Geraint Thomas attacks after Egan Bernal on Galibier | Sticky Bottle

*Egan Bernal was the big winner in the fight for the overall on the first of three stages in the Alps, jumping three places to 2nd overall*

Team Ineos appears to have edged closer to winning the
Tour de France on the first of the three concluding Alpine stages, though with
which of its riders remains unclear.

Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), the hero of the race so far, hung on to his yellow jersey but he looked vulnerable.

He was distanced on the Col du Galibier by the favourites group, only to claw his way to the top and get back on descending, even trying to attack when he regained contact.

However, while the young Frenchman has put in a Tour ride for the ages, he now looks primed to explode with two summit stages to come tomorrow and Saturday.

Today Nairo Quintana (Movistar) won the stage from the early large breakaway, attacking on the Galibier and descending in to the finish to win.

Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) was 2nd and though his general classification plans, like Quintana’s, fell away a long time ago, he is now in the polka dot jersey.

Ireland’s Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) was 70th today
at 28:02 while Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb) was 105th at 29:59.

But the big show today was taking place behind the survivors from the breakaway; Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) attacking the select group 3km from the top of the Galibier.

*Quintana's overall bid has long floundered, but he won today in real style*

*Bardet couldn't live with Quintana today on the final climb but he has shown great resolve; continuing to fight all the way and taking polka dots for his efforts today*

*Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) was dropped on the last climb but got back on. However, with two summit finishes to come, is reality about to beat him*

Bernal pulled away – the laboured riding of the previous mountain stages now absent – and he gained about 45 seconds on the select group.

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It was Bernal’s team mate Geraint Thomas who attacked a little over 1km from the top of the climb. When he did so, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) set the pace in the group.

It was his stepping on the gas that saw the brilliant Alaphilippe spat out the back of the group; though Thomas was soon caught and race leader Alaphilippe got back on.

At the finish Bernal had 32 seconds on the favourites even though Alaphilippe, Pinot, Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-hansgrohe) and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) shared the work in the pursuit after him.

Bernal had the look of a man trying to grab his chance to
win the Tour with both hands, absolutely drilling the place on the flat into
the finish.

Thomas’s attack had helped to close the gap on his team
mate; a clear sign the Welshman is not going to sit back and allow the
Colombian ride away to win, if he can help it.

After the race Thomas and Bernal claimed the defending
champion had asked the 22-year-old Colombian to attack to soften up the group.

But clearly when the gap yawned out, Thomas thought
better of it and went after Bernal.

The significant feature of today’s stage was how much
more powerful both Thomas and Bernal looked.

Pinot was the only one who looked like he was able for
them. The race is simply too close to call with just four stages remaining
though Bernal was boss today.