Tour de France: Primoz Roglic keeps lead as Michal Kwiatkowski wins stage 18

Michal Kwiatkowski (right) and Richard Carapaz (left) embrace as Ineos take a one-two on stage 18 of the 2020 Tour de France

Michal Kwiatkowski led a superb Ineos Grenadiers one-two on stage 18 to help salvage their Tour de France as Primoz Roglic took a step closer to the title.

Poland’s Kwiatkowski and team-mate Richard Carapaz crossed the line arm-in-arm after riding away from the rest of the field on a tough mountain stage.

Roglic and his Jumbo-Visma team held off any attacks as he maintained his 57-second lead with three stages to go.

Britain’s Adam Yates slipped from fifth to seventh overall.

Former world champion Kwiatkowki’s first ever individual Grand Tour stage victory capped a strong showing by Ineos since defending champion Egan Bernal dropped out of contention before abandoning after stage 16.

The British team have been active in the breakaways, with Carapaz coming close on both stage 16 and 17, before Kwiatkowski secured their first win of the 2020 Tour.

“That was some day – I can’t describe how grateful I am to the whole team and Richard. I will never forget that,” said Kwiatkowski.

“I’ve had some nice moments in cycling but that was something new. I had goosebumps for the final kilometres because I knew we were going to make it. It was incredible.”

More to follow.