Tour de France 2021: stage 20 individual time trial, Libourne to Saint-Émilion– live! | Sport

Bissegger, the clubhouse leader, speaks to Eurosport: “We will see what the time is actually worth in the end, but I think I did my best. I felt really bad, but I think nobody feels really well after three weeks of the Tour … everybody’s tired, you’re not going to feel really good, but I think I did my best so I have to be happy anyway. I hope it will be enough … Küng, Pogacar and Wout van Aert are the most challenging riders, I would say.”

Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) and Greg Van Avermaet (AG2R Citroën Team) are among the riders out on the course right now. Bissegger remains in the hot seat, with a time eight seconds faster than Bjerg’s.

“I’ll be bitterly disappointed if these reports of mechanical doping turn out to have any substance,” emails Paul Griffin. “A device hidden in the hub, or an energy recuperator in the braking system would be a grave breach of trust; an insult to the sport, and its fans: and little short of a dishonourable disgrace. A rusting, blunted dagger to the heart of fairness and integrity. By the way, does anyone know where I can get one either of these devices, and how easy they are to fit? Willing to pay top dollar as I’m very, very keen to investigate.”

The first time I visited the Tour de France was in 2009, for an individual time trial at Lake Annecy. Bradley Wiggins was riding high in the general classification with Garmin-Slipstream, but he eventually produced a disappointing ride: He said he went out too hard after being whipped up by cheering fans by the start ramp. I was one of those cheering fans, so clearly have to take some responsibility.

Incidentally, Fabian Cancellara was furious after the stage, having been beaten to the win by Alberto Contador, because he claimed Contador’s police motorbike escort given him a big aerodynamic benefit, and also did an effective job of clearing the fans away from the road that other riders didn’t enjoy. I reckon he had a point.

Mikkel Bjerg, who set the second-fastest time, speaks to Eurosport: “I just did my best today – it was enough for me to make the hot seat … but I’m really proud of my effort today. Actually the spectators on the course were crazy today, it was 30km of people, it was a really special feeling to do a TT with that many people.”

Stefan Bissegger, the 22-year-old in his first full year as a professional with EF-Education-Nippo, goes fastest in 36’37” – an average speed of 50km/h! He rode the course eight seconds faster than Bjerg, of UAE-Team Emirates.

Bissegger will be roaring home into Saint-Émilion shortly: can he better Bjerg’s impressive mark?

Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) sets the fastest time! He’s flown around the course in 36’45”, with an average speed of 50.3km/h. He becomes the first rider to break the magic 50km/h mark.

Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) is out on the road. He had a draining day yesterday in the break, trying to grab a stage win, and will be feeling that in his legs.

Bjerg sets the fastest time at Montagne – 24’38” – a minute faster than Walscheid.

Max Walscheid (Qhubeka NextHash) sets the new fastest time: 37’54”.

Tim Declercq, the first man to race the time trial course today:

In addition to the controversy that currently surrounds Bahrain Victorious following that police raid in Pau, we’ve also now got allegations of mechanical doping at this Tour de France.

An anonymous rider was quoted on cyclingnews.com, from a report in a Swiss newspaper, regarding suspicions over bikes being used by four teams: “There is a strange noise. I can hear it while riding. It comes from the rear wheels. A strange metallic noise, like a badly adjusted chain. I’ve never heard that anywhere.”

Another anonymous rider said: “There is no longer talk of a motor in the crankset or an electromagnet system in the wheel rims, but of a device hidden in the hub. We are also talking about an energy recuperator via the brakes. The inertia is stored like in Formula 1.”

Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-Nippo) goes sixth hundredths of a second faster than Bjerg at the check in Pomerol.

Mark Cavendish speaks to Eurosport on his time trial effort: “You just absorb it, you’re just getting through to Paris … We used to do 50/60km ones so 30km isn’t too bad … here in the vineyards around Bordeaux, it’s pretty spectacular, so I was just enjoying the atmosphere one more time before Paris.”

Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) goes fastest at Pomerol, in 9’16”.

Dries Devenyns now fastest in 37’59”.

The reason all the Deceuninck-Quick-Step riders are bunched together in the GC, and therefore the time trial start order, is that they have been riding with Cavendish to lead him through the mountains and all lost large amounts of time as a result.

And indeed, Cavendish’s teammate Mørkøv swiftly takes over in the hot seat. He finishes the course in 39’35”.

Cavendish goes fastest, in 40’05”. As it stands, he’s clubhouse leader and is on course for a 35th Tour stage win. But it won’t be that way for very long, of course …

Declercq is the first man to finish the 30.8km course, in a time of 40’20”, an average of 45.8km/h.

Tim Declercq (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) is inside the final 3km of his time trial today and he will give us an early marker when he crosses the finish line. Not that the eventual winner’s time will bear much resemblance to the Belgian’s.

Bradley Wiggins, on a motorbike out on the road for Eurosport, directly contradicts Froome’s assessment of the course by saying it’s tricky and technical.

Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) rides past hundreds of cheering fans. There are caravans parked at the roadside, and a few gazebos to shelter from the sun. The great thing about a time trial, for fans at roadside, is that it’s a whole day of sport to watch as opposed to about 20 seconds, in the case of many road stages.

Declercq now gives us a marker at the second time check in Montagne: 27’16”.

Dries Devenyns is now fastest into the time check at Pomerol, in 9’22”.

Cavendish is halfway through the 30.8km course now. Greipel, his old adversary in many Tour de France sprints, rolls down the ramp, 15km behind the Manxman in Libourne.

André Greipel, one of the nicest and most respected riders in the professional peloton, has announced his imminent retirement. He has won 22 grand tour stages including 11 at the Tour de France:

This is what the official Tour site has to say about today’s time trial:

“The second time check is located at Montagne, km 20, but it’s a flattish conclusive individual time trial in the prestigious vineyard of Saint-Émilion. This is a reminder of the Bordeaux to Pauillac won by Fabian Cancellara in 2010 and it might well be another Swiss specialist who will make the best of a specific preparation as he also has in mind another time trial coming soon at the Tokyo Olympics. Wout van Aert is another serious candidate but they believe that Tadej Pogacar has the key. The Slovenian already outclassed them all in the first ITT in Laval. His advantage overall is big enough for him to take it easy but he just loves racing …”

Michael Mørkøv is currently fastest at the Pomerol check, in 09’53”. Cavendish was, very briefly, the fastest out on the road at the first time check, two seconds slower than his teammate and lead-out man.

Froome starts his time trial. There are some cheers and a few boos as he rolls down the ramp and gets going. “A residue of angst from French cycling fans,” says Carlton Kirby on commentary.

Chris Froome has done a course recon, and now talks to Eurosport: “It’s very much a power time trial. It’s not too technical, a few sort of rolling bumps … I think it’s got Pogacar written all over it, maybe someone like Wout van Aert, someone who can really open up and get the power out on the road. This is definitely going to suit the time-triallists.

“It’s incredible to see the crowds that have come out today … it’s going to be a great day for a lot of people.”

Declercq, the first rider on the road, is approaching Pomerol now under clear blue skies.

I just Googled ‘Pomerol wine’, and the first bottle that came up costs a mere £3,130.74.

Mark Cavendish rolls down the start ramp. He takes a second to smile and wave at the crowds, which indicates how seriously he is racing in this stage, before tucking into this time trial position.

And they’re off: Tim Declercq, the last-placed rider in GC, is out on course in Libourne, heading for Saint-Émilion.

The time check points today come at Pomerol (7.6km) and at Montagne 20.1km. The highest point on the course, appropriately, is at Montagne, 93m above sea level.

Before the start of yesterday’s stage, Mark Cavendish had an issue with his bike, and lost his temper with one of the Deceuninck–Quick-Step mechanics. The video of the incident was doing the rounds on social media –

In a post on Instagram last night, Cavendish wrote the following:

“Many of you will have seen the video from the start of today’s stage. During a day of the Tour de France, as riders we are put in a perilous situation and I wanted my bike to be perfect, in order to help me stay safe.

“My bike had some problems when I got on it this morning. Despite this, I should not have reacted in the way that I did and not so publicly. I’ve been extremely close friends with my mechanics for over a decade and they’ve worked tirelessly to ensure I’ve always been safe and successful. Although they know how short I can be when I’m stressed, no-one, especially those you care about, deserve to have a voice raised to them.

“Truly, one of the biggest factors of the success Deceuninck–Quick-Step team is that we are a family, and we love and care for each other, and conversations should be kept within that family. We have now spoken about what happened and as a group the Wolfpack will do our best to have a successful finish to #tdf2021”

Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) powered away from a large breakaway group 25km from the finish to win stage 19 on Friday, and provoked plenty of post-stage debate with his ‘zip it’ gesture as he crossed the line. After the stage, he talked about the police raid on the team’s hotel in Pau and insisted once again that the team have nothing to hide. Here is Jeremy Whittle’s report:

The start times today are in reverse order in the general classification. So Tim Declercq (Deceuninck–Quick-Step), who is in last place in GC nearly five hours down, is first off at 12.05pm UK time. The overall race leader, Pogacar, will roll down the ramp at 4.19pm UK time. You can see a full list of start times here on the official Tour website (142 riders remain in the race with two stages to go).

The final time trial of last year’s Tour de France provided the race’s most dramatic denouement since Greg LeMond denied Laurent Fignon by eight seconds on the Champs-Élysées in 1989. Tadej Pogacar struck a crushing final blow to Primoz Roglic at La Planche des Belles Filles, beating his Slovenian compatriot by nearly two minutes on the day and taking the yellow jersey for the first time in the race – just in time for Paris.

What are the chances of seeing similar drama today and Pogacar, UAE-Team Emirates’ champion-elect, overhauled? “Slim and none,” as Don King once said. “And slim’s outta town.” Pogacar leads Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) by 5mins 45secs in the general classification, with Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) six seconds further behind. If Pogacar stays upright, he will secure a second Tour de France triumph, with only tomorrow’s ceremonial stage left to negotiate.

There’s plenty to look forward today, though: a largely flat and extremely scenic 30.8km individual time trial that winds it way through the vineyards of some of world’s most famous wines. Pomerol, Lussac and Saint Émilion all feature along the route and riders such as Stefan Küng and Wout van Aert will be giving everything to deny Pogacar a second ITT victory of the race. The first rider rolls down the start ramp at 12.05 UK time. Allez!