Cycling

The Tour de France peloton wil face its biggest challenge yet on Saturday, when the riders tackle the iconic Col du Tourmalet during Stage 14.

While the stage is short, at just 117.5 kilometers, the riders are in for a rough day. The finish line sits above 2,000 meters, coming at the end of one of the most iconic and brutal climbs in the Pyrenees.

British viewers can follow along via Eurosport and ITV. NBC Sports will broadcast the stage to American cycling fans.

Here is a look at the stage route and profile:

The stage will start in Tarbes, giving the top teams little time to get organised and send some of their riders into the break before the road pitches up. The Category 1 climb of Col du Soulor will be a first major test, and after a long descent and intermediate sprint, the Tourmalet awaits.

Global Cycling Network broke down the behemoth, noting it's been used in the Tour more than any other mountain:

Stages rarely finish at the summit of the Tourmalet, however. This will be just the third time in La Grande Boucle's long history.

Stage 14 will be the first of three to finish above 2,000 meters, highlighting just how brutal this year's Tour is. After Friday's time trial, it provides a great opportunity to claw back time in the general classification, but it could also be the undoing of riders who overestimate their ability.

The steady gradient and length of the climb aren't the only major obstacles to overcome. At an altitude of 2,000 meters, the air thins considerably and power-meter readings become less reliable:

The 2010 finish at the Tourmalet featured an epic battle between Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador, won by the former. And in all likelihood, the top contenders will steal the spotlight on Saturday as well. The favourites for the yellow jersey having been building toward this climb for two weeks, and they will all have their eye on Julian Alaphilippe after his shock win on Friday.

The Frenchman added to his GC lead by winning the time trial but will come under heavy fire on Saturday. The short stage means rivals can attack him early and often in what should be his biggest test yet.

Julian Alaphilippe won Stage 13 of the 2019 Tour de France on Friday to not only retain his yellow jersey but extend his lead at the top of the overall standings.

Defending Tour champion Geraint Thomas recorded the fastest lap late on in the individual time trial in Pau, but Alaphilippe beat his time by 14 seconds in the last ride of the day.

Belgium's Thomas de Gendt held a leading time of 35 minutes, 36 seconds for much of the race, but Welsh wonder Thomas stormed ahead in what was a very short-lived lead.

Deceuninck Quick-Step rider Alaphilippe came into Stage 13 with a significant lead over Thomas of Team Ineos, extending that cushion to one minute and 26 seconds following his second stage win this Tour.

Few will have expected Alaphilippe to combat Thomas' time so fiercely at the end of the stage, especially with more mountain stages in sight and the yellow jersey already his to lose.

However, he showed incredible determination to excel despite his advantage and take another piece of individual success.

Alaphilippe shattered a 30-year-old national Tour record in the process, per Gracenote Olympic:

It was clear from the way he was cutting time off the bar set by Thomas that Alaphilippe isn't keen on the idea of fading back into obscurity, via Eurosport UK:

Thomas beat De Gendt's time by a substantial gap of 22 seconds, making it all the more impressive that Alaphilippe found the energy to go another 14 seconds faster than that.

It looked as though Thomas had his maiden stage victory on this year's Tour, which would have marked a second successive win for British participants following Simon Yates' triumph in Stage 12 on Thursday.

De Gendt clinched the fastest time after beating then-leader Kasper Asgreen, ascending the more significant inclines of Ceriset and Cote d'Esquillot without much hassle.

LeTourData illustrated how it was De Gendt's strength over the climbs that took him to the top of the leaderboard:

Rigoberto Uran came close to knocking De Gendt off his perch, and the Belgian watched with intent as the EF Education-First rider came within 0.28 seconds of his time late in the session.

Thomas finally succeeded in beating De Gendt's time and obliterated his score, though third place on the podium was still a reasonable result for the Stage 8 victor.

Stage 10 winner Wout van Aert was involved in a horrible crash with 1.2 kilometres left to go in his outing, thudding into a set of barriers on a bend.

NBCSN reported the Belgian national champion was forced to pull out of the Tour as a result of his injuries:

The mountain stages resume on Saturday as the Tour begins in Tarbes and winds south to Tourmalet Bareges, with Alaphilippe's status as wearer of the yellow jersey set to be challenged again.

Julian Alaphilippe continues to lead the general classification of the Tour de France, with the race heading into Stage 13 on Friday.

An individual 27.2-kilometre time trial awaits the riders in Pau, France, before the major mountain stages commence.

Simon Yates won Stage 12 on Thursday for his first-ever Tour stage, and the Mitchelton-Scott rider now has stage wins in all three Grand Tours—the Giro D'Italia, Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana.

Alaphilippe leads defending champion Geraint Thomas by one minute and 12 seconds, with the Team Ineos star second overall. Peter Sagan continues in the green jersey at the top of the sprint points classification.

Date: Friday, July 19

Time: 2 p.m. local, 1 p.m. BST, 8 a.m. ET

Route: Pau TT (27.2 kilometres)

TV: Eurosport, ITV (UK), NBC (U.S.)

Stream: Eurosport (via Sky Go), ITV Hub, NBC Sports

Preview

Alaphilippe's extended run with the maillot jaune on his back has caught many by surprise, but he could be under threat in today's time trial.

Thomas is one of the favourites to win the stage and will be looking to cut into Alaphilippe's lead before the action reaches the dramatic gradients of the Pyrenees.

Cycling journalist Will Newton provided profile information about the next stage:

Team Jumbo-Visma claimed victory in the team time trial on Stage 2. Wout van Aert was a part of that group, and he is the clear betting favourite to win the the individual time trial, per Oddschecker.

Thomas is well aware that Van Aert will be tough competition, per CyclingNews.com: "I'll go all out and see where that puts me. It would be great to win the stage, but Wout van Aert is my favourite."

Alaphilippe will go out last during the TT, with the race leader aware he will have to be at his best to retain his position:

Oddsmakers still expect him to be surpassed for the overall lead eventually, with Oddschecker listing Thomas as the favourite to retain his crown, followed by team-mate Egan Bernal and Nairo Quintana of Movistar.

The latter duo will be expected to do their damage in the mountains, though, leaving Thomas as the main general classification threat to Alaphilippe on Stage 13.

The Welshman finished third in last year's individual time trial, in which Alaphilippe finished three minutes and 23 seconds behind in 58th. This year's leader has had some recent time trial success, however, winning against the clock over 12 kilometres at the Vuelta a San Juan in January.

The battle for the yellow jersey at the 2019 Tour de France between Julian Alaphilippe and Geraint Thomas continues when the race enters its 12th stage on Thursday.

Alaphilippe remains atop the general classification, with defending champion Thomas behind by a minute and 12 seconds. The leader will face tough challenges during a stage more comfortable for the natural climbers in the race.

Things will begin in Toulouse and end at Bagneres-de-Bigorre via a trip through the Pyrenees. Meanwhile, true sprinters may have little left for the downhill finish.

Date: Thursday, July 18

Time: 11.50 a.m. local, 10.50 a.m. BST, 5.50 a.m. ET

Route: Toulouse to Bangeres-de-Bigorre, France (209.5 kilometres)

TV: Eurosport 1, ITV 4, NBC

Stream: Eurosport Player, ITV Hub, NBC Sports

Being in the mountains can be one of the great levellers during the tour. It's a chance for the skilled climbers to position themselves for a strong and swift finish.

Saving energy for the climbs means not many riders are likely to chance attacking the over 120 kilometres of mostly flat roads before the first mountain. Instead, the likes of Thibaut Pinot and Adam Yates can apply pressure on those leading the way in the GC.

Among the leaders, Team Ineos duo Thomas and Egan Bernal, who is a mere four seconds behind the champion, are looking like the riders to beat ultimately. They are second and third, respectively, and have looked strong in recent stages.

A more cautious brand of riding may not suit Ineos, and it could also be the moment when Alaphilippe loses his footing at the top of the standings. Alaphilippe has been bold when the opportunities have been there to attack.

He may be less daunted than others by a tough climb, though, after acquitting himself well during Stage 6. Alaphilippe finished sixth and handled the summit finish at Planche des Belles Filles competently.

Dylan Teuns and Giulio Ciccone duked it out to win Stage 6, with the former eventually crossing the line first. They may look to make their moves over the Pyrenees, while Movistar's Nairo Quintana can never be discounted on such a steep stage, along with Lotto Soudal pair Tim Wellens and Thomas De Gendt.

Caleb Ewan won a dramatic sprint finish on Wednesday during Stage 11 of the Tour de France.

The Australian pipped Dylan Groenewegen on the line, with several riders fighting for victory.

Elia Viviani and Peter Sagan were close to the front, but the Lotto Soudal racer prevailed in Toulouse.

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey, with reigning champion Geraint Thomas second by one minute and 12 seconds.

Stage 11 Result

1. Caleb Ewan, Lotto Soudal

2. Dylan Groenewegen, Team Jumbo-Visma

3. Elia Viviani, Deceuninck-QuickStep

4. Peter Sagan, Bora-Hansgrohe

5. Jens Debusschere, Team Katusha Alpecin

6. Sonny Colbrelli, Bahrain-Merida

7. Jasper Philipsen, UAE Team Emirates

8. Cees Bol, Team Sunweb

9. Alexander Kristoff, UAE Team Emirates

10. Warren Barguil, Team Arkea Samsic

General Classifications

1. Julian Alaphilippe, Deceuninck-QuickStep, 47 hours, 18 minutes, 41 seconds 

2. Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos, +0:01:12 

3. Egan Bernal, Team Ineos, +0:01:16 

4. Steven Kruijswijk, Team Jumbo-Visma, +0:01:27 

5. Emanuel Buchmann, Bora-Hansgrohe, +0:01:45 

6. Enric Mas, Deceuninck-QuickStep, +0:01:46 

7. Adam Yates, Mitchelton-Scott, +0:01:47 

8. Nairo Quintana, Movistar Team, +0:02:04 

9. Daniel Martin, UAE Team Emirates, +0:02:09 

10. Thibaut Pinot, Groupama-FDJ, +0:02:33

The full results are available from the Tour de France's official website.

The 167-kilometre ride offered sprinters the chance of gaining vital seconds in the battle for the green jersey. The GC contenders hustled for position, but the shorter stage offered a breather for many in the peloton.

Lotto Soudal positioned themselves with 15 kilometres to go, and Team Sunweb, Deceuninck-QuickStep and Jumbo-Visma followed suit. The descent towards the finish line was expected to be fast, and the sprinters did not disappoint.

The stage contenders carved out a 20-second lead and made sure they were organised before the finishing line was in sight.

Groenewegen was the first man to attack in the final kilometre, but the front-runners were already producing an incredible pace. Ewan stuck close to the Dutchman, and his timing was perfect for the last push.

The pair rode shoulder to shoulder, but the Aussie had the momentum to nudge ahead of the Jumbo sprinter.

Per Daniel Benson of CyclingNews.com, Ewan spoke about his delight at winning the first Tour stage of his career:

"To be honest I can't believe it. I've been close in the last four sprints I've done, and my team never lost faith in me. I never lost faith in my sprint. I knew if everything came together then I can be the fastest on the day, and I think today I showed that.

"I think with about 10km to go I got caught behind my teammate Jasper who crashed, and I was really at the back of the bunch. Roger [Kluge] came back for me, and he basically took me from the back of the bunch to Groenewegen's wheel in the last few kilometres. Once I had a bit of time to recover, luckily I had the legs to be able to win.

"There's no other race I've dreamt of winning since I was a young kid. I can't believe it. The Tour de France is something so distant from Australia, something we only watched on TV. I can't believe I'm even here, and to win a stage is a real dream come true for me."

As expected, there was little movement in the GC, and Alaphilippe continues with the maillot jaune. However, with the six mountain stages to come, the Frenchman will struggle to maintain his lead, with the climbers set to dominate over the puncheurs. Alaphilippe should be rapid over the descents but will feel the strain going uphill.

The 2019 Tour de France peloton will enjoy a final warm-up stage on Wednesday before tackling the Pyrenees for four days of climbing and time-trialing.

Coming out of Tuesday's rest day, race organisers have opted not to send the riders straight into the high mountains. Instead, Stage 11 will take the peloton from Albi to Toulouse on 167 kilometers of mostly flat roads. There will be two minor categorised climbs ahead of an expected bunch sprint for the stage win.

Here is a look at the stage profile and route:

British viewers can tune in via Eurosport and ITV. NBC Sports will have full coverage for American cycling fans.

Monday proved to be a reminder even transitional stages can serve up surprises, as crosswinds and resulting splits led to massive cracks in the peloton.

Top contenders for the yellow jersey such as Thibaut Pinot, Richie Porte, Rigoberto Uran and Jakob Fuglsang all lost more than 90 seconds on their main rivals.

Here are the stage highlights:

The same could happen again on Wednesday, but a bunch sprint is far more likely. Team INEOS' hard work was directly responsible for Monday's mayhem, and this time, their rivals will be ready for it.

Stage 11 should follow a familiar pattern, with a small break taking a big lead in the first half of the stage before they're chased down in the final 25 kilometers. The sprinters will not have many chances to earn points in the remaining stages, and their teams will do whatever they can to ensure another mass sprint in Toulouse.

INEOS and the other teams battling for the yellow jersey will want to conserve as much energy as possible. After Wednesday's ride to Toulouse, La Grande Boucle will head into the Pyrenees for four days, tackling some of the most iconic climbs in the massif.

The only individual time trial of this year's race will take place on Friday, and the peloton will have to conquer the mighty Col du Tourmalet on Saturday. Sunday's stage will feature three first-category climbs, including the final ascent up the Prat d'Albis.

The first 10 stages of the 2019 Tour de France are in the books, and after a dramatic start, the peloton will now gear up for the high mountains of the Pyrenees and Alps that will decide this year's winner.

Julian Alaphilippe leads the general classification after 10 stages, but Team Ineos are in the driver's seat after the drama of Monday's ride to Albi. Here is a look at the current overall standings:

Here is the route info for the remaining stages. A full breakdown can be found on the Tour's official website.

Eurosport and ITV will provide full coverage of each stage for British viewers. American viewers can tune into NBC Sports.

The first 10 stages of La Grande Boucle have already served up a ton of drama, per The Inner Ring:

Monday's stage was perhaps the most dramatic yet, as severe crosswinds in the final 65 kilometres allowed Team Ineos to complete an ambitious move.

Several top contenders for the yellow jersey found themselves caught in the echelons, leaving Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal to steal a march on the likes of Thibaut Pinot, Richie Porte, Rigoberto Uran and Jakob Fuglsang.

Here are the stage highlights:

Those who got caught out by Ineos' intelligent racing will have to use the coming stages to claw back time. After a transitional stage to Toulouse on Wednesday, the race will spend four days in the Pyrenees, with three mountain stages and an individual time trial.

Saturday's stage stands out. The peloton will face the iconic Col du Tourmalet, one of the most feared climbs in France:

There will be just five stages between Tuesday's rest day and the second rest day in Nimes on Monday. They will make up some of the toughest and potentially most decisive stages of the race, however, especially now that multiple contenders will be forced to race hard to make up time.

Deceuninck-QuickStep's Julian Alaphilippe leads the general classification of the 2019 Tour de France ahead of Giulio Ciccone and Thibaut Pinot after nine of the 21 stages.

South Africa's Daryl Impey won Sunday's Stage 9 on Bastille Day on the run from Saint-Etienne to Brioude to secure his first stage win at the Tour de France.

Yet Alaphilippe retains the yellow jersey and is one minute and 12 seconds ahead of defending champion Geraint Thomas in fifth.

Latest General Classification

1. Julian Alaphilippe, Deceuninck-QuickStep: 38 hours, 37 minutes, 36 seconds

2. Giulio Ciccone, Trek-Segafredo: 0:00:23

3. Thibaut Pinot, Groupama-FDJ: 0:00:53

4. George Bennett, Team Jumbo-Visma: 0:01:10

5. Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos: 0:01:12

The full results are available from the Tour de France's official website.

The riders return to action on Monday, racing from Saint-Flour to Albi in the final stage before Tuesday's rest day.

Here is a look at the full 2019 Tour de France route:

Coverage of the remaining stages will be provided by Eurosport and ITV for viewers in the United Kingdom, while in the United States coverage is available on NBC Sports. 

Full details of all the stages are available from the official Tour de France website.

Stage 9 saw little action between the favourites for the general classification, allowing Impey to claim an emotional victory:

The race was also marred by a serious crash involving Alessandro De Marchi. The Italian was stretchered away and his team later offered an update on his condition:

While the peloton were happy to let the breakaway battle it out for victory on Sunday, it is unlikely we will see a repeat on Monday as the sprinters know this is an opportunity to grab victory.

Stage 10 sees the riders travel 217.5 kilometres over an undulating route that features four categorised climbs.

The finish is a straightforward run-in on the narrow roads heading into Albi and looks setup for a bunch sprint to decide the winner in what could be a frantic finish before a deserved rest day.

Daryl Impey won Sunday's Stage 9 of the 2019 Tour de France, finishing off a long break on Bastille Day.

The South African was the strongest man in the breakaway, beating Tiesj Benoot to the line. The favourites for the general classification took the day off, with little action of note in the peloton. Julian Alaphilippe retained the yellow jersey.

Here are the results from Sunday's stage:

The profile of Sunday's stage promised fireworks, as short, steep climbs and tricky descents were likely to splinter the bunch ahead of the finish line in Brioude. The French riders were expected to be very involved, as Bastille Day tends to bring out the best in them.

The stage started on a sour note. Alessandro De Marchi was involved in a heavy crash early. The Italian was one of the main protagonists of Saturday's stage, but he was forced to abandon the race Sunday.

His team, CCC, provided an update on his condition:

At the front of the race, a large breakaway group formed ahead of the first climb, including the likes of Jasper Stuyven, Anthony Delaplace, Marc Soler, Nicholas Roche and Edvald Boasson Hagen. Their lead quickly grew, as did the chances of the stage winner being in the break.

Before long, their lead went over 10 minutes, and with no one in the group posing a threat to the general classification, the peloton allowed them to battle it out for the win.

Team Ineos' official Twitter account acknowledged the peloton would not take the headlines Sunday:

Lukas Postlberger tried his luck with an ambitious solo effort, breaking apart the chase group with some excellent riding before the final climb. Soler was dropped on the final climb, and three leaders eventually emerged.

Roche, Benoot and Impey had a narrow lead over the group containing Soler with 10 kilometers left. Roche cracked under pressure, and Benoot could not make a late move stick, instead losing out to Impey in the dash for the win.

In the race for the general classification, Romain Bardet tried to gain an advantage on the final climb, but he was reeled in. All of the favourites remained put the rest of the way.

Monday's Stage 10 will be the final stage before the rest day. The four categorised climbs could aid a breakaway, although the sprint teams will do what they can to bring the pack together ahead of the finish line in Albi. A bunch sprint seems likely, giving the top contenders for the points jersey another chance to shine.

Julian Alaphilippe will wear the yellow jersey during Stage 9 of the 2019 Tour de France on Sunday.

The Frenchman will proudly lead the general classification at the start of Bastille Day.

Racing will begin in Saint-Etienne and finish at Brioude after 170.5 kilometres of hill climbing and rapid descents.

Alaphilippe has been perfectly suited to the opening of this year's Tour, and his maverick style will once again make him a threat during the latest stage. The puncheur has executed the tactics needed to stay one step ahead of his opposition, gaining speed through well-timed bursts of aggression.

Date: Sunday, July 14

Time: 11.05 a.m. local, 10.05 a.m. BST, 5.05 a.m. ET

Route: Saint-Etienne to Brioude

TV: Eurosport, ITV (UK), NBC (U.S.)

Stream: Eurosport (via Sky Go), Eurosport Player, ITV Hub, NBC Sports

Latest General Classifications

1. Julian Alaphilippe, Deceuninck-QuickStep: 34 hours,17 minutes, 59 seconds

2. Giulio Ciccone, Trek-Segafredo: 0:00:23

3. Thibaut Pinot, Groupama-FDJ: 0:00:53

4. George Bennett, Team Jumbo-Visma: 0:01:10

5. Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos: 0:01:12

6. Egan Bernal, Team Ineos: 0:01:16

7. Steven Kruijswijk, Team Jumbo-Visma: 0:01:27

8. Rigoberto Uran, EF Education First: 0:01:38

9. Jakob Fuglsang, Astana Pro Team: 0:01:42

10. Emanuel Buchmann, Bora-Hansgrohe: 0:01:45

Full times and stage information are available from the Tour de France's official website.

Preview

Alaphilippe has stole the headlines in France, but it might be difficult for the race leader to maintain his status as the maillot jaune.

The Deceuninck-QuickStep rider was clever during Stage 8, aiming a late attack at eventual stage winner Thomas De Gendt that made him the GC leader on Saturday night.

However, with each passing stage, the hills turn into mountains, and Alaphilippe traditionally does not possess the climbing stamina needed to prevail.

Stage 9, though, is perfect for the French racer's skill set. The true mountain climbing begins in Stage 12, and Alaphilippe will want to build up a significant GC lead before the Tour reaches Toulouse.

Cycling journalist Will Newton tweeted about Sunday's racing:

Eyes will be on champion Geraint Thomas after a fall during Stage 8. Team Ineos collectively made a mess of a corner, bringing down the Welshman in a crash. Thomas was forced to ditch his bike for a replacement, putting in an excellent ride thereafter to finish 10th.

Thomas is one minute, 12 seconds off the GC lead. He will want to have cut the deficit when he crosses the finish line in Brioude. A solid ride will keep him on course to retain his title, but Saturday's fall showed how easy it is to lose vital seconds at the world's most famous cycling event.

Thibaut Pinot was excellent during Stage 8 and stuck with Alaphilippe until the final attack of the day. The 29-year-old has threatened to be one of the surprise contenders in his homeland, and his second-placed finish on Saturday moved him up to third in the GC.

Pinot trails Alaphilippe by 53 seconds overall, but the Groupama-FDJ rider is a world-class climber. The six gruelling mountain stages to follow will be ideal for Pinot Noir, so he will hope to still be in contention once the mountains become the primary challenge for the peloton.