Barguil peaks in final mountain stage, Froome sets eyes on Champs-Élyées

IZOARD. KAZINFORM French rider Warren Barguil fended off the pack during a grueling climb and scooped Thursday's stage 18 of the tour de France while Briton Chris Froome crossed the line with his grasp on the yellow jersey unscathed with just three stages between him and the final ride down the Champs-Élysees, EFE reports.

Barguil (Sunweb) was in his element ascending the Col'd'Izoard hors categorie summit that brought the 179.5 kilometer (111 miles) stage to close with 4 hours, 40 minutes and 33 seconds on the watch.

Darwin Atapuma (UAE Team Emirates), France's Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) and Froome (Team Sky) crossed the line 20 seconds later after an impressive ascent full of attacks and counterattacks.

The 7.3 percent gradient final ride up through the French Alps was played out on brutal hairpin bends that naturally benefited the climbers of the pack, but a consistent performance from Froome sees him retain the yellow jersey heading into two flat stages and a time trial to go.

Froome currently stands at 78:08:19 in the overall general classifications, some +0:0:23 ahead of Bardet and + 0:00:29 ahead of Colombian Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac).

Italy's Fabio Aru (Astana), who looked to be in contention for the general classification in the earlier stages, has dropped to +0:1:55 behind Froome.

Failing total disaster on the closing stages, a third consecutive Tour win looks to be well within Froome's grasp.

Stage 18 brought the pack pitted the pack against the mighty French Alps for the last time in this year's edition, offering the mountain experts a final run through their natural habitat in the shadow of the towering peaks in this breathtaking corner of the country.

Friday's stage 19 will bring the riders out of the Alps and down towards the south, a 222.5 km run from Embrun to Salon-de-Provence.