Tignes (France) (AFP)
Wearing the yellow jersey for 14 days, the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe admitted Friday that he no longer thought that the tunic leader of the Tour de France is now "possible" for him, having been dispossessed at the end of a 19th stage epic to Tignes.
"I do not think the yellow jersey is possible, I was beaten by stronger than me, it's like that," said Alaphilippe on France 2, after the final stop of the stage, 25 km the expected arrival at Tignes, due to a hail storm that made the road impassable.
Subject to officialization by the jury of commissioners, the Colombian Egan Bernal will endorse the yellow jersey Tour two days before the arrival and the eve of the last mountain stage in Val Thorens.
The riders were stopped in the descent of Iseran and took place in the vehicles of their teams.
The times are indeed taken at the summit of Iseran crossed in the lead by the Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos), said the organization.
Alaphilippe was at the top with more than two minutes late on the Colombian, while he had the morning at the start of the stage 1 min 30 sec ahead of the Ineos rider.
"I was expecting, I gave the maximum, I can not have regrets," said the French team Deceuninck Quick Step. "It was a dream to wear it, I carried this dream much longer than expected and I fought every day to keep it."
"From the moment I put on the yellow jersey, I started to dream but I never thought I could win the Tour," he said.
© 2019 AFP