Atapuma catches Lutsenkopublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Atapuma has bridge to Lutsenko.
Expect the Colombian climber to go again.
Summary
Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra (online only)
Stage 18 ends in summit finish on Col d'Izoard
A 179.5 km route from Briancon to Izoard
Decisive day in battle for yellow jersey
Can GB's Froome retain lead over rivals?
Lone leader Barguil going for stage win
Atapuma catches Lutsenkopublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Postpublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Rigoberto Uran and Fabio Aru are still in the elite group.
Froome loses the first of his team-mate as Sergio Henao slips back.
Ah, here we go. AG2R's tactics perhaps making more sense as they bridge to Jan Bakelants, who was in the early break.
Time for Bardet to go...
7km to gopublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Lutsenko is right on the steep stuff - Atapuma is closing rapidly now.
Postpublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Well said, Rob. Still two lieutenants with Romain Bardet but Chris Froome has four...
Including Michal Kwiatkowski - another imperious ride by the Pole.
AG2R don't seem to have enough raw power to splinter this elite group.
Image source, AFPAG2R's tacticspublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist at the Tour de FranceThey're trying to weaken the riders behind, but they have done an awful lot of work and they're running out of time.
Image source, AFP8km to gopublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Lutsenko is getting close to the steepest part of this climb, looking committed to going the distance.
Atapuma is now solo behind - 30 seconds down.
Atapuma attackspublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Colombia's Darwin Atapuma fancies this stage.
The Team UAE Emirates climber puts in a dig - Tony Gallopin and Daniel Navarro follow for now as they hunt down Alexey Lutsenko.
9km to gopublished at 16:08 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Lutsenko's advantage is holding for now - but he has yet to reach the toughest section of the Izoard.
No movement in the yellow jersey group. Yet.
Image source, AFP10km to gopublished at 16:06 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
So our lone leader Alexey Lutsenko has 10km to the summit of the Izoard.
He leads a chasing group of three by 45 seconds and the yellow jersey group by 3'30'' - enough to hold on on these punishing slopes?
Postpublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
A nice moment as Thomas de Gendt shakes hands with Warren Barguil, who has wrapped up the king of the mountains classification today, with not enough points remaining for his rivals, including De Gendt, to catch him.
11km to gopublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Gallopin has recovered and is there with Atapuma and Navarro, around 40 seconds behind Lutsenko.
AG2R working hardpublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Simon Brotherton
Radio 5 live at the Tour de FranceThey are doing the work on the front that Sky have been doing for the last few years.
Postpublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
AG2R really have to launch something special for Bardet soon - they're effectively towing Team Sky up the lower slopes of the Izoard otherwise.
12km to gopublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Cyril Gautier now dropped. So one fewer team-mate for both Bardet and Froome now.
Up ahead Atapuma and Navarro have gone off in pursuit of Lutsenko.
Postpublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Team Sky's Vasil Kiryienka has popped as AG2R continue to drive the peloton.
The final climbpublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Here we go - the yellow jersey group reach the lower slopes of the Col d'Izoard.
This is it. Chris Froome's rivals have just 14.1km at 7.3% average gradient to tear the yellow jersey away from the Team Sky leader, who looks unruffled so far.
It's now or never.
Image source, AFPEverything is setpublished at 15:56 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Simon Brotherton
Radio 5 live at the Tour de FranceThe weather's playing ball - the clouds are high and there's a bit of blue mixed in. Everything is set for this much-hyped final climb.
On to the Izoardpublished at 15:56 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
Daniel Navarro and Darwin Atapuma have attacked from the bigger group behind Lutsenko and Edet.
The leader on the road is onto the Izoard but I think will be caught soon.
Maybe he will find something to help Fabio Aru when the yellow jersey group - who are about four minutes behind - catch up to him. Can't see it.
Lutsenko attackspublished at 15:53 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
15km to go
Alexey Lutsenko is not working for Fabio Aru at all.
The Astana rider has attacked and left Nicolas Edet behind.
He's all out for the stage win but I don't think he has enough of a gap to hold off all the groups behind him as he nears the Izoard.
Postpublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 20 July 2017
It's frankly been a bit of a stalemate so far today in the overall battle.
Some fireworks on the Izoard please.
The front groups are almost there.
Stay tuned.
Image source, AFP