LAST UPDATE | 26 Jul 2019
TODAY’S STAGE OF the Tour de France has been dramatically abandoned after a sudden hailstorm forced organisers to neutralise the race mid-stage on safety grounds.
It means Egan Bernal of Team Ineo has taken the yellow jersey from home favourite Julian Alaphilippe in dramatic circumstances.
Bernal was leading atop the Col de l’Iseran when the race was called off, but although there is no stage winner, the times of the riders when the race was abandoned will still count, making Bernal the new overall leader.
Bernal attacked on the penultimate climb, and crossed the summit first with his team-mate and defending champion Geraint Thomas and title rival Steven Kruijswijk trailing around a minute behind. Overnight leader Alaphilippe was a further minute adrift.
As the riders started the descent, race organisers ended the stage with the road ahead buried in hail.
After the drama of Friday, Alaphilippe immediately ruled out any chance of wearing the yellow jersey when the race ends in Paris on Sunday.
“I don’t think it is possible, I have been beaten by something that is stronger than me, that’s how it is,” he told France 2.
Alaphilippe wore the yellow jersey for 14 days, carrying the hopes of the public who are so eager to see a French winner for the first time since Bernard Hinault in 1985 and defying the pundits who felt he would wilt in the Pyrenees.
Incredible scenes! 😱
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 26, 2019
Stage 19 has been CANCELLED due to extreme weather conditions meaning times will be taken from the top of Iseran 🌨
Bernal wins the stage and is the new yellow jersey holder! 💛#TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/m2ZiIqzfj2
In the end, it took a bold break from Bernal of Team Ineos to take it off his back.
“I expected it,” said Alaphilippe who is now 45 seconds off the lead. “I gave the maximum. I have no regrets.”
“It was a dream to wear it, I carried this dream longer than I had hoped and I beat myself up every day to keep a hold of it.
“From the moment I took hold of the yellow jersey I dreamed but I never thought I could win the Tour.”
Bernal was leading the stage when it was stopped on the descent of L’Iseran.
Times for the stage were taken at the top of L’Iseran at which point the Colombian was over two minutes ahead of Alaphilippe on the stage.
The 22-year-old now looks the favourite to come through Saturday’s stage 20 and claim his first Tour win.
⛈ Stage unridable, more details to follow...#TDF2019 🎥 @Arkea_Samsic pic.twitter.com/cxUC3hEZDO
— Le Tour de France UK (@letour_uk) July 26, 2019
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Harsh for Alaphilippe, but not sure he would have got back to Bernal and Yeats on the final climb. But who knows.
It will be some stage tomorrow. Can’t wait.
@Ardmore02: he probably would have lost even more time and his place on the podium
@IrishSportives.ie: I think you are right on this. He was blowing on the second to last climb.
@IrishSportives.ie: he wouldn’t have I reckon he would have got most of it back as he’s a downhill specialist and proved that on Thursday
@Ardmore02: he’s the fastest descent(er) by far, might have got 10-20 secs
@Michael Jerseys: he was indeed pulling time back on the descent but would almost certainly have lost some of it again on the final climb, but sure we’ll never know now.
@James Wallace: he had only pulled back 6-8 seconds before the race was called, so even if he did pull back, let’s say a further 30 seconds on the decent, he was by himself, isolated, would have had to ride in the valley on the flat on his own and then climb the last by himself, as the Thomas group was not gonna wait for jinx
He was going to lose a lot more time for sure. All going well tonight he should keep a podium place. It would be cruel if he didn’t. He had a great tour
A day of drama
@Michael Jerseys: who watches this s*it
@talksense: maybe you should take a leaf out of you’re name and try to…
@talksense: over 2 billion people watch it over the course of three weeks.
There was a landslide too!
Is this giving anyone a climate change orgasm?
@Neville Bartos: how ? In the alps there precipitation all the time ? Not climate change
@bill2345: apologies I didn’t realise the Alps were outside of the climate emergency
@Neville Bartos: yes because hailstones in cold places is classed as an emergency
First Penot drops out then a hail shower ends the stage
@Michael Jerseys: I was gutted for Pinot, I thought he could have won it
@IrishSportives.ie: most people watching it were the same methinks.
Summer hot weather hail storm, nothing to do with global warming
@Mike Rugby Nuts: As it gets warmer the hot air absorbs more moisture in it as travels faster and further up into the atmosphere, meaning more and more extreme weather but try telling Trump…
Silly decision to finish the stage at the top. The stage should have been cancelled, not some of it. The Tour is made up of units called stages. You either have a complete stage or none.
@Paul A Whelan: stages have been curtailed and changed before in this race and others. Its withinvthd rules to do so
@James Wallace: yes, this has been done, but that does say its correct. Silly decision. I have watched this race every stage this year but lost interest after yesterdays decisions. I will not watch today, Saturday, or tomorrow in Paris.
@Paul A Whelan: it was disappointing yesterday but it’s made for even more drama today as the stage has been drastically shortened. I will watch all the way to the end, it’s the best Tour in years, albeit spoiled a bit by yesterday. But you couldn’t ask for any more drama!!!
@James Wallace: agree. Brilliant Tour.