Cycling

The 2020 Tour de France, which was scheduled to begin June 27, has been postponed until August 29 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jerome Pugmire of the Associated Press reported race organizers made the decision Tuesday after French president Emmanuel Macron announced the country's ban on large gatherings to help slow the spread of COVID-19 would continue through at least mid-July.

On Wednesday, August 29 was chosen as the start date for this year's race, per BBC Sport.

"Holding this event in the best conditions possible is judged essential given its central place in cycling's economy," the UCI, cycling's governing body, said in a statement.

Prior to the announcement of a new date, Pugmire reported that organizers are unlikely to favor any plan that includes banning fans from attendance, per Pugmire. In addition, creating a timeline to give cyclists a chance to prepare and waiting for borders to reopen are among the potential hurdles.

The fall sports calendar is already starting to get crowded as major events get moved with hope enough progress is made in the COVID-19 fight to avoid complete cancellations. An August 29 date helps avoid the French Open tennis tournament, which is schedule to run from Sept. 20 through Oct. 4.

"We have to reinvent ourselves, and me first of all ... We are vulnerable," Macron said Monday. "When can we hope for an end to this? I understand you have many questions and I would like to answer all of them. But I say in all humility, we don't have definitive answers today."

Colombia's Egan Bernal is the Tour de France's reigning champion. In March, he told Ciclo21 (via Tim Bonville-Ginn of Cycling Weekly) he wasn't training "neither mentally nor physically" while confined because of the coronavirus.

"This lockdown affects us all, even for the Tour if it is done in July, because some favorites may fail, the preparation is different," Bernal said. "It is better that it could have been postponed."

The Tour de France hasn't been cancelled since 1940-46, a seven-year hiatus because of World War II.

A helicopter filming the 2019 Vuelta a Espana helped lead Catalan police to the seizure of 40 marijuana plants.

ESPN's Adriana Garcia reported how the helicopter, while tracking the closing parts of Saturday's eighth stage, captured images of an apartment rooftop containing "plants spread out across two abandoned plots."

Eurosport UK shared the images:

The sharing of the pictures online alerted Mossos, the Catalan law enforcement bureau.

A Mossos spokesperson credited those pictures for leading to a successful raid, per Garcia: "That has helped us to seize 40 marijuana plants. No one has been arrested, but the investigation is still ongoing to find those responsible."

Per Garcia, Spanish law permits the growth of marijuana for personal use, but there is no guideline for how much of the plant is allowed to be grown.

Nikias Arndt of Team Sunweb won the stage, which finished in Igualada, Barcelona.

Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht died following a crash during Monday's stage in the 2019 Tour of Poland. He was 22. 

His team Lotto Soudal confirmed the news:

Rival teams expressed their condolences and support for the rider's family:

According to La Flamme Rouge, the crash took place before the live broadcast of the stage started. A hospital spokesman told Sport.pl (h/t Cycling News) Lambrecht was resuscitated after crashing into a concrete culvert but didn't survive surgery.

Lambrecht was one of the sport's biggest young talents, having won the Under-23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege race and finishing second in the Tour de l'Avenir. 

He turned professional with Lotto Soudal in 2018 and was in the midst of a breakout year, taking fourth place at the Fleche Wallonne, fifth in the Brabantse Pijl and sixth in the Amstel Gold Race. He also won the youth classification at the Criterium du Dauphine, just missing out on the top 10 in the overall standings.

Egan Bernal will take home the €500,000 (£450,000) winner's share of the purse for the 2019 Tour de France after the Colombian was confirmed as champion on Sunday.

Bernal rode into Paris hand-in-hand with fellow Team Ineos rider Geraint Thomas, who had relinquished the title he won in 2018:

The new champion took his place on the podium alongside Thomas and Jumbo-Visma's Steven Kruijswijk as the top three riders in the general classification. Meanwhile, Peter Sagan retained the green jersey in the points standings, and Romain Bardet took the polka dot jersey as the King of the Mountains, per the race's official website.

Caleb Ewan was the final stage winner of the race after the Lotto-Soudal man capped a stellar maiden appearance on the tour by crossing the line first at the Champs-Elysees:

Eurosport's Felix Lowe provided the final GC standings:

Here's how the payouts are distributed among the top riders, according to John MacLeary of The Telegraph:

1. €500,000

2. €200,000

3. €100,000

4. €70,000

5. €50,000

6. €23,000

7. €11,500

8. €7,600

9. €4,500

10. €3,800

MacLeary also noted how Sagan and Bardet are each due €25,000. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Bernal will pocket an additional €20,000 due the winner of the white jersey in the race's youth category.

Bernal also made history on two levels, including becoming the youngest champion since 1909:

He had merited such plaudits thanks to his consistency on this year's tour. Bernal's rapid development could see him dominate for years, with Thomas ready to believe there are more titles in the South American's future, per BBC Sport's Peter Scrivener: "Egan is the future and when I'm 45 and old and fat and sat in the pub watching him win a 10th Tour de France I can say I told him all I know."

Kidding aside, 33-year-old Thomas isn't about to rule himself out of returning to the top step on the podium in 2020. When asked if he could win 12 months from now, the Welshman simply replied "I think so," per Daniel Benson of Cycling News.

It was also a record-setting day for Sagan, who has had a cast-iron grip on the green jersey in recent years:

Sagan is the model of consistency on the tour, but if there's an obvious challenger to his ownership of the points prize it's Ewan. The Australian excelled in the sprints on his tournament debut, leading to three stage wins and second spot in the green jersey standings.

Ewan has made his mark as a rider to watch in next year's race, while Bernal will also be fancied to keep Ineos at the forefront of the sport.

Egan Bernal was officially named 2019 Tour de France champion after the final stage concluded in Paris on Sunday. Lotto Soudal's Caleb Ewan won Stage 21, his third win of his tournament debut, but Bernal already had the yellow jersey all to himself.

The Colombian Team Ineos rider is now due the winner's share, worth €500,000 (£450,000), of the prize money available.

Spirits were high during the steady pace of the early part of the stage as riders saved energy for the traditional bunch sprint toward the Champs-Elysees.

With the top places already set, Bernal was able to enjoy himself:

It was a similar story for Peter Sagan, who had a firm grip on the green jersey:

Bernal and teammate Geraint Thomas led Ineos to the head of the line for the approach to the Rue de Rivoli and the race proper. With the Arc de Triomphe in sight, one or two riders began contemplating making an attack, with Tom Scully and Omar Fraile the first to try to force things.

Jan Tratnik was the next to try to muscle his way clear, while Katusha-Alpecin's Nils Politt soon joined him. This quartet enjoyed a brief and slender lead the peloton appeared content to let them have.

A counter-attack from Joey Rosskopf and Kevin Van Melsen threatened to reel the breakaway quartet back in. However, Politt and Co. continued to hold on to a lead of 20 seconds.

The greater drama was further back as Thomas needed to stop for mechanical assistance. His delay gave hope to Steven Kruijswijk of sneaking into second spot in the general classification.

Thomas would eventually recover and stay close enough to Bernal to maintain his position as runner-up.

Meanwhile, the break's advantage became just eight seconds as the riders began the bell lap. Greg van Avermaet made his move, while riders from Mitchelton-Scott and Deceuninck made their respective attacks on the front.

It was Deceuninck's Julian Alaphilippe who seized the initiative entering the final kilometre. The Frenchman, who led the race for so long before faltering during the later stages, was soon brought back by teammate Jakob Morov.

Elia Viviani, Sagan and Dylan Groenewegen tried to come from deep, but it was Ewan who made the most decisive move. The Australian sped ahead to leave Groenewegen and Niccolo Bonifazio trailing.

Further back, Bernal and Thomas crossed the line hand-in-hand to confirm Ineos' continued domination.

Egan Bernal has the 2019 Tour de France title wrapped up ahead of the 21st and final stage in Paris on Sunday.

A bunch sprint, wherein the general classification leader is traditionally unchallenged, will end at the Champs-Elysees with Bernal officially crowned champion ahead of fellow Team Ineos rider Geraint Thomas.

Bernal kept hold of the yellow jersey after a truncated 20th stage won by Vincenzo Nibali on Saturday. While events were disrupted by difficult weather conditions, Bernal rode well and followed up his 19th-stage win on Friday in the right way.

The Colombian's performance prompted praise from the vanquished defending champion:

Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Colombia international star James Rodriguez also got in on the act:

Date: Sunday, July 28

Time: 5:10 p.m. BST/12:10 p.m. ET

TV Info: Eurosport 1, ITV 4, NBC, NBCSN

Live Stream: Eurosport Player, ITV Hub, NBC Sports App

Route: Rambouillet to Paris Champs-Elysees (128 kilometres)

Despite Thomas offering his congratulations, Bernal is wary of how the titleholder will play things during the final stage. Bernal has advised Thomas not to challenge him, per Lawrence Ostlere of The Independent: "If he wants to attack, he can, but I think it would be crazy in these circumstances. I will respect his decision, but I think the team should be careful. Thomas is on the podium so it doesn't make sense."

For his part, Thomas said he would "most definitely" offer Bernal his support. It means Ineos should end the race with its principal riders still in first and second.

There are unlikely to be any other changes to the order on the podium, with Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma set for third. He should stay ahead of Julian Alaphilippe, who had the yellow jersey earlier in the race before enduring some damaging setbacks recently.

By contrast, Nibali won on Saturday after rain and concerns about visibility meant the stage was cut to a mere 59 kilometres. He will fancy his chances in a sprint over 128 kilometres of mostly flat terrain.

It will be a similar story for Peter Sagan, who is in line to retain the green jersey after impressive work in Val Thorens:

Meanwhile, Kruijswijk's teammate Dylan Groenewegen is a capable sprinter who could cross the line first, as he did in Stage 7. Groenewegen saw off the challenge of Lotto Soudal's Caleb Ewan, another gifted sprinter who finished ahead of the Dutchman in the 11th stage.

Sagan, Groenewegen, Ewan and the rest will do what they can to finish strong, but the day will belong to Bernal. His performance as a worthy first-time winner has been the highlight of this year's race.

Vincenzo Nibali won Saturday's abbreviated Stage 20 of the 2019 Tour de France, finishing solo in Val Thorens, while Egan Bernal defended his lead in the general classification. Barring a crash on Sunday, he will win this year's race.

Poor weather conditions saw the stage shortened to just under 60 kilometres, and Nibali was part of the early break. He then attacked and conquered the final parts of the climb on his own.

In the chasing group, Bernal was never threatened. Team INEOS will secure the double on Friday, as Geraint Thomas sits in second place in the general classification. Steven Kruijswijk is third.

There were some concerns the shortened stage could be altered further or cancelled altogether before the start, as the conditions at the finish line were horrendous:

The peloton eventually set off on the planned course, however, with a short run-in until the full climb to Val Thorens. With just under 60 kilometres on the schedule, the stage was expected to be an explosive and dramatic one.

Nibali was part of an early attack, and they found a gap, even though INEOS had little interest in giving the breakaway riders too much real estate. Jumbo-Visma kept the pace high once the road ramped up, thinning out the peloton and reeling in much of the breakaway.

Julian Alaphilippe, the race leader until yesterday, was dropped before the final 10 kilometres, losing his podium spot in heartbreaking fashion.

At the front, Nibali went solo, exploding the break with a devastating attack. Simon Yates placed his attack in the chasing group, with hopes he could still win the mountain classification.

But the expected fireworks in the final kilometres never arrived, as the top contenders all appeared to lack the power in the legs for a final explosion. Thomas and Bernal easily survived, shaking hands as they crossed the finish line.

Romain Bardet secured the polka-dot jersey, winning the mountain classification. 

The Tour will finish on Sunday on the streets of Paris. A traditional bunch sprint on the Champs-Elysees is expected and shouldn't throw up any surprises for the general classification.  

Egan Bernal will start Stage 20 of the 2019 Tour de France in the yellow jersey.

The Colombian took the jersey on Friday after a gripping Stage 19. The race was neutralised because of bad weather, and Bernal had already done enough to move into the virtual general classification lead ahead of Julian Alaphilippe.

Another challenging mountain day was set to come in the 130-kilometre ride from Albertville to Val Thorens, but because of the weather, the ride has been cut to 59 kilometres, losing Category 1 and Category 2 climbs, per the Guardian's Jeremy Whittle. It gives the 22-year-old a terrific chance to keep the jersey ahead of the exhibition stage into Paris.

Start Time: 11:45 a.m. (BST), 6:45 a.m. (ET)

TV Info: ITV 4 (UK), Eurosport 1 (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), Eurosport Player (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)

Preview

Although calculations were still being made in the general classification on Friday, Bernal had done enough to take the yellow jersey from Alaphilippe.

The competition Twitter account put together some provisional standings in the aftermath of the race:

While the inclement weather meant that no stage winner was awarded for Stage 19, the Colombian was presented with the yellow jersey and spoke about how much it meant to him:

The Inner Ring Twitter account commented on how emotional the 22-year-old was after one of the best rides of his career:

Even though the race was called off on Friday before a treacherous descent and another summit finish into Tignes, Bernal surely would have done enough to have finished the day in yellow.

Having shown his strength to take back some time on Thursday on the Galibier climb, the Team Ineos rider was always going to attack on Stage 19. In doing so, not only did he break Alaphilippe, but he also blew away many of the peloton's best climbers, with Simon Yates the only rider able to bridge the gap over the top of the Col de l'Iseran.

Cycling writer Mihai Cazacu praised Bernal's aggressive tactics on the day's biggest climb:

The attack and the consequent result almost certainly ended the chances of Alaphilippe, who battled terrifically for 14 days in the maillot jaune.

Few anticipated the Frenchman would be a contender at this stage of the race, although it took the second consecutive day of tough climbing for him to finally lose significant ground. Cycling journalist Neal Rogers noted the timing of the neutralisation on Stage 19 cost him a chance of clawing back time on Bernal:

The Frenchman's team praised him after he relinquished his grip on the yellow jersey:

On Saturday, it will be almost impossible for Alaphilippe to take back the time required on Bernal given the revised profile of the stage.

The man in third is defending champion Geraint Thomas, and the Welshman has said he will look to help his Ineos team-mate get over the line on the penultimate stage instead of seeking to win a second successive title:

With the rider in yellow traditionally never attacked on the roll into Paris on the final day of the Tour, if Bernal ends Saturday's stage in the lead, his status as the 2019 champion will effectively be secured.

The Colombian will not be as aggressive now he has yellow draped around his shoulders, and he will seek to mark the attacks made by his rivals on the final climb. He's shown more than enough to suggest he can finish the job.

Team Ineos' Egan Bernal is the new holder of the yellow jersey at the 2019 Tour de France after he won a dramatic Stage 19 that was neutralised before the scheduled finish.

Hail stones and a landslide further down the course meant the organisers stopped the race, with the respective times of each rider taken from the top of the Col de l'Iseran.

Bernal's attack on the climb meant he had moved into the virtual lead of the general classification, meaning he takes over from Julian Alaphilippe in the maillot jaune.

Ineos' Twitter account shared a photo of the landslide that stopped the stage:

Cycling journalist Michael Hutchinson shared the provisional overall standings: 

The day's big news appeared to be the withdrawal of Thibaut Pinot. The Frenchman had been expected to fare well in the Alps due to his excellent climbing ability, although he dropped off the pace early in the stage to receive treatment.

While he did his utmost to continue the race, Pinot was unable to carry on. It was clear just how disappointed he was at his withdrawal:

The fact he pulled out would have given hope to the other contenders, though, and Alaphilippe was always set to come under pressure on the climb to the summit of the l'Iseran.

Having shone on Thursday on the climb to the Galibier, Bernal is clearly the man most in form when it comes to the climbs, and an attack from the Colombian felt inevitable.

When he did make a move, it was only Simon Yates who was able to stay with him. It gave Bernal the chance to form a sizeable gap to the general classification favourites, and after starting two minutes down on Alaphilippe heading into the stage, he was quickly eating up the Frenchman's advantage.

Per cycling journalist Neal Rogers, the 22-year-old was able to leave some of the best mountain men in the sport behind with his acceleration: 

Alaphilippe was isolated at this point, and as Bernal extended his advantage to the Frenchman to more than two minutes, his hopes of ending the day in yellow were all but over.

Alaphilippe would have at least been hopeful of making up some ground on the descent, as he did on Thursday after the Galibier. However, reports started to filter through that there was inclement weather on the way down from l'Iseran.

Hail could be seen on television pictures, as could sections of the road covered in a landslide.

Commentator Joscelin Ryan shared a photo of the impossible conditions for the riders: 

Unsurprisingly, the stage was abandoned, and the organisers set the previous summit as the virtual finish. For Alaphilippe, it was an unfortunate ruling on a day of disappointment, while Bernal and Thomas, who attacked late on the l'Iseran, were able to make significant progress.

More thrills are expected on Stage 20, when the peloton will ride the 130 kilometres from Albertville to Val Thorens. The stage culminates in a summit finish on an unclassified climb.

Julian Alaphilippe continues to hold the yellow jersey at the 2019 Tour de France but faces another tough day in the mountains on Friday.

The riders race the 126.5 kilometres from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes in the French Alps, which could prove to be a key stage in this year's competition.

Alaphilippe heads into Stage 19 with a lead of one minute and 30 seconds over Egan Bernal in second place, while defending champion Geraint Thomas is five seconds further back in third.

Date: Friday, July 26

Time: 1:55 p.m. local time, 12:55 a.m. BST, 7:55 a.m. BST

TV Info: ITV 4 (UK), Eurosport 1 (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), Eurosport Player (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)

Stage 19 Preview

The riders follow a gruelling day in the mountains on Thursday with another tough stage that is predominantly uphill through the French Alps:

The route begins in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and heads towards the Col de l'Iseran, which is the highest point on the 2019 Tour de France at 2770 metres above sea level.

The route then drops through the ski resort of Val d'Isere but rises again to a summit finish in the neighbouring town of Tignes.

Friday's stage looks ideal for the climbers in the race, such as Thibaut Pinot and Bernal, to attack. Thomas is also likely to be involved to try to put pressure on Alaphilippe.

Cycling journalist Neal Rogers offered his view on Stage 19:

Alaphilippe is aiming to become the first Frenchman to win the Tour de France since Bernard Hinault in 1985 but has said he is not feeling under pressure, per Daniel Benson at Cyclingnews.com:

"Of course, I'm aware I'm getting a lot of attention but I don't feel pressure—I am used to having pressure and that motivates me but I'm aware that something is happening with all the eyes of the public on the Tour at the moment. I see it in the peloton and by the roads and with the press—the messages that I get and craziness of guys shouting. I hope it lasts to the end."

The Frenchman had been expected to falter in the mountains but has managed to repel attacks.

Alaphilippe only lost five seconds of his lead on Thursday after a huge attack from Bernal helped the Colombian move into second place in the standings, but the race leader can expect more pressure on Friday in what promises to be an intriguing day of action.