Tour de France 2018 – stage 20 LIVE: Latest updates as Geraint Thomas set to win after flawless time trial

Thomas avoided disaster in the penultimate stage - the 31km individual time trial to Espelette - to earn the right to take the yellow jersey to Paris

Tour De France 2018- Flash summary Stage 19

If Tom Dumoulin could have designed the final stage it would have been something like this – a lumpy 31km time trial for which he is a strong favourite. But the Dutchman must make up more than two minutes on Geraint Thomas if he is to win the yellow jersey, and over a course expected to take around 44 minutes that seems an unlikely proposition.

Thomas just needs to avoid some disastrous moment – a crash or puncture or sudden blow-up – on route from Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle to Espelette, and in the form he is in he will surely have enough to clinch his maiden grand tour.

Meanwhile Chris Froome will be fighting with Primoz Roglic for a place on the podium, having been displaced by the Slovenian who won yesterday's stage 19 to Laruns, albeit in controversial circumstances.

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Key Points

• The race so far in 80 photos
• What fans really think of Team Sky
• Stage 20 preview: Thomas's race to lose

[28 July 2018 15:08 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Top 20

The top 20 are now hitting the road and Geraint Thomas is warming up. It will be interesting to see how Sky's Egan Bernal goes, the young Colombian who is the next in line to be their superstar rider.

[28 July 2018 15:21 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Kwiatkowski still leads the standings. Five riders left to come...

[28 July 2018 15:21 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Adam Yates crosses the line fifth as Steven Kruijswijk sets off. Froome next.

[28 July 2018 15:27 · Lawrence Ostlere]

One or two boos for Froome but actually a lot of clapping along the road as he sets off. Perhaps it would be different if he was winning. The strangest thing that's happened today is the news that Tom Dumoulin lost his skinsuit, or misplaced it, and had to have won driven to him by the manufacturing company. Here he goes, dressed up in the rainbow colours of the world champion...

[28 July 2018 15:28 · Lawrence Ostlere]

The final man to go: Geraint Thomas. How must he be feeling now? If the rest of the Tour is anything to go by then he's probably absolutely fine, but I must admit I'm a little nervous for him, even if it's virtually a done deal. Here comes the man in the yellow jersey...

[28 July 2018 15:38 · Lawrence Ostlere]

A reminder that Chris Froome is 13 seconds down on Primoz Roglic in the standings and needs to overturn that deficit if he is to finish on the podium. The first checkpoint is 13km in and Froome is nearly there.

[28 July 2018 15:45 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Yikes! Thomas almost crashes, his bike wiggling underneath him as he entered a tight right turn, but he was at a slow pace and managed to keep control. That was terrifying.

[28 July 2018 15:47 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Chris Froome leads the standings at the first checkpoint, 13km, by two seconds from Dumoulin. Thomas still to come through.

[28 July 2018 15:47 · Lawrence Ostlere]

The moment Thomas began his ride:

[28 July 2018 15:51 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Thomas is fastest through the first checkpoint! He talked this week about not just limiting the damage but trying to win this time trial, and it might just come to pass here.