Alaphilippe in second stage win
Julian Alaphilippe’s descending skills made the difference as the Frenchman claimed his second victory in this year’s Tour de France to take the 16th stage on Tuesday.
The Quick-Step Floors rider, who already prevailed in the 10th stage in Le Grand Bornand, whizzed past Adam Yates 6km from the line after the Briton had hit the asphalt in a left-hand curve in the final descent.
Spain’s Gorka Izagirre took second place and Yates finished third, 15 seconds behind.
The stage was briefly interrupted with 187km to go by a farmers’ protest, police using teargas to disperse the demonstrators, with some riders being affected.
Among them was world champion Peter Sagan and Briton Geraint Thomas, who retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey after an otherwise comfortable 218km mountain ride from Carcassonne.
Thomas still leads his Team Sky mate and defending champion Chris Froome by 1 min 39 sec and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin by 1:50 going into Wednesday’s 17th stage, a brutal 65km up-and-down trek from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan.
Downhills were tricky on Tuesday and former world champion Philippe Gilbert went spectacularly over a low stone wall in the descent from the Col du Portet d’Aspet.
The Belgian got back on his bike after disappearing in the ravine for a couple of minutes.
It was in the same descent that Italian Fabio Casartelli crashed and died in the 1995 Tour de France.
Alaphilippe, who tightened his grip on the polka dot jersey for the mountains classification, said: “It’s pure happiness after a day of suffering.”
He had fought hard to get his place in the day’s large breakaway and produced his effort at the right moment to be the second rider to reach the top of the Col du Portillon, 20 seconds behind Yates.
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