Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) - 1st
It was a dominant performance from the yellow jersey and his teammates on Stage 18, winning the stage in a scene reminiscent of his first win at the race when he distanced Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) on the Col du Granon to win by more than two minutes.
Vingegaard was consistent and strong from start to finish despite a nervous moment where he nearly crashed on the descent of the Col de Spandelles, but he was there when his rival cracked in the final four kilometres to motor up the Hautacam and show why he deserves the maillot jaune this year.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 2nd, +03:26
The Slovenian knew today was the day to go all out for yellow, and he did just that. With Jumbo-Visma controlling the overall favourites group, Pogacar attacked for the first time with 40 kilometres left on the Spandelles which led to multiple repeat attempts to distance Vingegaard.
Pogacar got a small gap due to a near crash from Vingegaard on the descent of the penultimate climb, but a wayward corner saw him take his own tumble on to gravel on the side of the road, a big stumbling block to further attacks that were surely part of the plan on the Hautacam.
It all proved too much when they got there though, the pace of Wout van Aert in the final five kilometres dropping Pogacar as he lost another minute to Vingegaard in the overall standings with yellow all but gone bar a disaster for the Dane in the remaining three stages.
Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) - 3rd, +08:00
It seemed the Welshman had his sights set on 3rd place in the second week, aware his legs were not up to the standard of the younger top two, and that's a sure thing now after Thomas slipped to over four minutes behind Pogacar in second place.
He looked good early, even launching a rare attack on the yellow and white jerseys on the Col du Spandelles, but one too many surges from Jumbo-Visma left him off the back on the final climb.
The 2018 Tour winner will be happy with a podium finish though considering the competition above him in the rankings. Only a disastrous last three stages could see that change with a three-minute and five second buffer on David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) in fourth.
David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) - 4th, +11:05
The Frenchman has tried his best to get on the podium in the last three stages to no avail, but his efforts to finish well after being distanced has made for one of the best performances from a GC rider in the lower rankings.
Gaudu managed to go from eighth before the final rest day to fourth with just the time trial left in the overall battle, coming out on the better side of a topsy-turvy finale for the overall contenders.
Today was another display of Gaudu's resilience as he was dropped by Thomas on the Hautacam, but managed to finish fifth on the stage and leapfrog Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) into fourth overall, turning a four-second deficit into a two-and-a-half minute advantage.
Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) 5th, +13:35
A disappointing day for the Colombian as he lost fourth spot to David Gaudu and finished 13th on the stage. Since a strong attack in stage 11 had him looking in good form, Quintana has been a little off the pace, climbing well but not aggressively to make up time.
He won't be able to rest on his laurels if he wants to keep the last spot in the top 5, as only eight seconds separates him and sixth-placed Louis Meintjes (Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux), after an effort in the breakaway on Stage 14 saw the South African gain 11 minutes and vault into seventh overall.
Both riders aren't the greatest time trialists, so it will be a case of who has that extra push in their legs at the end of a brutal three weeks of racing, with Alexsandr Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe) a significant danger, lurking behind less than a minute behind both in seventh overall.
The Tour de France continues with a rare chance for the sprinters on Stage 19. Watch from 8.55pm AEST on the SBS SKODA Tour Tracker or on the SBS and SBS On Demand broadcast from 9.30pm AEST.
