As expected, the break took the stage yesterday, many riders also made major GC gains. Today they will try to hang on to them. On Stage 19 they face 4 climbs, 2 Cat 2s sandwiched between two Cat 1s, the latter Cat 1 being the finish. All the climbing comes in the second half of the 133k stage.
The GC riders are the favorites again although none of them has won a mountain stage in the traditional fashion so far.
28k into the stage, the first 14 riders got away pretty quickly but Moser got fussy after that and ended up allowing just 6 more escapees who are currently 52 seconds down on the first set. So just the 20 riders on the attack today. Moser wasn’t so picky about the selection and we have two big names looking to recover their GC position - McNulty (18th on GC, +13’42) who has Rubio trying to bridge up and Carthy (17th, +13’12) who has Gregaard in the second group. Assuming the groups come together those are some powerful helpers. And those two aren’t the only powerful riders in the group. The first 14 also includes: O'Connor Johannessen (4th, + 6’14, KOM 2nd, 147 points) Kirsch (12th, +10’02) Delbove Darbellay (19th, +14’41) Rohendi (KOM 6th, 75) Faglum Karlsson (21st, +15’31) Prado Osorio Champoussin Rikunov Fouche
The rest of the 2nd group are: Inkelaar (15th, +12’07) Pinot (23rd. +16’45) Vasyliv Zimmermann
Moser don’t let the gap grow too fast and with 76k to go it is 3’29. Ahead the break has come together and are on the first climb, the Col’d Aspin (9.8k at 7.1%)
McNulty and Carthy are not messing around, the former paced the last 3k and now as they reach the 5k to climb mark Carthy on the front. Peloton also working as well and the gap is just 3’43. In the peloton it is Silva and Morales Ortega.
Kirsch and Rikunov help out on the 2nd half of the climb and Kirsch attacks to take first place ahead of Fouche. Johannessen does not score. He needs 33 points to take back the KOM jersey but he is hanging at the back of the group, he might be feeling the impact of all his work.
MOL take responsibility for the chase and Morales Ortega leads the peloton over the top of the Col d’Aspin with a deficit of 5’30. Osorio and Delbove were dropped from the break over the top and haven’t been able to rejoin. The break is about to start the 2nd climb, the Cat 2 Hourquette d’Ancizan, which is 8.9k at 5.3%.
A split on the descent catches out Mas (2nd on GC) and Lopez Nolasco (8th). For now it looks like Nych will close the gap but not a good sign for those two who also might be feeling the strains of prior efforts.
Maybe it won’t be that easy, the leaders are on to the climb and the gap is persisting. The whole Polar team briefly went to the front but now it is just Antonelli. The man who helped keep Mas in the race previously, Inkelaar, is well up the road. The only other top 20 GC rider to miss the split is 20th placed Burke although 22nd placed Cort Nielsen is also behind. Eenkhoorn is another important rider to miss the split. Stancu driving the pace in the Yellow Jersey group, which is just 26 riders right now
2k to climb in the Cat 2 and the breakaway is down to 9 with Gregaard making the pace. Still with him are Carthy, McNulty, Kirsch, Champoussin, Rubio, Prado, Faglum Karlsson and Vasyliv (only just).
Some hesitation in the break as nobody is willing to help Gregaard, so Carthy attacks with about 700 meters to climb, only Faglum Karlsson and McNulty can stay with him. They have 4’46 on the Yellow Jersey group. Burke is trying to drag the Mas group back to the Yellow Jersey group, which is down to 16 riders as Almeida lays down the pace. Warchol (10th on GC) is the latest victim. There are still 50k to go, the pace has to ease off at some point.
Carthy takes maximum points on the climb. From here 28k to the next summit, about 20k of that down hill and false flat before the climb to the Cat 2 Col de Val’Louron-Azet which is 8.3k at 7.6%. Johannessen is well back and will score no KOM points, his dream of jersey double is over for today and his GC position also looks at risk.
Almeida leads a 19-rider group over the top 4’24 down on the leaders. Warchol has recovered for now and rejoined the group. The Mas group. with 29 riders, is 56 seconds down with Mas himself doing the work. The descent may give him a chance to catch up.
Mas gets help with the chase from Burke, Roman and Madouas. The chase is proving hard because Cedevita is working in the Yellow Jersey group with Habtemichael. As the leaders hit the penultimate climb this is the race situation.
Roman closes the gap and brings the Yellow Jersey group back to 32 riders, but they are on the climb now so Mas and the other need to fix their position. The Fastned and Gazzelle riders at the back of the group they just caught include the other two breakaway specialists, Warchol and Cras.
6.5k to climb, Mas is dropped again, he is going to lose a lot of time today. Ahead the Yellow Jersey group have caught a breakaway group including Johannessen. Leaving just the 9-rider Kirsch group (at 1’33) and the three leaders (at 3’50) out front.
Just after that Padun launches a searing attack. Eenkhoorn has got himself back in position and leads the chase.
2k to climb for the leaders and Faglum Karlsson can no longer keep up. Behind Padun has reached the Kirsch group where he is getting help from Vasyliv. They have 43 seconds on the Yellow Jersey group. Johannessen (6th), Burke (20th), Pinot (22nd) and Almeida (24th) have all been dropped.
After a brief break Padun takes dropping the breakaway riders. Eenkhoorn cracks and Shikai goes to the front. Darbellay (19th) has been dropped from the group.
Carthy and McNulty (McCarthy?) are still inseparable as they reach the top of the climb. Their lead is 1’44 over Faglum Karlsson, 3’17 over Padun and 4’07 over the Yellow Jersey group. From here they have 20k to go about 8k of descending, 4k of flat and 8k of climbing.
Aular leads the Yellow Jersey group over the top, we are seeing a lot more action from the 2nd tier GC riders this stage. Padun is 1’02 ahead and McCarthy is at 4’29. Yellow Jersey group is down to 12 although some may be able to rejoin on the descent. The latest top-20 GC riders dropped are Kirsch, Inkelaar and Lopez Nolasco. Eenkhoorn also dropped.
As they reach the finishing climb Carthy puts in a dig but McNulty is able to match him. One Carthy attack on the flat already failed. The climb is Peyragudes, 7.8k at 8.2%. Yellow Jersey group is 4’11 down with Padun at 3’28.
7k to climb for the Yellow Jersey group. Mamykin, the last surviving domestique has Padun within his sights, the gap is 27 seconds. The others left in this group are Lecuisinier, Kudus, Haig, Pogacar, Sivakov, Aular, Shikai, Warchol, Cras and Prado. Great ride by Cras to hang this long given his exertions on other days.
6k to climb, Padun is caught and Sivakov launches a counter, most of the rest follow. Cras and Warchol’s resistance was broken slightly before this. Prado also dropped. 3’34 ahead McNulty has opened a tiny gap on Carthy.
Sivakov leads a posse of GC riders past the 5k banner and Faglum Karlsson. Padun has been able to stay with them but Shikai looks to be paying for working a little too hard earlier. McNulty has 9 seconds on Carthy.
4k to go, first Haig and then Pogacar take over the pace setting. Carthy has caught back up to McNulty, their lead is down to 2’22 and they have 3.2k to climb.
Lecuisinier takes over the pace-setting as Pogacar falters. Padun is dropped. They can just see McCarthy ahead. That is a 1’52 gap.
Aular is dropped a few meters later.
And now 19.8 stages into the race we have the match up we have been waiting for: Lecuisinier vs Kudus mano-a-mano on the mountain. 1.5k to go and just 30 seconds to the leaders, the stage win is up for grabs.
1k banner, the stage wins dreams of Carthy and McNulty are over but they should have worked themselves back into semi-respectable GC positions.
800 meters, and Kudus goes to the front, he has enjoyed the luxury of biding his time. Behind Shikai has found a 2nd wind and passed both Padun and Aular.
Lecuisinier is able to stay with Kudus but he can’t pass him and the Eritrean has his 2nd stage win. He is 3 for 3 in summit finishes against his rival.
Sivakov finishes fast to take the last bonus seconds, 26 seconds later. Then it is McNulty and Haig, on the same time. Then Carthy (+0’34), and Pogacar (+0’47).
Shikai (+2’15), Aular (+3’13), and Padun (3’26) complete the top 10.
The GC returns to some normalcy. Lecuisinier back to 2nd 6’58 down on Kudus but 1’22 up on Haig. Haig has a narrow 25 second advantage on Pogacar for the last podium spot. Sivakov in a safe 5th. Cras, in 6th, is the last hold out in the top 10 among the breakaway boys, he still has 3 minutes on Shikai in 7th. Carthy up to 8th, Warchol holds 9th and McNulty up to 10th. Padun and Aular in 12th and 13th are the two who might look to a breakaway tomorrow to move up. Mas drops to 15th, Johannessen to 17th, they could renew their KOM battle tomorrow as they still sit 1-2 in that competition.
Lecuisinier is up to 4th in the points competition and Kudus 6th. The latter also up to 5th in the KOM.
Tinkoff and Johannessen remain dominant in the Team and White Jersey competitions.
Tour de France 
