Summary

  • Geraint Thomas third on stage 20

  • GB's Thomas set to win title in Paris on Sunday

  • Chris Froome moves up to third overall

  • Tom Dumoulin wins stage and maintains second overall

  • Get involved #bbccycling

  1. Postpublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Thomas de Gendt has attacked the course, because the Belgian simply doesn't know how to do anything but attack.

    He cruises over the line just under a minute down on Michael Hepburn's leading time.

    Thomas De GendtImage source, Getty Images
  2. Bespoke at the Tour de Francepublished at 14:01 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Missed a belting stage 19 yesterday?

    While you're waiting for Geraint Thomas to roll down the start ramp, let our Bespoke at the Tour de France podcast get you up to speed (while still reading this live text of course).

    Tom Fordyce, Rob Hayles and Gareth Rhys Owen will be on air with live commentary from around 15:00 BST.

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  3. Sagan finishespublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Peter Sagan cruises over the line 5mins 48secs down on Michael Hepburn's leading time.

    It was all about just getting round unscathed for the injured green jersey today.

    Peter SaganImage source, Gett
  4. Postpublished at 13:56 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    The course did look to be drying after an earlier shower but a few drops of rain are falling again now.

    The GC riders could be battling the conditions when they go off in about an hour and 20 minutes.

  5. Postpublished at 13:52 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Team Sky's Jonathan CastroviejoImage source, Reuters

    Jonathan Castroviejo is zipping towards the finish line...he's going to fall slightly short of the leading time.

    And the Spaniard comes in just under nine seconds down on Michael Hepburn. It's more than good enough for second as it stands though.

  6. Key start timespublished at 13:50 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Jakob Fuglsang - 15:07 BST

    Bob Jungels - 15:09

    Ilnur Zakarin - 15:11

    Nairo Quintana - 15:13

    Dan Martin - 15:15

    Romain Bardet - 15:17

    Mikel Landa - 15:19

    Steven Kruijswijk - 15:21

    Chris Froome - 15:23

    Primoz Roglic - 15:25

    Tom Dumoulin - 15:27

    Geraint Thomas - 15:29

  7. Postpublished at 13:45 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    BMC's Stefan Kung rolls down the start ramp.

    Kung is the Swiss national time trial champion and perhaps an outside bet for the stage win today.

  8. Postpublished at 13:41 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    TV pictures pick up Julian Alaphilippe warming up on the turbo.

    The Frenchman thankfully has not opted for an all polka dot skinsuit, wisely going for all red shorts instead.

    He has dominated the mountains classification and, barring catastrophe, will pull on the polka dot jersey in Paris tomorrow.

  9. Postpublished at 13:39 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Team Sky's Jonathan Castroviejo has lost a bit of time to Michael Hepburn over the second section and is 10 seconds down heading into the final part.

    Team Sky's Jonathan CastroviejoImage source, Reuters
  10. 'I lost my skinsuit' - Dumoulinpublished at 13:38 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Tom Dumoulin also had to get a new world time trial champion skinsuit made - because he and his team somehow managed to lose the first one.

    "I gave my skinsuit to the team truck so I didn't need to carry it around for three weeks," Dumoulin told ITV4.

    "Apparently it got lost so it was a bit stressful earlier.

    "But our clothing sponsor brought in a new one for me that they made this morning."

  11. Thomas' made-to-measure skinsuitpublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Fortunately for Geraint Thomas, he won't have the same see-through skinsuit situation as Luke Rowe.

    That's because the race leader was fitted with his own bespoke all-yellow skinsuit last night...

    Geraint Thomas fitted with a yellow skinsuitImage source, Cyclingimages
  12. Postpublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Team Sky's Jonathan Castroviejo, the Spanish national time trial champion, has blitzed through the first time check just a shade quicker than current leader Michael Hepburn.

    Jonathan CastroviejoImage source, Reuters
  13. 'The Tour is far from over' - Rowepublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Rowe did also have some advice (and maybe a warning?) for his team-mate Geraint Thomas...

    Team Sky's Luke Rowe, speaking to ITV4: "There are a few dodgy bends but it's pretty straightforward - I didn't recon it or have a following car so was just riding it blind.

    "But it's a tough course - the Tour de France is far from over.

    "Geraint has been here before the Tour to recon it and has ridden this morning so he's now ridden it three times in total and he knows the course better than I do.

    "You've got to push on the climbs, take the descents fast and stay upright."

  14. Postpublished at 13:24 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Talking of skinsuits, Team Sky's mostly white outfit has turned out to be, er, pretty see-through in the rain.

    Luke Rowe had a laugh about it at the finish, telling ITV4: "This skinsuit is a pretty kinky outfit - you can get away with it when it's not wet but not in this weather."

    Team Sky's Luke RoweImage source, Reuters
  15. Sagan on coursepublished at 13:23 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Peter SaganImage source, Getty Images

    Peter Sagan has not long rolled down the start ramp.

    The world champion crashed on Wednesday and had to battle through yesterday's brutal stage to make the time cut.

    He made it with time to spare and afterwards said it had been his hardest day on a bike, adding he might well have just packed it in, were he not wearing the green jersey as leader of the points classification.

    But the Slovak fought on and just needs to nurse himself through this time trial and cruise into Paris to win a record-equalling sixth green jersey. He looks a bit too injured to contest for the win in Paris, but you never know.

    He's also not bothered with a skinsuit today.

  16. As it standspublished at 13:20 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Here is the current top five of all the riders to head off so far...

    1. Michael Hepburn (Aus/Mitchelton-Scott) 42mins 15secs
    2. Nils Politt (Ger/Katusha-Alpecin) +29secs
    3. Luke Durbridge (Aus/Mitchelton-Scott) +1min 13secs
    4. Marcus Burghardt (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 42secs
    5. Maciej Bodnar (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe) +2mins 11secs
  17. Hepburn lays early markpublished at 13:16 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    The top four on GC could well finish in the top four on the stage, although perhaps in a different order.

    Michael Hepburn has had something to say about that though - the Australian has laid down a very testing marker, heading round the 31km course in 42 minutes 15 seconds.

    The Mitchelton-Scott rider was part of the Aussie team that finished second to Geraint Thomas' GB squad in the team pursuit at London 2012.

    Michael Hepburn, Rohan Dennis, Jack Bobridge and Glenn O'Shea of Australia celebrate with their silver medals in the Men's Team Pursuit Track Cycling final at the London 2012 Olympic GamesImage source, Getty Images
  18. Top 10 on GCpublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) 79hrs 49mins 31secs
    2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +2mins 05secs
    3. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) +2mins 24secs
    4. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2mins 37secs
    5. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto NL-Jumbo) +4mins 37secs
    6. Mikel Landa (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 40secs
    7. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +5mins 15secs
    8. Daniel Martin (Ire/UAE Team Emirates) +6mins 39secs
    9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar Team) +10mins 26secs
    10. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha-Alpecin) +11mins 49secs
  19. Postpublished at 13:09 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Even if Thomas does have too much of a gap for anyone to close, the race behind him is set to be a belter.

    Dumoulin, Roglic, Froome finished in that order at the world time trial championships last year and are covered by just 32 seconds.

    A time trial at the end of a Grand Tour is a different beast to a one-off event - how are their legs after all that climbing?

    Could Roglic overhaul Dumoulin to finish second? Can Froome ride his way back onto the podium?

    Primoz RoglicImage source, Getty Images
  20. State of playpublished at 13:06 British Summer Time 28 July 2018

    Geraint Thomas leads Tom Dumoulin by 2:05 with Primoz Roglic at 2:24 and team-mate Chris Froome at 2:37.

    Dumoulin is the world time trial champion and may well take back time on Thomas today.

    However, Thomas is no slouch against the clock, having won the opening time trial at the 2017 Tour, albeit over a shorter distance.

    Barring a crash or a series of mechanical issues, Thomas should have enough of a buffer.