After one of the more interesting stages of the 2019 Tour de France, the critical Stage 20 is upon us, and Saturday night marks the last chance for Yellow Jersey hopefuls to stake their claim.
We tipped the winner of Stage 14 last Saturday and we are back this weekend with another preview and betting tips for the all important penultimate stage!
2019 Tour de France Stage 20 Betting Tips
The Race
The race took an unexpected turn on Friday night in Stage 19. No state results were awarded after the state was abandoned in the later parts due to dangerous weather, however, the times were taken at the top of one of the mid stage climbs, which resulted in a new Yellow Jersey leader.
Columbian Egan Bernal snatched the Yellow Jersey from Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe in what will surely be a controversial decision from the race officials. The Team Ineos rider holds a 48 second advantage over Alaphilippe and a further 28 second lead over his teammate, Geraint Thomas.
With the final stage into Paris being a flat stage, Saturday night’s mountain finish will be the final chance for Alaphilippe or any other Yellow Jersey hopeful to challenge.
The Stage
Unfortunately for the other contenders, the Stage 20 route has been shortened to just 59km in total due to weather conditions, giving them less time to potentially pull that lead back.
However, the stage will be largely made up of the hors category climb up the Val Thorens, which is 33.4km long and 5.4% gradient at its steepest points.
Val Thorens has only ever hosted one stage top finish in the history of the Tour de France, which was won by Nelson Rodriguez all the way back in 1994. At the time, it was the second highest elevation for a stage finish in Tour de France history.
Predictions
It was another Columbian that was dominant in Satge 19 in Egan Bernal, and he opens as favourite to claim the win atop the Val Thorens. However, we’ll be looking elsewhere for value on Saturday night, as we think Bernal will be more focused on staying with the main group of contenders to ensure he keeps his GC lead.
There’s some real potential for a breakaway to succeed on Saturday night especially because it’s a shortened stage with just one climb, meaning potential leaders wont have to endure through multiple mountains.
Frenchman Romain Bardet is currently the King of the Mountains leader with 86 points, 12 ahead of his nearest competitor. With 20 points up for grabs for the first across the line, Bardet will want to ensure that he is in the top few so he retains his King of the Mountains jersey.
He might not be an elite climber but with the stage being just 59km in total tonight, we think that brings some of the lesser known climbers into play. At $41, we think he’s a great chance here.
