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

Live Reporting

Jack Skelton

  1. Not exactly sure what Alexey Lutsenko is going for here.

    You'd assume he's working for Astana team leader Fabio Aru, who is 53 seconds behind Chris Froome.

    But he's pushing on full gas despite the gap coming down all the time - surely he won't have anything left to help Aru out later.

    So stage win instead? Hmm. More likely the winning move could come from the group behind - Steve Cummings is perhaps working for team-mate Serge Pauwels to bring the leaders back.

    Lutsenko's drive has distanced Hardy at least so now it's just the Kazakh and Nicolas Edet out front.

  2. Feeding time

    Rob Hayles
    Former GB cyclist at the Tour de France

    You try to stock up now up because when you get onto the final climb there's no real opportunity to take on more food.

  3. 20km to go

    Edet, Hardy and Lutsenko still out front by themselves with an advantage of 15 seconds over a counter-attacking group of seven.

    Britain's Steve Cummings is driving the remaining large group from the early break behind.

    The yellow jersey group are now under five minutes behind the leading trio.

  4. AG2R still on the front for Romain Bardet, who has five team-mates around him.

    They have all of 40 minutes or so until the expected finish to rip this race apart.

  5. 23km to go

    Indeed, Alexey Lutsenko, Nicolas Edet and Romain Hardy have now attacked off the front and have a gap of 10 seconds.

  6. The octet is now a 10-rider group as Rudy Molard and Diego Ulissi make contact.

    They were working well as a foursome but it's looking increasingly ragged up there and previously lone attacker Tony Gallopin is livid, gesticulating at anyone and everyone.

  7. The Izoard awaits

    So just over 10km for the front group until they hit the lower slopes of the 'hors categorie' Col d'Izoard.

    Why is this climb worth getting excited about?

    Well let our BeSpoke team out at the Tour tell you...

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  8. 27km to go

    The leading quartet has become an octet.

    Nicolas Edet, Daniel Navarro, Tsgabu Grmay and Romain Hardy have joined Tony Gallopin, Romain Sicard, Alexey Lutsenko and Darwin Atapuma.

    Are they strong enough to go the distance?

  9. 30km to go

    Four riders 5'50'' ahead of peloton

    Gallopin, Lutsenko, Atapuma and Sicard are still out front as they enter the final 30km of this stage - 14.1km of which is the climb of the Izoard.

    The peloton are 5'50'' behind. No alarms and no surprises for Chris Froome and Team Sky yet.

    Do AG2R have enough time to bring them down?

    Romain Bardet's team have now taken responsibility for this race, still on the front of the peloton.

  10. Rain in the air?

    Rob Hayles
    Former GB cyclist at the Tour de France

    There are a few spots of rain appearing on the camera lens following the four leaders. This day will be difficult enough for the riders without wet roads.

    PelotonReuters

  11. The peloton continue to sweep up riders who were in that massive group of 54 early on.

    Still 26 riders or so somewhere in between the front four and the peloton. The gap now down under six minutes.

  12. Lutsenko, Atapuma and Sicard are back with Gallopin on the front.

  13. AG2R to attack on the descent?

    Rob Hayles
    Former GB cyclist at the Tour de France

    Should we be looking out for an AG2R attack on this descent?

    It would be a great plan for Bardet to attack on the descent, but for him to actually make it stick would be quite an ask.

  14. Top 10 on GC

    A reminder of where things stand on the general classification at the start of the day...

    1. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 73hrs 27mins 26secs
    2. Rigoberto Uran (Col/Cannondale-Drapac) +27secs
    3. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) Same time
    4. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +53secs
    5. Mikel Landa (Spa/Team Sky) +1min 24secs
    6. Daniel Martin (Ire/Quick-Step Floors) +2mins 37secs
    7. Simon Yates (GB/Orica-Scott) +4mins 07secs
    8. Louis Meintjes (SA/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 35secs
    9. Alberto Contador (Spa/Trek-Segafredo) +7mins 45secs
    10. Warren Barguil (Fra/Team Sunweb) +8mins 52secs

    Froome's rivals now have just this descent and the climb of the Col d'Izoard to rip the yellow jersey away from him.

  15. AG2R have a big bonus in the shape of Belgian champion Oliver Naesen drilling it on the front of the peloton.

    Don't reckon they'd have been counting on him to make it over that category one climb but his engine can put the peloton into some serious hurt in this run to the start of the Izoard.

    The gap to Gallopin is down to around six minutes.

    The packAFP

  16. 41km to go

    Tony Gallopin has left Sicard, Lutsenko and Atapuma behind on the descent.

    The Frenchman is trying to go solo to the finish. Brave boy.

  17. So AG2R don't launch an attack on the slopes of the Col de Vars as the race is all together over the top.

    Will the French team gun it on the descent now?

  18. So Sicard, Lutsenko, Atapuma and Gallopin have maintained their gap and are speeding down the descent.

    Meanwhile, Chris Froome is handing out lunch to all his domestiques, clearly unruffled by the fact that AG2R have put five riders on the front.

    You wouldn't want to get caught out by an attack with your hand in a musette.

  19. Old school

    Simon Brotherton
    Radio 5 live at the Tour de France

    Riders shoving newspapers down the front of their jersey to keep them warm on the descent. Very old school!

  20. The front group are on to the descent of the Col de Vars.

    The AG2R-led peloton still climbing on the other side, 6'35'' behind.