Stage 18: Pau to Hautacam, 145.5km. High Mountains.
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| Nibali attacks on the lower slopes of Hautacam |
Merckx ended up with eight stage victories that year including two time-trials and while that won't happen with Nibali the fact his victory today achieved something last seen 40 years ago only highlights how brilliant he has been in this years Tour.
Merckx beat Poulidor by a dominant 8 minutes, 4 seconds in '74 and today Nibali's stunning ride to win solo a-top Hautacam by a minute and ten seconds from Thibaut Pinot means he now carries a staggering 7 minutes, 10 seconds lead over the young Frenchman into the final two flat stages and individual time-trial.
It's set to become the largest winning margin (assuming you overlook Lance Armstrong's 7 minutes, 17 second victory over Joseba Beloki in 2002), since Jan Ullrich beat Richard Virenque by 9 minutes, 9 seconds in 1997, also the last time a Frenchman finished on the podium.
Baring an absolute disaster, Nibali is set to win this Tour and completing the triple crown of winning the Tour, Giro and Vuelta, joining just five men (Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault and Alberto Contador) to have done it. It will be the 9th top 10 finish in a Grand Tour for Nibali and at 29 years of age you figure it won't be the last.
But the celebration for those kinds of records can wait until Sunday for today it was all about ramming home the final nail into the coffin of everyone else's hopes with an attack on the lower slopes of Hautacam and a solo time-trial to the top. When Chris Horner, the man who beat Nibali to last years Vuelta crown by a handful of seconds, made his bid for a stage victory, Nibali jumped onto his wheel and eventually away from the aging American.
He hunted down the loan man still in the lead of the stage, Mikel Nieve of Sky, the team who would once again be denied a stage victory in a tour to forget for the British team, and ploughed on alone. Rafal Majka was forced to react because not only was Nibali ramming home his dominance in these mountain stages with another stage win and cementing his Tour success, he was also bidding to become the first man since Merckx, again, this time in 1970, to win the King of the Mountains title and the Yellow jersey title in the same year. Majka only needed to finish sixth and so relented in his pursuit once it became clear he wasn't going to catch Nibali and settled for third on the day behind Pinot who not only finished second but moved into second overall.
It was a big day for the French as not only did Alejandro Valverde squander his second place overall but he slipped off the podium with a bad final day in the high mountains. These Pyranees have proved to be a ridge too far for the Spaniard, despite their close proximity to his homeland, and the plucky French have worked him over.
After years of watching the Spanish soar ahead of their own to success in this race, the French will feel satisfied tonight. They wait 17 years for a Frenchman to finish on the podium again and it looks as though two may come along at once. Peraud is the other, the 36 year old former mountain biker turned roadie in only 2010 has seized the moment and given his time-trial ability may not be done with his rise up the standings.
A mere 15 seconds separate Pinot in second and Valverde in fourth with Peraud in the middle two seconds ahead of Valverde and it'll all come down to this 54 kilometre time-trial to officially sort them out. Peraud will likely be the favorite to take time on the other two, but how much remains to be seen. It'll be a real battle between Pinot and Valverde to grab that podium position and that drive may allow them to limit any potential loses.
One man who doesn't have to worry is Nibali though given the way he has rode this Tour from his victory on the rolling roads of England on stage 2, to his superb ride on the cobbles of stage 5, to his win in the medium mountains of the Vogues, to a solo win in the high Alps and another today in the high Pyrenees without putting a single foot wrong it has been one of the finest individual performances at the Tour in recent memory.
Part of me cannot help but think the loss of Froome and Contador has brought out this desire within him to show that he belongs where he is; that he has won this Tour de France regardless of whether they had been here or not. It's worth remembering that Nibali had a 2 minutes, 34 seconds lead on Contador the day he crashed out with all the mountains to come, and given the way he has continually attacked and never once looked in trouble, it's hard to see where he would have lost any of that time never mind some of it.
Nibali has shown himself to be a worthy champion the entire way around this three week race, aggressive yet classy; steeped in panache, and all he need do now is navigate his way safely into Paris in three days time to confirm it.
Result:
1. Nibali (AST) in 4h4'17"
2. Pinot (FDJ) +1'10"
3. Majka (TCS) +1'12"
4. Peraud (ALM) +1'15"
5. Van Garderen (BMC) s.t.
6. Bardet (ALM) +1'53"
Others:
10. Valverde (MOV) +1'59"
Overall:
1. Nibali (AST) in 80h45'45"
2. Pinot (FDJ) +7'10"
3. Peraud (ALM) +7'23"
4. Valverde (MOV) +7'25"
5. Bardet (ALM) +9'27"
6. Van Garderen (BMC) +11'34"
