If Ineos Grenadiers do not win this year's Tour, today's stage 13 of the race will be regarded as the day when the British team lost its near decade-long grip on cycling's biggest race.
Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) claimed the final yellow jersey last year, aged just 22 years, and was tipped to dominate this year and in the seasons ahead.
However, on the brutally steep summit finish today the Colombian was dropped by yellow jersey Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates).
On the final climb of the race today - La Puy Mary - Richard Carapaz of Ineos Grenadiers initially piled the pressure on in the select group, only for his team leader to slip to the back of the group and look laboured.
And when Pogačar sensed Bernal's weakness he attacked and brought Roglic with him.
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They eventually finished 12th and 13th on the stage, as the early breakaway mopped up the top 11 places; Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) among them in 11th.
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More importantly, Bernal could only manage 18th place and there were four riders and 38 seconds between him and the Slovenia duo of Roglic and Pogačar.
That means the Slovenians are now 1st and 2nd overall; Roglic leading his compatriot by 44 seconds with Bernal now 59 seconds back in 3rd place.
The stage was won by Daniel Martinez of EF Pro Cycling, who proved best of the 17-man breakaway that included Dan Martin on the 191.5km stage from Châtel-Guyon to the summit finish on Le Puy Mary.
More to come.
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