2013 Tour de France Stage 20 Results & Recap
Stage 20 of the 2013 Tour de France is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
What a dramatic penultimate stage to cap off what has been a remarkable Tour de France. Stage 20 took the riders from Annecy-Semnonoz in what was always going to be a brutal mountain finale, and it delivered everything fans could have hoped for in terms of tension, suffering, and heroics.
Chris Froome came into the stage with a commanding lead in the general classification, and despite some nervous moments throughout the three weeks, the Sky team leader has looked largely untouchable. Today was no different, as his rivals threw everything at him in one last desperate attempt to shake the yellow jersey loose before tomorrow's largely ceremonial procession into Paris.
Nairo Quintana was the standout performer on the day, the young Colombian climber from Movistar demonstrating once again why he has been the revelation of this Tour. The diminutive climber attacked with purpose and conviction on the final ascent, dancing away from the other contenders with that smooth, effortless cadence that has made him such a joy to watch throughout the race. Quintana rode to victory on the stage, a well deserved reward for his consistent aggression throughout the three weeks.
Froome, however, controlled the damage expertly. The Briton stayed composed under pressure and rode within himself, protecting his lead and doing enough to ensure there would be no dramatic overturning of the standings. Alejandro Valverde also rode strongly on the day.
With Paris now just one stage away, Froome looks set to claim his first Tour de France title.
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