Stage 18: Gap > Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 186.5km
Romain Bardet finished last years Tour in 6th place and as a result the pressure was heaped on him to go one better and crack the top five in 2015. It's been a mixed Tour for the Frenchman, but it must be remembered that he is only 24 years old and still learning his trade. Today however we seen the best of his potential, not just as a fine climber, but as a fearsome descender. For all the praise heaped on Peter Sagan's ability to go downhill, Bardet is mightily impressive too and it was both his climbing and descending skills that came to the fore today as he rode 40km alone to take the first stage win of his career. Safe to say it won't be his last.
The springboard for Bardet's victory came from a large breakaway group and on the col du Glandon. He attacked near the top, perhaps aware of the time he could then put into the pack on the descent, and never looked back. Jakob Fuglsang had attempted to go with the move but was struck by a motorbike and knocked off, ending his bid for glory.
Bardet led the race over the incredibly scenic Lacets de Montvernier, making its first appearance on the Tour with its 18 hairpin bends in just 3.4km of climbing. A climb that was missed for so many years because race officials thought it to be nothing more than a scenic goat track until now and a climb that was only witnessed by those watching on TV however as no fans were allowed onto it due to its narrow roads and tight turns. To see the crowds we often see on mountain passes on this climb was to understand why it was left barren today. Only small barriers protected the edge of the road from the cliff face and with the road only a little wider than the following team cars, it would have been chaos to stick several thousand fans up there to crowd the riders and then get brushed back by the cars. But it was still magnificent and you can bet that like stage wins for Bardet, we haven't seen the last of the Montvernier either.
Only 10km and the short descent stood between Bardet and victory in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and he wasn't going to be denied. Pierre Rolland launched a late bid to try and close the gap but it was too little too late and Rolland had to settle for second, 33 seconds behind, and a French one-two.
The Yellow jersey group came over the Lacets de Montvernier together, the climb almost too short and too tight with not enough road between hairpins to really shake things up, and Chris Froome retained Yellow. He did look to be struggling a little, and only briefly, as they crested the summit but it was the final climb of the day and there was no way to find out if there was anything to it. At least not until tomorrow when they continue into the high Alps though with only two big mountain stages remaining, time is running out for anyone to catch Froome now.
| Result: | Classement: |
| 1. Bardet (ALM) in 5h 3' 40" 2. Rolland (EUC) +33" 3. Anacona (MOV) +59" 4. Jungels (TFR) 5. Fuglsang (AST) a.s.t. 6. Pauwels (MTN) +1' 1" | 1. Froome (SKY) in 74h 13' 31" 2. Quintana (MOV) +3' 10" 3. Valverde (MOV) +4' 9" 4. Thomas (SKY) +6' 34" 5. Contador (TCS) +6' 40" 6. Gesink (TLJ) +7' 39" 7. Nibali (AST) +8' 4" |
