Runner-up on the mythical Pyrenean climb after a splendid effort, our rider has now amassed ten days in the yellow jersey.
Julian Alaphilippe defended his maillot jaune with panache on the demanding slopes of Col du Tourmalet (19km, 7.4%) – which served as a stage finish for just the third time in the history of the race, after 1974 and 2010 – and is now more than two minutes clear of his closest rider with one stage left before the Tour’s final rest day.
Coming off the back of his extraordinary ITT victory in Pau, Alaphilippe knew that the 117.5km-long stage from Tarbes will provide a stern test in his attempt to keep the GC lead, but Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s rider rose to the challenge and supported by a strong and motivated team, he made it over the top of the Col du Soulor – the day’s first challenge – and onto the first ramps of the Tourmalet, where the group frantically shelled riders off the back.
A composed and imperious ride on the Hors Catégorie ascent, which appeared for the 83rd time on the race, saw Julian remain with the best as the kilometers ticked down and the gradient stiffened; the 27-year-old didn’t panic not even when the tempo suddenly changed at the front and several riders tested the waters with a series of accelerations inside three kilometers to go, confidently climbing up the group and matching his opponents with the flamme rouge in sight, while showing the same grit and determination that have so far propelled him to a brace of stage victories.
Eventually, Julian came home second, just a handful of seconds behind Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), and gained valuable time on the general classification ahead of the final day in the Pyrenees: “It wasn’t easy today and you could see that everybody was suffering. I just tried to go with the best for as long as possible and seeing how I fared makes me very happy. It’s an incredible feeling to retain the maillot jaune at the end of such a tough stage, but the GC isn’t on my mind because I know there are many hurdles left along the way. Like I said also the other day, I just take it day by day and enjoy the moment.”
Photo credit: ©Chris Graythen/ Getty Images
