Tour de France: Stage 19 preview, predictions, odds, free tips & where to watch

Stage 19
ITV4, Eurosport 1 & S4C, from 12.55pm Friday

Nairo Quintana, the forgotten man of the Tour de France, finally came to the party with a mighty impressive Stage 18 win from Embrun to Valloire.

The Colombian was allowed to get into an early 34-man break and then blew apart his fellow escapees on the 23km climb up the Galibier and comfortably held off Romain Bardet, who moved in to the King of the Mountains jersey, on the descent into Valloire.

Quintana has given himself an outside chance as he lies three minutes 54 seconds behind leader Julian Alaphilippe, but this is turning into a dream tour for France.

The yellow jersey rider was able to stay with the Team Ineos driven elite group until the final kilo­metre of the Galibier when Alaphilippe was finally dropped after successive attacks by Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas.

However, despite being 20 seconds adrift at the summit unsurprisingly, Alaphilippe was able to get back to all bar Bernal on the way down with some impeccable descending.

But his overall lead has been reduced by five seconds to one minute 30 seconds as Bernal leapfrogged Thomas, with a further four riders within two minutes 14 seconds of Alaphilippe. Bernal is the new outright favourite at 7-4, then it's 10-3 Pinot and 4-1 Alaphilippe and Thomas.

The warning signs were there on the Galibier and whether Alaphilippe can cover the attacks in the next two days with summit finishes looks more questionable.

Stage 19 takes the riders from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes. Although Quintana won't be allowed to get in another breakaway, he is nonetheless still a contender for the win.

There is every chance a rider from the breakaway could again succeed, but in the last few years the final mountain stages have tended to fall to one of the top ten riders, especially as the time bonuses could decide this Tour.

Pinot looked to have everything under control on Stage 18 and will fancy his chances of a second win in this year's Tour having looked so strong in the Pyrenees. He is the worthy stage favourite.

Bernal looked hugely impress­ive in Stage 18. The young Colombian looks primed to take his first Tour win, but with the Team Ineos hierarchy still unclear and Thomas claiming the stage wasn't hard enough because the team had insufficient riders to drive on it, it may be best to look elsewhere on the ride to Tignes.

Mikel Landa has been keeping tabs on the leaders and the Spaniard, who lies four minutes 54 seconds down, may just be allowed to attack earlier than most.

Landa has won a total of four stages in the Vuelta and Giro and all of those came in the second half of the Tour.

Recommendation
M Landa
1pt 6-1 Betway

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