Méribel (France) (AFP)

Advantage to Primoz Roglic over Tadej Pogacar: the match between the Slovenes turned in favor of the yellow jersey in the 17th stage of the Tour de France, won by Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez on Wednesday at the Loze alpine pass.

At an altitude of 2304 meters, the highest point of this 107th Tour, Roglic, 2nd on the stage, left Pogacar 15 seconds behind, in a final knife, on a vertiginous slope.

In the provisional general classification, Roglic is now 57 seconds ahead of his compatriot four days from the conclusion in Paris.

Under the eyes of President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the final in François Lemarchand's car, Lopez edged Roglic by 15 seconds for the stage victory.

Pogacar, third, moved closer to Roglic on the final ramp before giving up some ground.

The American Sepp Kuss, Roglic's last lieutenant, took fourth place ahead of the Australian Richie Porte, fourth at more than a minute.

Everything turned out as expected in the interminable final ascent, 21.5 kilometers long and extremely steep in its final part above the Méribel resort.

Julian Alaphilippe, Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz and Spaniard Gorka Izagirre, the three survivors of the breakaway launched in the first half hour, were successively joined in this climb.

They had gone to the top of the Madeleine (Km 107.5), the first ascent classified as out of category of the day, with a lead limited to one and a half minutes on the first peloton led by the teammates of the Spaniard Mikel Landa and strong 'about thirty units.

- The resistance of Carapaz -

Landa's Bahrain continued the effort at the top of this group to Méribel, which had the effect of allowing Roglic's Jumbo to save themselves and stay in the wheels.

Carapaz, the last to resist, held out for a long time.

The winner of the last Giro even increased his advantage, which he increased from 20 seconds to 45 seconds with less than 5 kilometers from the finish.

It only leaned 3 kilometers from the pass, after an acceleration by Miguel Angel Lopez.

Very comfortable, Kuss broke free with Lopez moments later before the Colombian took the lead.

Roglic left Pogacar 1700 meters from the line and the two Slovenians played a very close game from a distance until the end.

Lopez (26), nicknamed "Superman" in his country, captured his first stage success in the Tour.

The Colombian, who rose to third place in the general classification (at 1 min 26 sec), has already climbed on the podium of the Giro and the Vuelta.

The outgoing winner of the Tour, the Colombian Egan Bernal, gave up before leaving Grenoble at the request of his Ineos team.

Defaulting last Sunday in the Grand Colombier, he fell in the standings to 16th place, nearly 20 minutes from the yellow jersey.

Thursday, the last day in the Alps includes three classics (Cormet de Roselend, Saisies, Aravis) and a rare and very steep climb, to reach the Plateau des Glières, in the 18th stage, 175 kilometers long between Méribel and La Roche-sur -Foron.

© 2020 AFP