We're here. Hello ladies and gents, boys and girls, wherever you are in the world, and welcome to the Pyrenees. Three scrumptious stages this weekend, beginning today with a 155km Pyrenean classic - from Pau to La Mongie, over the Cols Marie-Blanque, Aubisuqe and Tourmalet. The first is just an appetiser but a tough Cat.1 climb in it's own right - getting over it (9.3km @ 7.7%) is crucial for the time cut, and getting over it first is a boon for anyone who wants to stop Dominik Nerz winning the king of the mountains classification he currently leads by 72 points. Then comes the fearsome Col d'Aubisque (16.6km @ 7.2%), which could be a launchpad for long-range moves - it will certainly cause some gaps either way.
Then we come to the Tourmalet, as the Tour de France often does. One of the true icons of this great race, the most used pass and still one of the toughest. From the Luz-Saint-Sauveur side, the tougher of the two. It is 19.0 km long, climbing 1,404m at an average of 7.4%, with a maximum of 10.2% near the summit. From there there is a new stage finish - downhill, not the usual ascent, to the ski station of La Mongie. This stage, much tougher than your normal opener to a mountainous period of the race, will sort the men from the boys and could already see major shakeups on GC, with many riders close together (including the less-than-a-minute gaps between 1st and 2nd and 3rd and 4th), everyone could be on the move up or down, whilst some surely will have huge jumps or falls. So it goes.
There's palpable tension on the startline as we are reminded of the GC rankings from last night:
1
Simon Spilak
66h19'06
2
Rein Taaramäe
+ 40
3
Romain Sicard
+ 7'12
4
Robert Gesink
+ 8'10
5
Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier
+ 11'57
6
Warren Barguil
+ 15'36
7
Thomas Dekker
+ 18'06
8
Tim Wellens
+ 18'40
9
Nico Keinath
+ 22'31
10
Vicenzo Nibali
+ 22'51
11
Beñat Intxausti
+ 23'41
12
Patrick Schelling
+ 23'46
13
Tanel Kangert
+ 25'59
14
Fredrik Strand Galta
+ 26'06
15
Francesco Bongiorno
+ 26'48
16
Gianluca Brambilla
+ 27'18
These are, unless someone has some huge rides, those in with a shot at the top 15 - with all of them possibilities for the top 10. What will they do today - some (Taaramae, Intxausti) will attack if they can, that much is obvious. You'd think the underdog Kangert will just try to hang on. Will Barguil see the chance for a stage win after his good form - or will he focus on keeping the rest at bay for his sixth place. Ditto for Lecuisinier, who needs something out of this race as he looks out of the podium picture. Freddy Galta won from the break on Stage 13 - a viable tactic for glory and for the GC fight for those from Keinath down who aren't fighting for 6-8th on paper. But the men all eyes will be on are Spilak, Taaramae, Sicard and Gesink. We know the former duo will be 1st and 2nd and the latter 3rd and 4th - but with just 40 and 58 seconds respectively the gap, the battle for who finishes where is as tight as you'll see on Stage 18 of Le Tour. Now, the race:
Riding in the breakaway over these passes must surely be special for any rider and there's 10 of them today, and for once there's no Nerz (perhaps due to the lack of other KOM chasers in this group). There's also no top 20 GC men, and so it's all about the stage win or helping leaders. An intriguing group really, with many familiar names and some less so. Gallopin (38th GC, 57'27) Destribois (29th GC, 44'40) Fraile (16th KOM, 20pts) Sergis (15th KOM, 20pts) Kastrantas (4th Yesterday) Kruijswijk Flügel (2 Stage Wins | 13rd GC, 37'33 | 10th Points, 58pts) Bevin (Probably met Conrad Smith today as all the Kiwi riders do in Pau) Foliforov Reichenbach (33rd GC, 48'11). Some great stage hunters here if they get the gap, but with these climbs it'll be tough to hang on. I must say I absolutely love this fight from Aleksandar Flügel, he is still in the top 25 on GC and even chasing a third stage win here, and he is fighting for both of these the only way he can - an unlikely but spirited breakaway!
With 56 KOM points on offer (which I'm sure Nerz's teammate Bevin will try and soak up), there's a lot of motive for Sergis and Fraile in particular to grab them as they could go as high as fourth in that ranking, whilst anyone else could enter the top 6. I must say I'm shocked no KOM contenders are out here today on possibly the day (barring La Toussuire) with the most to gain in this competition!
The riders hit the Col de Marie-Blanque with a growing gap of 3'08 between the pack and the breakaway - that will need to grow substantially by the foot of the Tourmalet if those 10 riders want to fight for the stage win!
Meanwhile Havik is already dropped - it'll be an almost impossibly tough day trying to make the time cut now, nevermind the next two!
Actually no interest shown by the breakaway in those KOM points! Surprising for sure, but maybe they have all their sights on a stage win at La Mongie!
But that will be tough as the gap is down to just 2'11 at the intermediate sprint in Laruns just before the riders start the Col d'Aubisque, what is going on?
The gap now growing again on the Col d'Aubisque, but they'll need to extend it a lot to stand any chance!
And indeed it has ballooned out to over seven minutes now as Sergis leads Fraile and Kruiswijk over the mountain sprint as we look across the valley to some stunning views. Just three riders remaining at the front, we'll see if anyone can join back on, the closest are Bevin and Destribois, dropped in the last kilometres.
Oooh and here goes Dominik Nerz! This looks pre-meditated as he's been hanging out strangely close to the front all day with Hadi and Stüssi, and now he goes for the point at the summit here! Surely he wouldn't do this all for one point - this looks like a stage win plan! Vinhas (4th KOM, 69pts) follows him!
Nerz takes the solitary point at the top of the Col d'Aubisque with Vinhas battling to keep up but still in tow, they're now 2 minutes ahead of the pack (who are taking it easy until the Tourmalet) but still 7 behind the leading trio. Can they catch up on the descent? Neither of them are great downhill, but with fresher legs perhaps. Maybe Paddy Bevin slows down to help?
Bratashcuk leads the peloton over the Col d'Aubisque now eleven minutes behind the breakaway who have a great chance at the stage win now! Also note the first appearance all month of the brilliant, enigmatic climber Krasnoperov, finally ready to contribute to his team and earn his fricking wages.
The leading trio are caught by Bevin (who probably won't help) as they crest the uncategorised Col de Solour. Destribois also just 20 seconds behind here and will look to rejoin before the Tourmalet begins (which is still 30km or so away). Foloforov, Flügel and Kastrantas over a minute behind and perhaps receiving word to not overexert themselves and to catch the Nerz and Vinhas bus. However in saying that Flügel is one of the great bike handlers and will be very motivated to stay out in front of the pack for as long as he can, so maybe they'll catch them.
Bevin helps, obviously wanted later on by Nerz or allowed to go for his own (quite decent) chances, whilst Destribois joins up as they pass through Aucun, the brief flat on the long descent of the Solour. A brief look at the gaps here, not a lot of change so far but 2 minutes lost to both the chasing Nerz and Vinhas and the peloton. However if they keep this 9 minutes it's still a decent gap to take into the Col du Tourmalet.
A few kilometres later Flügel does in fact make it back on along with Foliforov and Kastrantas - incredible descending and high motivation from the German, who could really hang on to his top 25 today!
Off the descent and into the town of Argeles-Gazost, the gaps stay the same but a 30 second descrease for Nerz and Vinhas, who have a lot of work to do on the valley road to Luz-Saint-Sauveur and the lower slopes.
Kratochvila, Brataschuk, Jaramillo and Pernsteiner all at the front with Ricco not far away in service of Simon Spilak, as the peloton have a slight increase in urgency as they exit Argeles-Gazost and are now on the slight false flats of the valley road to the Tourmalet. 7'14 behind the breakaway and so nothing is certain in the stage win race, especially with the top climbing duo of Nerz and Vinhas halfway in between those two groups.
Gallopin and Reichenbach are together now but still two and a half minutes behind - not their day, you can pretty safely say.
Huge crowds here as it seems far more than the 900 inhabitants of Luz-Saint-Sauveur are out in force here in town, nevermind the crowds we're sure to find on the climb! The breakaway through the town, and now about to hit the legendary Col du Tourmalet!
21km to go, 17km to the top of the Tourmalet, and 6'32 to the peloton and 3'27 to Nerz and Vinhas to play with for these eight riders - they'll have to work hard, and together for the most part!
Vinhas and Nerz now on the lower slopes of the climb and they've caught the struggling Gallopin and Reichenbach, who will look to hold on as their way back to the front! 3'23 the gap up ahead, and 3'12 back to the peloton, so it'll be tough for this quartet!
And now indeed the duo have dropped the breakaway stragglers, ruthless in their hunt for the leaders!
The gap for the breakaway down to 2'33 to the chasers but up back towards eight minutes as Isostar not feeling any need to push the pace just yet, this is playing into the hands of the 10 riders in contention out front!
Past the 15km to go banner (11km to the summit) the gap is down to 1'47!
9km left of the Tourmalet, Kruiswijk trying to push the pace here but it looks like no use as the gap is now under a minute and falling faster than ever before! Will anyone attack to stave off Nerz and Vinhas! One man won't - Paddy Bevin staying near the front but he hasn't done any work in aid of Nerz's return since the foot of the climb!
Still nothing happening in the pack as Isostar now have 5 riders across the front ahead of Spilak, nobody willing to try a long-range move on the Col du Tourmalet, perhaps wary of the two summit finishes to come!
A long way to go as the Tourmalet starts to snake it's way up to the saddle and the pass, but Fraile doing his best now to stave off the chasing duo by actually increasing the gap back out to a minute - is the strength in numbers, momentarily at least, beating the fatigue of working in a duo?
What the hell? Oh my word oh my word, this is one of the ballsiest attacks I've ever had to fortune to witness! Tanel Kangert (13th GC, 25'59), the unfancied, underdog, the objectively worst climber in the top 20, who has been predicted to be trying his best not to suffer massive GC damage today, is placing an attack on the Col du Tourmalet! What a move! He won't die wondering in this Tour de France, and I must say this isn't the Estonian I expected to attack today!
An instant gap for the Gazelle rider as nobody is interested in this move, a quick 40 seconds and if he can ride solidly (as a time triallist you'd expect he can) and extend this gap, this could be quite the move!
The riders nearing the 10km to go banner which also doubles as the 6km to the summit banner, as the gap to Nerz and Vainhas has dropped again to 47 seconds, they're still keeping them at bay, just!
Meanwhile there's already 90 seconds between Tanel Kangert and the peloton, no GC positions gained for him but if he can gain enough of a buffer to finish with the big guns then this will be a huge victory for him!
And now another attack in the peloton, this time it's Beñat Intxausti, Mr. Inconsistent of this Tour de France. He was looking like challenging for sixth and going on the offensive in the Pyrenees, but he was caught out in the wind on Stage 16 to Mont Faron and is now outside the top 10 again, and he needs attacks like this to salvage anything from this race (whilst his teammate Vinhas up ahead tries to do the same)!
And it looks like with 5km to go Nerz and Vinhas are struggling to shut this gap, the fatigue of 50km with just one companion is catching up to them and the gap is back up to a minute as Paddy Bevin joins the effort to keep them at bay, the Kiwi obviously allowed to go for his own chances now as even if they do catch up it'll be near the end of the climb anyway!
Wawa on the move! Interesting to see him attack with nothing to gain unless he has designs on fifth, which he needs four minutes for, and so perhaps that's it! Ambitious stuff from the Moser man!
Or maybe, it's just his Breton fire showing as he's aggressive for yet another day here, he's really winning hearts in his first season leading at this level! Again no response but 8.6km still to go for the peloton.
Intxausti is 40 seconds ahead now and Kangert a further 1'20.
Flügel now dropped by the rising intensity that Sergis and co. are laying down, no third stage win for him but if he can ride well from here's it's a great ride for his GC hopes, if he can gain time on guys in the top 25 that's amazing for him! Foliforov and Kastrantas both also struggling now as it looks like 5 riders, plus Nerz and Vinhas, are left in contention here!
And here we go, Rein Taaramae in green wants yellow right here, right now on the slopes of the Col du Tourmalet! Ricco looks to take his leader across, whilst Krasnoperov shows hitherto unseen form to follow Spilak, and so for a short while we could get a T-Mobile vs Isostar team duel at long last! Nobody else follows for obvious reasons, but this takes away Isostar's pacing of the pack, and all hell will surely break loose soon!
And now there are riders trying to follow as Sicard knows Gesink is out of position and looks to increase his advantage in third! Lecuisinier doesn't want to let Barguil get oo far away, and could do with some time on Gesink, and so he too follows. Now also Nico Keinath must be feeling good as he tries to follow too. Schelling, Nibali, Dekker and Galta also well positioned for a counter or when the splits come!
And now Ricco can't hold the wheel and Taaramae is clear, and Simon Spilak needs to close this gap now or his yellow jersey, and so much more, could ride up the road away from him! 7.3km left for Rein Taaramae!
And now Galta counterattacks with Gesink in tow around Schelling and Dekker, as the likes of Wellens and Nibali are being left behind here! Keinath is between the favourites and this group and will probably be caught by this fast pace of Galta!
6km until the summit now for Kangert as he passes Reichenbach, 50 seconds back to Intxausti, who catches Gallopin here but is also caught by Barguil and just 25 back to Taaramae, who is riding to reclaim yellow as Ricco can't shut this gap! Nibali and Wellens now looking to catch back up to the Gesink/Dekker group as well!
Still over a minute between the 5 leaders and Nerz and Vinhas, and with less than 4km to the summit there is a real chance for Bevin, Fraile, Sergis, Destribois and Kruiswijk!
Ricco still has energy to give with 6km to the summit by Rein Taaramae is flying away, the gap up to to 20 seconds now, half of what he needs for yellow! Simon Spilak has to go alone sooner rather than later one would think!
Meanwhile Kransoperov has cracked and is now caught by Keinath, who still has a slim lead over the Gesink group, which has split in two due to the pace of the Dutchman, frantically trying to save his podium chances and taking a very strong Schelling with him!
Further behind, Nibali and Wellens look to leave the fracturing peloton, lead by the likes of Formolo and Haig.
Rein Taaramae is really riding to glory here on the Col du Tourmalet and Spilak is letting this gap, or can't stop this gap, going out to 37 seconds!
Still the slow down behind Ricco as Gesink and Keinath are here with Galta, Dekker and Schelling not far behind. What on earth is Spilak playing at?
Haig, Formolo, Kolesnikov, Slagter, Nesset and Karnulin now behind Nibali and Wellens but ahead of the peloton as well.
Taaramae now joins with Barguil and Intxausti as his gap is way over a minute to Simon Spilak, this could be the ride that defines this Tour de France as Taaramae looks not only to reclaim yellow but to put plenty of extra time into Spilak on the Col du Tourmalet!
Also I'll say it again, what a great ride this is from Tanel Kangert, still over 4km to the summit so it's not done yet but he's riding very well and doing amazing things for his top 15 hopes.
Sicard provides the impetus here, as this group now balloons to include Wellens, Dekker and Galta! The Frenchman really wants to put some time into Gesink today!
Back at the front of the race, the 5 leaders still have 58 seconds with 2km to the summit, Vinhas and Nerz not giving up but not shutting the gap, so we could see some hostilities in this leading group to fight for the stage win! The best descender here would have to be Destribois, the Laotian is a proficient bike handler, so he could either win a downhill race to the line or maintain a small advantage solo!
I don't know if Spilak is sick or cracked or braindead but this group has slowed so much that the Nibali group has almost caught up! Sicard, Gesink and Lecuisinier won't mind as they fight their podium abttles up the road now, Gesink looking very good and perhaps ready for a counterattack soon as Sicard looks tired from that effort!
Nerz now attacking, 50 seconds still to recover so he needs an increase in pace and probably wants to go over the top solo and to shake Vinhas here! 2km to go fro this duo, can Nerz cross the gap?
He does, but is now trailing again after a huge increase in pace courtesy of Kruiswijk. Bevin follows the Dutchman, the Kiwi still fighting for his own chances at a stage win here, as Destribois is dropped and Sergis and Fraile may be too!
Behind: Taaramae, Intxausti, Barguil and Kangert all together and a huge three minutes ahead of Spilak. Nobody could have predicted this!
A great ride here from Keinath who bridges across to Sicard, Gesink and Lecuisinier, and still nothing from Simon Spilak! This is really unfortunate and it looks like not only yellow but also any hope of reclaiming it is riding away from Spilak here.
Fraile dropped by Sergis and now with 1km to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, it is between Kaspar Sergis, Steven Kruiswijk and Paddy Bevin for this prestigious stage win, as well as the Souvenir Jacques Goddet prize for the first rider over the Tourmalet.
Galta the latest GC man to look to get out of Spilak's group's pace.
The trio cross the Tourmalet together and so it's a three-way, four-kilometre, downhill battle for the stage win! Sergis with a nice win of the KOM sprint to move him way up in the rankings, as well as the Souvenir Jacques Goddet.
2.3km to go, Sergis leads as Bevin hangs back a bit, and I wonder what tactics will be employed in such a strange finish? Normally a descent finish has flaty at the end, this flattens maybe slightly, but not muchm this is a genuine downhill finish!
Kangert dropped near the summit by the other three, but this has been a simply superb ride from him, an ambitious attack has turned into a real shot at moving into the top 10 even, absolutely amazing!
Spilak finally attacks with 1500m to the summit! Wellens the only one who wants to respond.
Under the flamme rouge, Sergis in the front, can he use this momentum to take the stage or can people manage to come around him? It looks like the Latvian has prime position!
Everyone does their best to sprint, it looks like both Kruiswijk and Bevin have a speed advantage now but is it enough to come around?
300m to go, it looks like Bevin is the quickest but Kruiswijk is closer but Sergis has pole position still!
A very very tight finish at La Mongie, but it's Kaspars Sergis who tastes victory in a close downhill sprint! A prestigious stage win here at Le Tour de France, and the 26-year-old is over the moon! What a ride, did a lot of the work and played that downhill beautifull for a cunning stage win! Kruiswijk is second by inches, a great ride from the Dutchman and will move him up the GC into the 30s one suspects. Paddy Bevin is third, not among the best climbers in the group but a great ride from the Kiwi all-arounder - looks like that Conrad Smith meeting paid off!
Dominik Nerz is fourth, yet another missed opportunity and if he leaves the next two days empty handed he'll be seriously pissed off, and rightly so! A 3-4 here though for Puma which is nice but also very annoying! In good news he's sewn up the KOM win surely! Fifth for Fraile, he was so close to being in that final sprint but just cracked late on the climb. A nice result but not the win he wanted.
Same goes for Vinhas from the mid-stage attack and Destribois from the break in sixth and seventh, though actually looking at my notes here the Laotian stands a chance at breaking into the top 25 on GC with this result which would be lovely!
Taaramae's group in the end catching the group of Flügel, who will be dissapointed other than the man himself, who has ridden fantastically well to protect and even strengthen his GC spot, a clever move. Can he hang on for the next two days though?
The big story here is our new yellow jersey, Rein Taaramae tenth on the stage but most importantly with a three minute time gap at last check which not only is enough to claim yellow but also puts him well in charge at this Tour de France with just two mountain stages to go! What a big ride, perhaps the defining one of this Tour de France - though with three stages left and nothing confirmed, perhaps that's a little presumptuous!
Intxausti with one of his good days here and so will be back in the top 20, whilst we'll have to wait but Warren Barguil's aggression will have put a huge dent at the very least into Lecuisinier's grasp on fifth! What a ride from these two, who will both be stoked with this.
And now Gesink leaves behind Sicard, Keinath and Lecuisinier and is trying to reclaim third! A quite sneaky attack over the summit I'm hearing, but can he get enough of a gap? Meanwhile Galta is still ahead of Spilak, who has left behind Wellens and is flying now he's going for it and may end up "only" two minutes behind Taaramae by the end of the day - awful stage for himk but he's salvaging his hopes of reclaiming yellow!
Nibali, Kolesnikov and Slagter also going free over the top.
A bad day for Bongiorno, but even worse for Brambilla who is nowhere to be seen!
The man of the day in the GC race, excluding the euphoric Taaramae, for me has got to be the brave and ultimately rewarded Tanel Kangert, who, unfavoured in the high mountains, attacked first on the Col du Tourmalet in a courageous attempt to stop himself slipping down the rankings, and not only has he done that, but he has probably moved up a spot or two. Chapeau!
Gesink then with a 25 second gap to Sicard, Lecuisinier and Keinath, one and a half minutes behind Taaramae and so actually made up time as I suspect many did after resting behind Ricco! He'll take a big chunk out of Sicard's advantage and what a close race for the podium this is!
Lecuisinier with a dissapointing day with Barguil gaining exactly two minutes on him, and so the Mose rider is within two minutes of fifth now, what a comeback from Barguil! Keinath here with another huge ride, an overachiever this Tour de France and he'll be back in the top 10.
And here comes Simon Spilak, around 2'20 behind Taaramae and so he'll be at just under two minutes' deficit on GC. A horror day with horror tactics from the Slovenian which didn't pay off - the fact he closed the gap by almost half showed he had the form today, but his tactics may have cost him this Tour de France.
Galta does well to finish with him, riding just for GC today instead of the stage win or the KOM as some thought he might, and he may gain a place to Patrick Schelling to move to 13th. Maybe he can make a move for the top 10 by getting into an othe breakaway in the next two days, as he seems to have form.
Sergis now takes to the podium as he and his Evonik team celebrate one of their patented mountain stage wins, but this may be the biggest one ever, over the Col du Tourmalet at the Tour de France. Well done, what a ride and what a result!
The big story of the day: Rein Taaramae is back in yellow. He took it with a storming ride on La Planche des Belles Filles, and he takes it with another one here as he left behind Simon Spilak and took advantage perhaps of some strange tactics, but really he flew up the Col du Tourmalet and I'm not sure he wouldn't have taken yellow anyway - but the gap is still a huge bonus which you feel Spilak lost more than Taaramae won. Can Isostar and Spilak fight back from such a crushing loss? I'm not sure, but he's a two-time Tour de France winner and a modern great, and he's made of stronger stuff than most. However the good news for the Slovenian is it's "just" 1'20 as he was awarded a same time finish with Sicard et al.
Elsewhere, Gesink rides well to make his race with Sicard for third even tighter than before, whilst Barguil comes uncomfortably close to Lecuisinier and Wellens overtakes Dekker in seventh! Intxausti and Keinath both back in the top 10 with great rides.
Tomorrow is a huge day for it as is Stage 20, but nevertheless it will take absolutely massive rides from Vinhas, Galta or, now, Sergis and him doing nothing to stop Dominik Nerz winning the KOM jersey, he's been all over this competition and extended his lead despite not joining the morning breakaway today!
Tomorrow is another tough day, but first we must mention it will be without Yoeri Havik, Jon Aberasturi or Jacob Fiedler. Bad news for Hugo Boss who lose both of their sprinters!
The riders start in Bagneres-de-Bigorre for 231 exhausting kilometres to the Plateau de Beille ski field, across (nevermind the long summit finish) a ridiculous 7 categorised climbs, with two Cat.1s and two Cat.2s, it will be an even tougher one to survive and will be a true test ahead of the tough summit finish, where anything could happen. The question on everybody's lips, though: Can Simon Spilak strike back? Find out tomorrow as we join you again live, that's all from us. Take care.
