Laporte wins Tour Stage 19 and ends drought for France

CAHORS, France—Christophe Laporte ended the host’s drought of stage winners when he surged out of the peloton within the finale of the nineteenth stage and claimed his maiden win on the Tour de France on Friday.

Simply two days earlier than the race ends in Paris, Laporte spared the blushes for French riders who had not tasted a victory all month. Solely twice in race historical past has France not produced a stage winner, in 1926 and 1999.

Laporte made his transfer after a trio of breakaway riders was caught with 1.5 kilometers left within the 188.5-kilometer flat stage to Cahors in southwestern France. On paper, the stage regarded attractive for pure sprinters however Laporte made the many of the slight uphill part to the end to disclaim them.

A help rider for race chief Jonas Vingegaard at Jumbo-Visma, Laporte received forward of Jasper Philipsen and Alberto Dainese.

It was the fifth stage win this month for the mighty Dutch crew that additionally consists of Wout van Aert. The versatile rider from Belgium didn’t compete for the stage win on Friday, providing the prospect to Laporte.

“I’m tremendous completely satisfied, I can’t imagine it. Wout advised me, ‘At this time is for you,’” Laporte stated. “I used to be already totally happy by our nice crew work, however to win a Tour stage is a childhood dream come true.”

There was no important change within the normal classification. Vingegaard had an total lead of three minutes and 26 seconds over defending champion Tadej Pogacar, and 2018 champion Geraint Thomas was nonetheless in third place, eight minutes off the tempo.

Organizers initially stated Pogacar managed to take 5 seconds off Vingegaard as he sprinted to fifth place in Cahors however they finally credited the pair with the identical time.

Pogacar tried to flee from the peloton within the final hour however Van Aert reacted rapidly and didn’t let him go earlier than Alexis Gougeard, Fred Wright and Jasper Stuyven moved away with 32 kilometers left.

Van Aert pulled the peloton to arrange Laporte, whereas Michael Matthews, from the BikeExchange-Jayco crew, additionally took half within the chase to pave the way in which for sprinter Dylan Groenewegen to ship.

As soon as he caught the breakaway, Laporte accelerated once more and by no means regarded again.

There is only one massive take a look at left earlier than the race reaches Paris—a 41-kilometer time trial on Saturday — and Vingegaard appears all however assured to win a maiden Tour title after he constructed his comfy cushion on the high of the standings within the Alps and Pyrenees.