Thymen Arensman of Ineos Grenadiers secured his second victory of the Tour de France, attacking solo on the final climb to win a shortened Stage 19 from Albertville to La Plagne. Behind him, race leader Tadej Pogacar successfully defended his overall lead against Jonas Vingegaard without facing any significant challenges.
Arensman, who had previously triumphed on the summit finish to Superbagnères, made his decisive move from the elite group of riders on the ascent to the finish. Despite his advantage diminishing in the final two kilometres, the Dutch rider held on to win by just two seconds.
“I’m absolutely destroyed,” a drained Arensman said post-stage. “To win from the general classification group, against the strongest riders in the world, feels like I’m dreaming.” He explained that his lack of concern for the overall standings prompted his attack. “I thought, ‘I have no GC [interest], maybe I should just try, maybe they will look at each other.'”
The stage proved pivotal in the contest for the final podium position. Scotland’s Oscar Onley was dropped in the closing moments when third-placed Florian Lipowitz attacked, distancing Onley to solidify his hold on a podium finish in his debut Tour.
While the top contenders rode a steady pace for much of the final climb, Vingegaard made a late bid in the last kilometre, finishing just ahead of Pogacar on the day but failing to gain significant time in the general classification.
“I was counting down the kilometres,” said Pogacar, who congratulated Arensman on a “super good” performance. “It’s not been an easy Tour, people attacking me from day one to the end, so it’s about staying focused.”
The stage was reduced by nearly 40km after two climbs were removed from the route due to a local cull of infected cattle. Arensman’s victory offers a welcome success for his team, which has been addressing an anti-doping investigation involving a staff member from its former incarnation as Team Sky.
The race now heads toward its finale in Paris. The last stage, which follows the 2024 Olympic road race course, includes three challenging laps of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre. When asked about the potential for action on the final day, a weary Pogacar was dismissive. “I hope I just come to Paris with the yellow jersey. I don’t feel super-energised right now to think about racing on Sunday.”
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