Summary

  • Stage 19 - Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors, 188.3km

  • Flat stage offers chance for sprinters to contest victory

  • Jonas Vingegaard overall lead cut slightly to three minutes 21 seconds after stage 19

  • Tadej Pogacar second in general classification, Britain's Geraint Thomas third

  • Race ends with processional final stage into Paris on Sunday, following 40.7km individual time-trial on Saturday

  1. One more day until Parispublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    The final day of serious competition in the General Classification brings the longest individual time-trial course at a Tour since 2014.

    Stage 20 sees the riders take on a solo 40.7km from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour.

    You can read the report from stage 19 here.

    I'll be back for all of that time trial fun tomorrow.

    See you then!

    Stage 20 profileImage source, BBC Sport
  2. Postpublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    "I'm super happy, I can't believe it," says stage 19 winner Christophe Laporte.

    "Wout [van Aert] told me that 'today is for you'.

    "The last time he said that was at Paris-Nice - it brings me luck!"

  3. Postpublished at 16:25 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    Here's the final top five of stage 19.

    Amid the chaos, look who managed to sneak in there. Tadej Pogacar manages to take a few seconds back from Jonas Vingegaard...

    1. Christophe Laporte
    2. Jasper Philipsen
    3. Alberto Dainese
    4. Florian Senechal
    5. Tadej Pogacar

    General classification after stage 19:

    1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 75hrs 45mins 44sec
    2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +3:21
    3. Geraint Thomas (GB/INEOS Grenadiers) +8:00
    4. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +11:05
    5. Nairo Quintana (Col/Team Arkea-Samsic) +13:35
    6. Louis Meintjes (SA) Intermarche-Wanty Gobert Materiaux) +13:43
    7. Aleksandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe) +14:10
    8. Romain Bardet (Fra/Team DSM) +16:11
    9. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz\Astana-Qazaqstan Team) +20:24
    10. Adam Yates (GB/INEOS Grenadiers) +20:32
  4. 'We kept fighting'published at 16:20 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    It was very close for Britain's Fred Wright. Here's what he told ITV following the stage:

    "I saw the opportunity with 30km to go. In everybody's mind it was going to be a sprint. I just thought 'I'm going to go'.

    "We had a gap and we kept fighting. I'm not disappointed, I wouldn't have won a sprint. It was close but it's just the way it goes.

    "Fair play to Laporte, he came round at some speed. He's got legs."

    Fred WrightImage source, get
  5. Postpublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    Watching this year's Tour like:

    Christophe LaporteImage source, Getty Images
  6. Postpublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    Another great day for Jumbo Visma in a Tour they have played to perfection.

    It's Christophe Laporte's first ever Tour de France stage win, and his team's fifth stage victory in the race this year.

    Christophe LaporteImage source, Getty Images
  7. Vingegaard another day closerpublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    Jasper Philipsen takes second, ahead of Alberto Dainese.

    The yellow jersey group roll in over two minutes back.

    Jonas Vingegaard is a time trial away from taking the yellow jersey to Paris!

  8. Laporte wins stage 19published at 16:07 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    What a finish by Christophe Laporte!

    He turns round in disbelief as he crosses the line in Cahors in the clear.

    Timed to perfection.

  9. Postpublished at 500m to go

    Christophe Laporte passes Fred Wright. He's racing clear for Jumbo Visma now!

  10. Postpublished at 1km to go

    Fred Wright is refusing to give up on the front!

  11. Postpublished at 1.5km to go

    Here we go! The front three are caught!

    Caleb Ewan? Fabio Jakobsen? Jasper Philipsen? Peter Sagan? Who's it going to be...

  12. Postpublished at 3km to go

    The peloton catch a glimpse of the lead trio as the riders cross the bridge into Cahors.

    Three kilometres to go. The GC teams are done for the day. Now what's going to happen?

    There's eight seconds to make up.

  13. Postpublished at 5km to go

    The peloton are struggling to organise and Britain's Fred Wright remains 10 seconds clear with Alexis Gougeard and Jasper Stuyven.

    Wout van Aert is leading the main group now. Caleb Ewan and Fabio Jakobsen not far away.

  14. Postpublished at 8km to go

    Fabio Jakobsen has managed to make it back on the peloton!

    How, I have no idea. If he can pull this out the bag...

    Lotto Soudal are back on the front of the peloton with Caleb Ewan nicely positioned for the final few kilometres.

  15. Postpublished at 10km to go

    The peloton just can't close the gap.

    They're hovering around 15 seconds behind Alexis Gougeard, Jasper Stuyven and Fred Wright now but the front three are managing to stay away and just out of sight.

    Mattia Cattaneo is driving on for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team but there are no other team-mates to take over as he runs out of steam, leaving Wout van Aert on the front. Is he going to go for this?

  16. Postpublished at 14km to go

    Alexis Gougeard, Jasper Stuyven and Fred Wright are working so well together. They're getting closer!

    The final 10km are approaching and they still have around 25 seconds on the peloton. It could be close!

  17. Postpublished at 18km to go

    The lead trio have an advantage of just over 20 seconds with less than 20km to go.

    Alexis Gougeard, Jasper Stuyven and Fred Wright are giving their all to stay clear as the sprint teams drive the peloton on to try and close this down.

    It's Caleb Ewan's Lotto–Soudal team who are currently on the front of the main group.

  18. Will it be Ewan's day?published at 15:47 British Summer Time 22 July 2022

    Caleb EwanImage source, Getty Images

    It's been a gruelling experience for the sprinters over the past few days in the Pyrenees. Should the opportunity arise today, who will have enough left in the tank for a sprint,?

    Caleb Ewan is yet to win a stage on the Tour so far this year but he says his team are very much up for this one.

    "I'm happy that we've finished all the big climbs of this Tour, and I'm happy I made it through because there were a few times where I didn't think I'd make it," Ewan said.

    "It's going to be a little bit tricky, because we have a cross-tail wind the whole day. So it's a perfect storm for echelons. We'll see what happens. Our team is focused on today's stage, so we'll be up near the front. And if there's a split, hopefully we're in it.

    "For today I'm 100% focused on this. I hope I can win today, and after today's stage I'll re-focus for the Champs-Elysees as well."

  19. Wright pushing on in lead triopublished at 25km to go

    We're into the final 25km.

    Frenchman Alexis Gougeard, Belgian Jasper Stuyven and Britain's Fred Wright are 32 seconds clear of the peloton.

    Can they take this all the way?

  20. Postpublished at 27km to go

    What's that?

    A quiet stage, you say?

    Tadej PogacarImage source, Getty Images