As it happenedended

Tour de France 2018 – stage 20 LIVE: Latest updates as Geraint Thomas set to win after flawless time trial

Thomas avoided disaster in the penultimate stage?- the 31km?individual time trial?to?Espelette?- to earn the right to take the yellow jersey?to Paris

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Lawrence Ostlere

Espelette

Saturday 28 July 2018 16:15 BST

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Tour De France 2018- Flash summary Stage 19

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If Tom Dumoulin could have designed the final stage it would have been something like this – a lumpy 31km time trial for which he is a strong favourite. But the Dutchman must make up more than two minutes on Geraint Thomas if he is to win the yellow jersey, and over a course expected to take around 44 minutes that seems an unlikely proposition.

Thomas just needs to avoid some disastrous moment – a crash or puncture or sudden blow-up – on route from Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle to Espelette, and in the form he is in he will surely have enough to clinch his maiden grand tour.

Meanwhile Chris Froome will be fighting with Primoz Roglic for a place on the podium, having been displaced by the Slovenian who won yesterday's stage 19 to Laruns, albeit in controversial circumstances.

Click on stage 20 to refresh the live tracker:

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Is this the day Geraint Thomas seals his Tour de France victory? It should be fun finding out. Here's our preview to today's stage 20, from Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle to Espelette:?

Stage 20: A time trial which stands between Geraint Thomas and history

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 10:40

This time trial is under way – they will go in reverse order, with Geraint Thomas set to hit the road at the very precise time of 3.29?BST. It is 31km and will take roughly 45 minutes to complete, give or take. Hopefully not much give, in Thomas's case.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 11:54

The early pacesetter is Amund Jansen of Norway, with a time of 44min 55sec. Team Sky's road captain Luke Rowe has just crossed the line, and he's down in 12th, no doubt having treated this as more of a day off than anything else.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 12:14

A new fastest man, Michael Hepburn, the Australian for Mitchelton-Scott.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 12:40

Next off the ramp is another of Team Sky's domestiques – Jonathan Castroviejo.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 13:10

Michael Hepburn's mark of 42.15 remains the best time so far, but the big hitters are still to come we can expect that to be well beaten by the end of this stage.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 13:23

And Hepburn finally has a challenger: Team Sky's?Jonathan Castroviejo went?through the first checkpoint a second clear, although he is 10 seconds down at the second one.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 13:43

Team Sky’s Jonathan Castroviejo clocks in at 42:24, not quite enough to knock Hepburn off top spot. It's been a little chilly?and cloudy today in south-west France, and now it's started raining. That will slow the times a little.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 13:57

Marc Soler of Movistar?has edged out Hepburn at the top of the standings by 0.05 seconds. Wow.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 14:29

Team Sky now lead the way through Michal Kwiatkowski with a time of 41 min 42 sec. The big guns are not far away now.

Lawrence Ostlere28 July 2018 14:34

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