Thomas defends yellow jersey as Roglic wins 19th stage

Laruns - Britain's Geraint Thomas stretched his Tour de France yellow jersey lead on Friday as Slovenian Primoz Roglic won the 19th stage on the final day in the mountains to push Chris Froome off the virtual podium.

Thomas, who has held the race lead since stage 11 having won back-to-back stages in the Alps, finished second on the final stage in the high Pyrenees at 19secs behind Roglic after the Lotto-Jumbo rider had launched an impressive attack before the summit of the Col d'Aubisque.

The Welshman's final sprint to clinch second place earned him six bonus seconds, which increased his overall lead on Dutch rival Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) to 2min 05secs ahead of the penultimate-stage time trial on Saturday.

Roglic's efforts saw him move up to third overall at 2:24 behind Thomas, with Froome now fourth at 2:37.

"I am really happy with this victory. It's a really nice feeling to win again in the Tour," said Roglic.

"I felt really good. I tried several times (to attack) on the Aubisque and I finally got away in the descent. It's perfect."

Roglic, a former ski jumper, was a constant thorn in the side of Team Sky on the final climb, where his accelerations left four-time champion Froome struggling to hold the wheel on several occasions.

The Slovenian redoubled his efforts shortly after cresting the summit, defying the shrouds of mist to accelerate away from Thomas, Froome, Dumoulin, Spaniard Mikel Landa and Frenchman Romain Bardet to leave them in a desperate chase on the 20 km descent to the finish.

Although Thomas's yellow jersey bid was not at stake, except in the event of catastrophe, Team Sky are desperate to see Froome finish among the podium places in Paris on Sunday and were in no mood to give Roglic a free run to the finish.

Froome managed to limit the damage by following wheels most of the way down before finishing eighth and last from the seven-man group of favourites who crossed the line 19secs behind Roglic.

Roglic, who only took up cycling six years ago, now has two stage wins on the race having won a stage in the Alps last year.

Results from the 19th stage of the Tour de France, a 200.5km ride from Lourdes to Laruns on Friday:

1. Primoz Roglic (SLO/LNL) 200.5 km in 5hrs 28min 17sec

2. Geraint Thomas (GBR/SKY) at 19sec

3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 19.

4. Dan Martin (IRL/EAU) 19.

5. Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) 19.

6. Tom Dumoulin (NED/SUN) 19.

7. Mikel Landa (ESP/MOV) 19.

8. Chris Froome (GBR/SKY) 19.

9. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/LNL) 31.

10. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS/KAT) 31.

11. Gorka Izagirre (ESP/BAH) 1:47.

12. Bob Jungels (LUX/QST) 1:47.

13. Egan Bernal (COL/SKY) 1:47.

14. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/BAH) 3:39.

15. Jon Izagirre (ESP/BAH) 3:39.

16. Tanel Kangert (EST/AST) 3:57.

17. Pierre Latour (FRA/ALM) 4:31.

18. Antwan Tolhoek (NED/LNL) 6:52.

19. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 7:09.

20. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN/AST) 7:18.

21. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BMC) 7:18.

22. Simon Geschke (GER/SUN) 7:18.

23. Warren Barguil (FRA/FST) 7:18.

24. Mikel Nieve (ESP/MIT) 7:18.

25. Tejay van Garderen (USA/BMC) 11:58.

26. Robert Gesink (NED/LNL) 12:36.

27. David Gaudu (FRA/FDJ) 13:09.

28. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 14:38.

29. Daniel Navarro (ESP/COF) 14:38.

30. Jesper Hansen (DEN/AST) 16:59.

31. Guillaume Martin (FRA/WGG) 17:43.

32. Pierre Rolland (FRA/EFD) 17:43.

33. Maxime Bouet (FRA/FST) 17:43.

34. Kristijan Durasek (CRO/EAU) 17:43.

35. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/SKY) 18:28.

36. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA/QST) 18:28.

37. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/SKY) 19:30.

38. Julien Bernard (FRA/TRE) 21:41.

39. Laurens ten Dam (NED/SUN) 21:41.

40. Marc Soler (ESP/MOV) 22:53.

41. Tom Slagter (NED/DDT) 24:13.

42. Adam Yates (GBR/MIT) 29:40.

43. Silvan Dillier (SUI/ALM) 31:41.

44. Michael Schaer (SUI/BMC) 31:43.

45. Rudy Molard (FRA/FDJ) 31:43.

46. Oliver Naesen (BEL/ALM) 31:43.

47. Pavel Kochetkov (RUS/KAT) 31:43.

48. Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL/WGG) 31:43.

49. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/DEN) 31:43.

50. Thomas De Gendt (BEL/LOT) 31:55.

51. Stefan Kung (SUI/BMC) 31:55.

52. Koen de Kort (NED/TRE) 31:55.

53. Kevin Ledanois (FRA/FST) 31:55.

54. Nikias Arndt (GER/SUN) 31:55.

55. Imanol Erviti (ESP/MOV) 31:55.

56. Omar Fraile (ESP/AST) 31:55.

57. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BOR) 31:55.

58. Tomasz Marczynski (POL/LOT) 31:55.

59. Thomas Degand (BEL/WGG) 31:55.

60. Mathias Frank (SUI/ALM) 31:55.

61. Julien Vermote (BEL/DDT) 31:55.

62. Simon Gerrans (AUS/BMC) 31:55.

63. Yoann Offredo (FRA/WGG) 31:55.

64. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/BMC) 31:55.

65. Darwin Atapuma (COL/EAU) 31:55.

66. Laurent Pichon (FRA/FST) 31:55.

67. Soren Kragh Andersen (DEN/SUN) 31:55.

68. Daryl Impey (RSA/MIT) 32:05.

69. Franco Pellizotti (ITA/BAH) 32:05.

70. Simon Clarke (AUS/EFD) 32:05.

71. Florian Vachon (FRA/FST) 32:05.

72. Paul Martens (GER/LNL) 32:05.

73. Gregor Muehlberger (AUT/BOR) 32:05.

74. Elie Gesbert (FRA/FST) 32:05.

75. Pawel Poljanski (POL/BOR) 32:05.

76. Lilian Calmejane (FRA/DEN) 32:05.

77. Romain Hardy (FRA/FST) 32:05.

78. Matthew Hayman (AUS/MIT) 32:05.

79. Daniel Martinez (COL/EFD) 32:05.

80. Jose Herrada Lopez (ESP/COF) 32:05.

81. Magnus Cort Nielsen (DEN/AST) 32:05.

82. Chad Haga (USA/SUN) 32:05.

83. Timo Roosen (NED/LNL) 32:05.

84. Christophe Laporte (FRA/COF) 32:05.

85. Wout Poels (NED/SKY) 32:05.

86. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) 32:05.

87. Arthur Vichot (FRA/FDJ) 32:05.

88. Nils Politt (GER/KAT) 32:05.

89. Thomas Boudat (FRA/DEN) 32:05.

90. Anthony Turgis (FRA/COF) 32:05.

91. Nicolas Edet (FRA/COF) 32:05.

92. Rory Sutherland (AUS/EAU) 32:05.

93. Marco Minnaard (NED/WGG) 32:05.

94. Toms Skujins (LAT/TRE) 32:05.

95. Michael Andersen (DEN/AST) 32:05.

96. Audrey Amador (CRC/MOV) 32:05.

97. Amael Moinard (FRA/FST) 32:05.

98. Dion Smith (NZL/WGG) 32:05.

99. Amund Grondahl Jansen (NOR/LNL) 32:05.

100. Fabien Grellier (FRA/DEN) 32:05.

101. Jerome Cousin (FRA/DEN) 32:05.

102. Romain Sicard (FRA/DEN) 32:05.

103. Ian Boswell (USA/KAT) 32:05.

104. Daniele Bennati (ITA/MOV) 32:05.

105. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/DDT) 32:34.

106. Dimitri Claeys (BEL/COF) 32:50.

107. Anthony Perez (FRA/COF) 32:50.

108. Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE/FDJ) 36:22.

109. Jasper Stuyven (BEL/TRE) 36:22.

110. Luke Rowe (GBR/SKY) 36:22.

111. Damien Gaudin (FRA/DEN) 36:22.

112. Julien Simon (FRA/COF) 38:23.

113. Timothy Dupont (BEL/WGG) 38:23.

114. Edward Theuns (BEL/SUN) 38:23.

115. Michael Hepburn (AUS/MIT) 38:23.

116. Marco Marcato (ITA/EAU) 38:23.

117. Heinrich Haussler (AUS/BAH) 38:23.

118. Luke Durbridge (AUS/MIT) 38:23.

119. Oliviero Troia (ITA/EAU) 38:23.

120. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/EAU) 38:23.

121. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA/BAH) 38:23.

122. Jack Bauer (NZL/MIT) 38:23.

123. Sep Vanmarcke (BEL/EFD) 38:23.

124. Jasper De Buyst (BEL/LOT) 38:23.

125. Yves Lampaert (BEL/QST) 38:23.

126. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA/DDT) 38:23.

127. Jay Thomson (RSA/DDT) 38:23.

128. Roberto Ferrari (ITA/EAU) 38:23.

129. Kristjan Koren (SLO/BAH) 38:23.

130. Andrea Pasqualon (ITA/WGG) 38:23.

131. Niki Terpstra (NED/QST) 38:23.

132. Tom Scully (NZL/EFD) 38:23.

133. Ramon Sinkeldam (NED/FDJ) 38:23.

134. John Degenkolb (GER/TRE) 38:23.

135. Olivier Le Gac (FRA/FDJ) 38:23.

136. Maciej Bodnar (POL/BOR) 38:23.

137. Michael Gogl (AUT/TRE) 38:23.

138. Jacopo Guarnieri (ITA/FDJ) 38:23.

139. Arnaud Demare (FRA/FDJ) 38:23.

140. Lukas Poestlberger (AUT/BOR) 38:23.

141. Daniel Oss (ITA/BOR) 38:23.

142. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG/QST) 38:23.

143. Peter Sagan (SVK/BOR) 38:23.

144. Lawson Craddock (USA/EFD) 38:23.

145. Taylor Phinney (USA/EFD) 40:33.

146. Jelle Vanendert (BEL/LOT) - retired