Stage 19

The road

At the start

The day before the Ancares

Chris Froome's attack on Monte Castrove carried him past Alejandro Valverde into second overall, 1:19 behind Alberto Contador, with Valverde thirteen seconds further back and Joaquim Rodríguez at 2:29. Today follows the coast north of the Portuguese border over two first-category climbs, the last nineteen kilometres from Cangas do Morrazo. Nobody wants to spend: the Ancares is tomorrow.

How it was won

1. 119 km to go

   Alto Monte Faro guts the bunch

   Sky, and Kennaugh above all, ride so hard that no GC contender dares move. The selection comes from behind instead: fifty-five riders left at the top, Degenkolb with only Barguil for company, Matthews with nobody — and Lutsenko alone over the summit.

2. 212 km to go

   Scrambling on the descent

   Lutsenko is reeled in on the way down, Samuel Sánchez slips the leash briefly and sends the overall contenders scampering to the front, and Cataldo comes down hard on the uneven road before remounting.

3. 34 km to go

   Hansen answers Gilbert, 4km out

   On the last uncategorised rise into Cangas do Morrazo, Philippe Gilbert accelerates and the Australian — two days from completing his tenth consecutive Grand Tour — goes with him, then simply keeps going alone.

4. 4At the line

   Nobody wants to chase

   Hansen's lead over the top looks far too small, but behind him the sprinters' teams are gone and nobody will give Degenkolb a free ride to the line. The argument lasts just long enough: Adam Hansen wins, and Degenkolb has to settle for second and another armful of points towards green.

The result