Stage 20

The road

How it was won

1. 155 km to go

   The Croix de Fer, from the other side

   Barely a hundred and ten kilometres to ride and two of the most famous climbs in France in them. The break, Geniez among them, goes over the Croix de Fer with the day still theirs.

2. 217 km to go

   Nibali punctures at the foot of the Alpe

   The day's only sprint sits at the bottom of Alpe d'Huez and everybody ignores it. What they do not ignore is Vincenzo Nibali standing at the roadside with a flat, three Astana riders peeling back to drag him up to the field.

3. 314 km to go

   Quintana starts knocking

   Into the first hairpins Quintana jumps, and jumps again. Wout Poels closes him down both times. Valverde is let go up the road — third overall and, Sky reason, far enough back to be harmless.

4. 48 km to go

   The yellow jersey shows weakness

   Eight kilometres from the summit Quintana goes across to Valverde and, for the first time in three weeks, Froome cannot answer. Porte and Poels have to sit up and wait for their leader while two Movistar riders climb away as though it were a training ride.

5. 55 km to go

   Five kilometres, thirty seconds, one last try

   Quintana drops Valverde, picks up Anacona, and with five kilometres of Alpe d'Huez left he stands on the pedals and goes hunting. Froome is down to a single helper and losing seconds by the pedal stroke; on the flatter upper slopes the Colombian is riding for a Tour de France that is still, just barely, within reach.

6. 6At the line

   Pinot wins, Froome survives

   Thibaut Pinot goes clear of Hesjedal and takes the greatest prize in French cycling's imagination alone. Quintana catches everyone but him and takes 1:20 out of Froome — a minute and twelve too few.

The result