Cycling – Tour de France – The 27.5-km Stage 13 Individual Time Trial from Pau to Pau – July 19, 2019 – Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Julian Alaphilippe of France, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, finishes. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
July 19, 2019
PAU, France (Reuters) – France’s Julian Alaphilippe claimed an impressive victory in the 13th stage of the Tour de France, a 27.2-km individual time trial, to extend his overall lead on Friday.
The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider clocked 35 minutes over the lumpy course to beat defending champion Geraint Thomas by 14 seconds and Belgian Thomas De Gendt by 36 seconds.
Alaphilippe now leads Thomas, who is emerging as Team Ineos’ sole leader, by 1:26 and Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk by 2:12.
Saturday’s 14th stage is a 117.5-km mountain trek from Tarbes ending at top of the Col du Tourmalet.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)