Egan Bernal looked set to become the first Colombian rider to win the Tour de France after claiming the lead — and the Team Ineos leadership — in dramatic conditions in a 19th stage that was cut short by a hailstorm and a landslide on Friday.
The Team Ineos rider attacked some five kilometers from the top of the Col de l'Iseran to drop a small pack of overall contenders and his lead increased as he crushed the pedals in a unique demonstration of climbing power.
France’s Julian Alaphilippe cracked as defending champion Geraint Thomas, Bernal’s teammate, sat in a reduced group that tried to bridge the gap with the 22-year-old Bernal, the third Colombian to wear the coveted yellow jersey after Victor Hugo Pena and Fernando Gaviria.