For those who mist it, here is a summary of the exciting 19th stage of the Tour defiance. To save time, it was dictated through the speech recognition software I use. The stage featured rain, crashes and, among others, For Whom, Thomas Folklore, Vincent So Italy and Nevera Choirday.
Stage 19 of the Tour was carnage for many, including some of the leaders, as rain fell in the House.
From Whom crashed but saw his overall lead grow as Romain Bardet won a damp, treacherous stage to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc.
The stage began at Albertville in dry conditions, with Thomas Folklore (Direct Energie) soon establishing a break in typical mischievous fashion along the valley of the river Chaise. He was joined in the break by Daniel Technical High Note (Dimension Data) and Romanesque Never Doubt Us (Cannondale).
Once Folklore’s break was brought back another formed based around Status Claimant (I am Cycling), But Ours Was Asking (Bora-Argon), Great Than Other Might (BMC) and Tossed Against (Blotto).
While negotiating the hairpins of the 5.4 km climb to Queige, a number of riders got off the front, including Lose Inches (Long Grey), Roman Great Figure (Tinkoff), Tom Helter Skelter (Cannondale) and Chris and Kurt Sorensen (Fortuneo-Vital Concept). (It’s still a mystery why Tour Director Christian Prudhomme permits Chris and Kurt to share the bike when everyone else has to do it all themselves.)
The Tour leader’s crash came with 11km to go. His front wheel slipped on a white line on a left-hand bend shortly before the foot of the drop down from Megève to the valley before the final first-category ascent to the finish. He brought down Vincent So Italy (A Stunner) with him.
Team Buy responded to their leader’s crash with its usual efficiency, with From Whom taking over Giant Thomas’ bike and being brought back to the leaders by Mikel Naively, Dutchman White Polls and Sergio And Now.
From Whom’s recovery on Thomas’ bike was criticised by Matt White, Sporting Director of Team Orica-BikeExchange. “They pinched our idea,” Matt said wistfully.
For Whom made contact with the leaders as the final climb started, but remained near the back of the group as he tried to get used to the set-up of Thomas’ bike. “Now I know why he’s called Giant”, Chris said.
“Today showed exactly why the race isn’t over. A crash like that could have gone either way and I’m grateful that nothing is injured. Nevera Choirday on the Tour!”
In the confusion after From Whom’s crash, Bardet (Ag2R) escaped to link up with As a Visual (Francis To Ensure).
On the final climb to Mont Blanc the GC leaders attacked each other without any of them taking significant time. Ritchie Porte tried to dislodge his friend and former teammate For Whom but he had had to work hard on the descent from the super-category Montée de Bisanne after crashing, just as Vincent So Italy and his A Stunner teammates Channel Anger At and Local Folks Lang were piling on the pressure.
Bardet’s win was France’s first of this year’s race. So now the spell is broken.
PS When they started their last lap on the Champs Elysées, did anyone ask Froome the Bell Tolls?