on to yellow

The 18th stage of the Tour de France run to a brutal finale with Col de Vars and Col d'Izoard. The latter pass is the tonic to ignite the race with Barguil soloing to victory, while behind him a furious GC battle rages. Attacks are everywhere but when the dust settles Froome is still in the maillot jaune. Bardet now sits in second, Uran in third. Aru drops down to fifth place in favour of Landa. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 18th stage 2017 Tour de France

1. Warren Barguil (fra)
2. Darwin Atapuma (col) + 0.20
3. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
4. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
5. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.22
6. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.32
7. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 0.37
8. Daniel Martin (irl) + 0.39
9. Simon Yates (gbr) + 0.59
10. Alberto Contador (spa) + 1.09

11. Nairo Quintana (col) + 1.18
13. Fabio Aru (ita) + 1.22

GC after the 18th stage
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Romain Bardet (fra) + 0.23
3. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.29
4. Mikel Landa (spa) + 1.36
5. Fabio Aru (ita) + 1.55
6. Daniel Martin (irl) + 2.56
7. Simon Yates (gbr) + 4.46
8. Louis Meintjes (rsa) + 6.52
9. Warren Barguil (fra) + 8.22
10. Alberto Contador (spa) + 8.34

11. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 13.41
12. Nairo Quintana (col) + 13.52

Race report
Following initial attacks De Gendt, Calmejane, De Marchi and Gesbert manage to force gap. A group of more than 50 riders bridge over. The likes of Mollema, Talansky, Rolland, Navarro, Roche, Sicard, Gallopin, Lutsenko, Benoot, Ulissi, Molard, Cummings, Grmay, Hardy, Edet, Betancur, Brambilla and Atapuma are on board.

On the Côte des Demoiselles Coiffées Calmejane speeds up and De Gendt jumps to his wheel. Edet bridges across before the top and in the descent the front group re-unites. A little later Pauwels, Swift, Chavanel, Tulik, Brambilla, Clarke and Vachon set off for adventure, yet they are brought back with 92 kms remaining.

Before hitting the Col de Vars the first group splits, while the GC riders tackle the penultimate climb more than 7 minutes after the leaders. With 3 kms left to climb the front group once again re-unites before Lutsenko and Sicard attack and Gallopin and Atapuma bridge across. They crest de Vars half a minute ahead of their former companions and down in the valley the leaders are accompanied by Navarro, Edet, Hardy, Grmay, Ulissi and Molard.

Lutsenko is first to tackle the Izoard. Atapuma chases him down with 6.5 kms left to climb. Meanwhile, Barguil en Contador leave the GC contenders behind on the lower slopes. Barguil pushes on alone and heads for the front of the race.

Next up is Landa. The Bask leaves his leader Froome and the other GC favourites behind with 4 kms to go. When Bardet attacks, Froome and Uran jump to his wheel before the yellow jersey counter-attacks. Uran and Bardet hook up and they re-join Landa.

Barguil gobbles up Atapuma with just over 1 kilometre to leave him behind under the flamme rouge. The polka dot jersey powers on to take his second mountain stage win in this year’s Tour de France, while the Atapuma held off the GC guys by a margin. Yet Bardet edges himself closer to the yellow jersey by sprinting to third place and taking 4 bonus seconds. He swaps places with Uran, who drops to third. Landa and Aru do something similar with the Bask replacing the Sardinian in fourth place.