Tour de France 2018 Stage 10: Julian Alaphilippe wins first mountain race, Greg Van Avermaet attacks to extend GC lead

The 10th stage of the Tour the France travels through the Alps. Maillot jaune Greg Van Avermaet and Julian Alaphilippe are among the early attackers. The Frenchman kicks on the penultimate climb to solo to victory, while Van Avermaet finishes minutes ahead of the GC contenders to distance the big names. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 10th stage 2018 Tour de France

1. Julian Alaphilippe (fra)
2. Ion Izagirre (spa) + 1.34
3. Rein Taaramäe (est) + 1.40
4. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) + 1.44
5. Serge Pauwels (bel) s.t.
6. Lilian Calmejane (fra) + 2.22
7. Daniel Martin (irl) + 3.23
8. Primoz Roglic (slo) s.t.
9. David Gaudu (fra) s.t.
10. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t.

11. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
12. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) s.t.
13. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
14. Jakob Fuglsang (den) s.t.
15. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
16. Tom Dumoulin (nld) s.t.
17. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
18. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
19. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
20. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
26. Bob Jungels (lux) + 4.14
30. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
31. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) s.t.
32. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.
34. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 5.59

GC after the 10th stage
1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 2.22
3. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 3.10
4. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 3.12
5. Bob Jungels (lux) + 3.20
6. Chris Froome (gbr) + 3.21
7. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
8. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
9. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 3.27
10. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 3.36

11. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 3.42
12. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 3.45
13. Rafal Majka (pol) + 4.02
14. Romain Bardet (fra) + 4.11
15. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 4.28
16. Nairo Quintana (col) + 4.29
17. Daniel Martin (irl) + 5.01
18. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 5.12
22. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 7.08

Race report
A lot of action after the start. Florian Vachon and Julian Alaphilippe open up a small gap before Burghardt, Chavanel and Degand track them down. The five are brought back before the first climb, Col de Bluffy.

On the climb Peter Sagan accelerates and he is accompanied by Tom-Jelte Slagter, Elie Gesbert. en Julian Alaphilipe, who pockets the KOM points at the top. A group of 17 riders bridge across: maillot jaune Greg Van Avermaet, Robert Gesink, Philippe Gilbert, Serge Pauwels, David Gaudu, Lukas Pöstlberger, Daryl Impey, Ion Izagirre, Tony Gallopin, Amaël Moinard, Jack Bauer, Lilian Calmejane, Rein Taaramäe, Guillaume Martin, Thomas Degand, Arthur Vichot and Rudy Molard.

Bauer can’t follow the pace on the Col de la Croix Fry, while Molard and Taaramäe jump off the front. Van Avermaet, Pauwels, Moinard, Pöstlberger, Gilbert and Gaudu go after them. Molard is the first rider over the top, 25 seconds ahead of the maillot jaune group and 4 minutes ahead of the peloton.

Van Avermaet et al rejoin the two leaders on descent before Gilbert and Pöstlberger are dropped on the Plateau des Glières, a 6 kilometres climb at 11.2%. Gesink, Gallopin, Izagirre, Martin, Alaphilippe, Vichot, Calmejane and Gesbert rejoin the front group. Alaphilippe pockets most KOM points at this hors catégorie mountain ahead of Gaudu and Molard.

On the way to Col de Romme – 8.8 kilometres at 8.9% – Gilbert, Degand and Impe hook on and the front group hits the penultimate climb with a lead of 6 minutes. Taaramäe goes alone and Alaphilippe tracks him down 1.8 kms before the top, only to leave the Estonian rider alone and pocket most KOM points. Pauwels is third over the top, while Avermaet, Gesink, Izagirre and Calmejane are almost 1 minute down on the leader.

Alaphilippe distances the chasers on descent and tackles the Col de la Colombière half a minute ahead of Taaramäe with the maillot jaune group a further minute back. The Frenchman widens the gap on the climb, while Izagirre gobbles up Pauwels and Taaramäe and is the second rider in the race. On the lower slopes Rigoberto Uran and Bob Jungels are dropped from the peloton.

Alaphilippe is the first rider over the top, which makes him KOM leader. Daniel Martin accelerates close to the top in the peloton and Bauke Mollema, Ilnur Zakarin and Rafal Majka are unable to follow.

Being a strong descender, Alaphilippe widens his lead in the drop down to Le Grand-Bornand and wins the first mountain stage of the Tour de France. Greg Van Avermaet races to fourth place, thus cementing his overall lead.

Mollema, Jungels, Zakarin and Majka finish almost 1 minute behind the main group with GC contenders, while Uran struggles and loses 2.36 on the other pre-race favourites.