Tour de France 2018 Stage 11: Stage win and maillot jaune for Geraint Thomas

At merely 108.5 kilometres and featuring four climbs, the Tour de France's 11th stage is short and explosive. Tom Dumoulin strikes in the descent of the penultimate climb. Geraint Thomas goes after him near the top of the last climb to leave him behind in the last kilometre. He gobbles up lone leader Mikel Nieve to power to the stage win. Tom Dumoulin comes in second, Chris Froome in third. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 11th stage 2018 Tour de France

1. Geraint Thomas (gbr)
2. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 0.21
3. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
4. Damiano Caruso (ita) s.t.
5. Mikel Nieve (spa) s.t.
6. Daniel Martin (irl) + 0.27
7. Jesús Herrada (spa) + 0.57
8. Romain Bardet (fra) + 0.59
9. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
10. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.

11. Primoz Roglic (slo) s.t.
12. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 1.07
13. Mikel Landa (spa) + 1.47
15. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 1.58
23. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 3.30
26. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 3.53
27. Bob Jungels (lux) + 4.42
28. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
36. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 11.29
37. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.

GC after the 11th stage
1. Geraint Thomas (gbr)
2. Chris Froome (gbr) + 1.25
3. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 1.44
4. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 2.14
5. Primoz Roglic (slo) + 2.23
6. Steven Kruijswijk (nld) + 2.40
7. Mikel Landa (spa) + 2.56
8. Romain Bardet (fra) + 2.58
9. Nairo Quintana (col) + 3.16
10. Daniel Martin (irl) s.t.

11. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 4.28
12. Jakob Fuglsang (den) + 4.53
13. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 4.58
14. Mikel Nieve (spa) + 5.21
15. Bob Jungels (lux) + 5.50
16. Adam Yates (gbr) + 5.51

Race report
Shortly after the start Damiano Caruso opens up a gap. Peter Sagan, Dani Navarro, Romain Sicard and Warren Barguil join him. Sagan is first at the line of the intermediate sprint at km 11.5.

Sagan stops his efforts on the early slopes of the Montée de Bisanne, while KOM leader Julian Alaphilippe, Tejay van Garderen and Anthony Perez bridge across. The likes of Marc Soler, Michael Valgren, Serge Pauwels, Darwin Atapuma, Toms Skujiņš, Gorka Izagirre, Rein Taaramäe, Stefan Küng, Mikel Nieve, Tomasz Marczyńsk and Thomas De Gendt also make the forward jump. Alaphilippe cements his KOM lead at the top ahead of Barguil and De Gendt.

Maillot jaune Greg Van Avermaet drops halfway up the Col du Pré. Rigoberto Uran, Bauke Mollema and Rafal Majka can’t follow the pace either, while Alejandro Valverde kicks in the peloton and Soler waits for him. Alaphilippe is dropped with 2 kms to climb.

Barguil is first to crest the Pré. Valverde is 4 minutes in arrears, the main group a minute further back. On the way to the Cormet de Roselend Valverde puts 1 more minute into the peloton, but then Bahrain Merida takes over in the until then Sky led main group. Atop the Cormet de Roselend Valverde and Soler are 2 minutes behind the front group and the peloton is 3.15 in arrears.

On descent Tom Dumoulin attacks with his team mate Søren Kragh Andersen.

The front group features Caruso, Barguil, Valgren, Nieve and Moinard when they tackle La Rosière. Dumoulin and Kragh Andersen catch Valverde and Soler can’t follow. Moinard is dropped from the front group and Kragh Andersen runs out of juice with 14 kms to climb.

Valgren is dropped some 10 kms before the finish. Nieve attacks as Navarro and Herrada catch the break.

Dumoulin and Valverde push on to a maximum lead of 40 seconds over the Sky led GC-group. Valverde doesn’t come through and the Dutchman leaves him alone. At the back of the peloton Adam Yates and Ilnur Zakarin crack and are distanced. Jakob Fuglsang is dropped also and Valverde pays for his efforts. Mikel Landa can’t follow the pace either. Not a good day for Movistar.

Geraint Thomas strikes in the GC group en he joins Dumoulin, who caught Caruso and Herrada. Following some half-hearted attempts, Daniel Martin is the one to go after them with Chris Froome in his slipstream. With the flamme rouge flying over his head Thomas kicks in the Dumoulin group. He gobbles up Nieve to power to the stage win and yellow jersey. Dumoulin, Froome and Caruso join the unfortunate Basque and the two GC riders finish in second and third. Froome moves to second place overall, 1.25 behind his team mate with Dumoulin another 19 seconds back.

Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish miss the time cut and are out of the Tour de France.