Cycling: Froome Close To Third Tour Title As Izaguirre Wins 20th Stage
Muhammad Rameez Published July 23, 2016 | 10:07 PM
MORZINE, France, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23th july, 2016) - Chris Froome all but wrapped up the 2016 Tour de France title as Spaniard Ion Izaguirre won the 20th and penultimate stage on Saturday. With Sunday's 21st and final stage little more than a procession into Paris, only a disaster can deny Froome a third Tour title now. Despite crashing on Friday, Froome comfortably held onto his lead of more than four minutes over Frenchman Romain Bardet on the rainy 146.5km stage from Megeve to Morzine in the Alps. Izaguirre won the stage after a daring descent to the finish having crested the final climb, the Col de Joux Plane, alongside 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali and Colombian Jarlinson Pantano, winner of the 15th stage last Sunday.
Pantano almost skidded off the road on the descent while Nibali was uncharacteristically tentative following his crash on Friday, allowing Izaguirre to ride clear and take the first stage win for a Spaniard in this Tour. Behind, the expected -- or perhaps merely hoped for -- fireworks amongst the top 10 failed to materialise. Froome had crashed on Friday but any suggestion that he might be vulnerable was dispelled by a show of force from his Sky team that rode on the front of the peloton all day. Even on the final climb, no-one dared attack, bar Bauke Mollema and Joaquim Rodriguez, although having started the day in 10th and 11th respectively, theirs was mere squabbling over minor positions.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
Taiwan hit by several quakes, strongest reaching 6.1-magnitude
17 minutes ago -
'Ballistic' Bairstow stars as Punjab pull off record T20 chase
17 minutes ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 2nd update
18 minutes ago -
Junta-led Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America for two weeks
1 hour ago -
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
2 hours ago -
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
2 hours ago
-
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
2 hours ago -
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
2 hours ago -
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
2 hours ago -
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
2 hours ago -
Israeli-fired unexploded bombs could take 14 years to clear: UN
2 hours ago -
US announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
2 hours ago