VALLOIRE, France (AFP) – Julian Alaphilippe kept the Tour de France lead on Thursday as Colombians dominated the Alpine ascents with Nairo Quintana storming to the stage victory and Egan Bernal climbing from fifth to second overall.
Bernal, at 22 the youngest man in the race, sprung his attack three kilometers from the summit of the Col du Galibier, running the gauntlet of the fans packed onto the final stages of the relentless 23-kilometer climb, which ended at over 2,600m.
Bernal is perfectly primed in second place at 1min 30sec from Alaphilippe, who clung once more to his lead, with Welshman Geraint Thomas, the defending champion, a further five seconds back in third, Steven Kruijswijk in fourth at 1min 47 and Thibaut Pinot fifth at 1min 50sec.
For 17 stages, Bernal had been kept largely under wraps by Ineos, but as the race approached the sort of altitude where he grew up, he finally unfurled his wings in the rarefied oxygen, scampering off to put 31 seconds into his four closest rivals.
Bernal is causing a stir in Colombia.
“I’m here, second, and maybe I can win the Tour, but it’s going to be really very hard to achieve that, for now I’m second,” said a serene looking Bernal.
“There are five other guys still in there,” he said, refusing to brag.
For the 29-year-old Quintana the stage win saved his Tour de France.
The Movistar captain blew his lines in the Pyrenees, but gained almost six minutes on the main contenders to finish the first full day in the Alps seventh overall.
