TOUR IN REVIEW

The third week of a scintillating race saw no let-up in the action

STAGE 16 18 JULY

PASSY > COMBLOUX ITT

Winner: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)

Yellow: Jonas Vingegaard

Until today, Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) had been butting heads at every GC opportunity, with neither of them seemingly able to make much headway. That all changed on the road to Combloux. Between the pair, the Slovenian was perhaps most widely predicted to emerge on top at Combloux, but those predictions were soon shot to dust. Even before the road pointed upwards, Pogačar had conceded a significant amount of time. By the time the pair had climbed the steep Côte de Domancy and reached the finish not long afterwards, Pogačar had lost 1.38 to winner Vingegaard, his yellow jersey ambitions having taken a crushing blow.

STAGE 17 19 JULY

ST GERVAIS MONT BLANC > COURCHEVEL

Winner: Felix Gall (Ag2r-Citroën)

Yellow: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo)

A major mountains stage played out in two battles. At the front Austrian rider Gall soloed away from the remnants of the early break. He attacked with 13km to go on the Col de la Loze, leading over the top and staying away on the short descent to record a memorable victory. Behind, the Tour was being definitively lost by Pogačar, whose lament over the radio - "I'm gone. I'm dead" - as he slipped backwards out of the GC group told the whole story. By the end of the day he was 7.35 down on Vingegaard with no coming back.

STAGE 18 20 JULY

MOUTIERS > BOURG-EN-BRESSE

Winner: Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-Quick Step)

Yellow: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo)