Summary

  • Stage 20 - 133.5km from Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering

  • Short, mountainous stage with six categorised climbs

  • Jonas Vingegaard leads Tadej Pogacar by seven minutes and 35 seconds in general classification

  • Final test for defending champion before race reaches Paris

  • Britain's Adam Yates third overall

  • Three minutes five seconds between third and seventh in race for podium place

  1. The fight for Polka dot pointspublished at 13:26 British Summer Time 22 July 2023

    110km to go

    There are a maximum of 37 mountain points up for grabs today, and just one on Sunday so only the top four riders below have a chance of taking the polka dot jersey and wearing it proudly into Paris.

    At the moment it is Italy's Giulio Ciccone who is wearing it... along with polka dot shorts, socks and helmet, of course.

    Felix Gall isn't up for the fight, which is odd. What about Jonas Vingegaard?

    King of the Mountains

    1. Giulio Ciccone (ITA) Lidl - Trek 88

    2. Felix Gall (AUT) AG2R - Citroën Team 82

    3. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Jumbo - Visma 81

    4. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education - EasyPost 58

    5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 49

    Gilulio CicconeImage source, EPA
  2. Mountain points up for grabspublished at 13:25 British Summer Time 22 July 2023

    There are five mountain points up for grabs at the top of this first climb, the Ballon d’Alsace, and there is 1km to go to the summit.

  3. No fireworks yetpublished at 13:23 British Summer Time 22 July 2023

    111km to go

    No explosions yet, with the main bunch all together, but Pogacar's team-mates on UAE were at the front of the peloton to bring that early break back, which backs up what he said on Friday about them trying to win today's stage.

    Which of the 'four or five riders' will it be though? Surely he fancies it himself?

  4. 'It's going to be explosive'published at 13:18 British Summer Time 22 July 2023

    Jonas Vingegaard and the rest of the big hitters rolled in about 13 minutes behind the stage winner on Friday. but he is not expecting another easy time today, before Sunday's procession into Paris.

    "It's the last mountain stage and it is going to be really explosive. I think everyone in the bunch saved their legs for it," said Vingegaard after crossing the line in Poligny.

    That includes Tadej Pogacar, who has promised one final roll of the dice today.

    "We have plans for Saturday and four or five riders who could win the stage for the team," Pogacar said.

  5. What's happening?published at 13:17 British Summer Time 22 July 2023

    114km to go (out of 133.5km)

    The riders rolled out of Belfort about 30 minutes ago and we immediately saw two riders, Lotto-Dstny riders, Vincent Campenaerts and Jasper De Buyst burst (or even Buyst) clear.

    Campenaerts loves a breakaway, as we've already seen in each of the past two days, and he persevered for a while after De Buyst sat up... but he's about to be hoovered up by the peloton too, as they head up the first climb of the day, the category two Ballon d’Alsace.

  6. A day for the mountain menpublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 22 July 2023

    Today is a short but demanding mountain stage which crams those six categorised climbs into just over 100km as the race dashes across the Vosges to the Le Markstein ski station.

    The race for the yellow jersey looks like it has already been won but the King of the Mountains category will be decided today (there's only one point available on Sunday) and this stage also represents a last opportunity for those with podium ambitions.

    So, lots to look forward to. While none of the climbs would be classified as the most challenging in the race, the quick succession of ascents and descents could make for an intriguing finale, and you just know that Tadej Pogacar will give everything he has got to get the stage win.

    Stage 20Image source, Tour de France
  7. One sleep til Paris...published at 13:06

    Oh, and six categorised climbs too.

    Yes, welcome to stage 20 of the Tour de France. It's going to take something quite spectacular to deny overall leader and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard a second-successive triumph from here, but there is still lots more to be decided.