French break open champagne as Alaphilippe bags stage and Tour lead

Julian Alaphilippe produced a magnificent show of power in stage three yesterday to give France its first win and take the overall lead in the 2019 Tour de France. The win means a French rider has the overall leader’s yellow jersey for the first time in five years.

The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider took a huge gamble with his long range effort. He slipped away from the pack after vying for bonus seconds on the penultimate climb, assuming a daredevil, aerodynamic crouch at the crest and breaking clear.

By the time he crossed the Marne, still an agonising 10km through the champagne vineyards from Epernay, he was almost a minute ahead. Alaphilippe was strong enough to cling on and win by 26 seconds, despite a desperate effort from the pack to reel him in.

“I was really up for it today, so when I saw the chance I went all in,” said a red-faced Alaphilippe after his third ever stage win and his first yellow jersey. “I should have waited until the end, I know, but I just went full gas when I saw the gap.”

Thomas loses time on last hill

Amazingly, it is the first time a French rider has had the overall lead since Tony Gallopin wore yellow in 2014. Alaphilippe was the toast of France yesterday. A small break in the chasing pack saw defending champion Geraint Thomas lose five seconds to his Team Ineos co-leader Colombian 22-year-old Egan Bernal and to French hope Thibaut Pinot.

“That climb where Alaphilippe went was steep and it was hard, but I just knew I didn’t have the legs to go for the bonus sprint,” Thomas said. “Then it was just a case of getting to the finish and being safe,” said Thomas, whose Ineos team did much of the chasing.

The crowd on the last hill had been expecting a bare-knuckle struggle, but went wild as Alaphilippe came up alone and rose in his saddle to swagger over the last steep climb.