2020 Tour de France Stage 19 Results & Recap
Stage 19 of the 2020 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
Andersen makes it two
For the second time this Tour, Soren Kragh Andersen won a stage at the Tour de France after a successful solo attack to the line. The Sunweb rider broke out of a 12-man breakaway with 16km to go, and gained a minute on his chasers before posting up for the win in Champagnole.
"I have to say that, in the last kilometres, I was actually screaming in pure disbelief. I got two stage wins on the same Tour de France," Andersen said. "It’s incredible. I’m speechless. When I saw who was in the breakaway group, I realized I was in the mix with some of the best riders of the world for this type of race. I honestly didn’t know how to beat them, and I was on my limit too. But then I realised that, if I managed somehow to get a small gap, it may enable me to pull it off… And that’s exactly what happened. This is a memory I will carry in my mind for the rest of my life."
Roglic had a straightforward day in the yellow jersey, a slight reprieve before the final test, a mountain time trial finishing on La Planche des Belles Filles.
“It was not really a recovery day," Roglic said. "We began quite hard, with Bora chasing. At halfway it got easier, but then there were some attacks at the end which upped the pace. Anyway, it’s been another good day, another stage finished, and now I begin thinking of recovery for tomorrow. We did a reconnaissance of tomorrow’s time trial on its day. Of course, the final climb is very hard. It will be about being strong and giving it all. I will really consider changing bikes for the final climb until the last moment. It will depend on everything, on what the conditions are and such. After three weeks of racing, I pretty much know where I’m sitting and what my place will be on the ITT.”
After a few attacks after the start of stage 19, RĂ©mi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step) made a separation less than five kilometres into the stage.
Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Geoffrey Soupe (Total Direct Energie), Cyril Barthe (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept), Dylan van Baarle (Ineos) and Max Walscheid (NTT) attempted to bridge, but were caught in no man's land until km 45, when they finally gave up the ghost and rejoined the peloton.
“It wasn’t planned, but it was one last opportunity for a breakaway, so I told myself I could try," Cavagna said. "I knew that everyone was tired but I still had some energy left. I raced with a tailwind at the beginning. Later on it was a bit more difficult, but I had a good day. I would have needed more time to hope for something but it was cool. Our goal for the end of this Tour is to retain the green jersey with Sam Bennett and I think we’re on the right track. He’s a great guy and I enjoy riding for him.”
Bora Hansgrohe and Team Sunweb kept the solo leader close at two minutes. When they eventually brought the peloton close enough, Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept), Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Luke Rowe (Ineos) jumped across after the intermediate sprint, which prompted the peloton to respond. At 36km, the bunch was all together again.
New attacks flew off the front, and this time, Rowe (Ineos), Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), Oliver Naesen (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Bennett and Dries Devenyns (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Greg van Avermaet and Matteo Trentin (CCC Team), Jack Bauer and Luka Mezgec (Mitchelton-Scott), Nikias Arndt and Soren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb) took off.
With 16km to go, Andersen timed his attack perfectly to surprise the break and get a gap on the technical roads leading to the finish.
Mezgec finished second, leading in the chase group a minute later. \n
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