Tour de France peloton down twenty riders before Stage 13

Peter Sagan experienced some resistance from Alexander Kristoff on Friday but won a hat trick of 2018 Tour de France stage victories on a typical sprinter’s day. Kristoff is one of the few sprinters left in the race. Sky’s Geraint Thomas was undisturbed in yellow on Stage 13.

Sagan takes it from Kristoff by a wheel. #UAETeamEmirates #TdF2018 pic.twitter.com/UeskyM71Z2

— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamUAEAbuDhabi) July 20, 2018

After Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel were eliminated on time on Wednesday’s Alpine stage, double stage winners Fernando Gaviria and Dylan Groenewegen climbed off the bike on Thurday, along with Andre Greipel.

GC contender Richie Porte crashed out on Stage 9, and Rigoberto Uran and Vincenzo Nibali did not start stages due to injuries suffered in wrecks. Nibali’s Thursday crash was due to a Alpe d’Huez spectator’s camera strap. His vertebrae fracture ensured his withdrawal after a brave ride post-crash to lose only 13-seconds to Thomas.

Looks like this is what ended Nibali’s 2018 Tour ….!! @letour_uk #letour #TDF2018 #cycling #Nibali pic.twitter.com/IB7vgg1wh4

— Hayden Groves?‍? (@Hayden1974) July 20, 2018

Fifth place Romain Bardet is down to four AG2R teammates, while both Katusha and Lotto-Soudal can only field quartets at this point.

The ranks of the riders have been thinned dramatically since Le Grand Départ in the Vendée: 152 riders of 176 original rider remain. The last time there were fewer riders this early on in the race was on Bastille Day in 2000 from Avignon to Draguignan: 151 out 180 were still lined up.

2018 Tour de France Stage 13
1) Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Bora-Hansgrohe) 3:45:55
2) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/UAE-Emirates) s.t.
3) Arnaud Démare (France/Groupama-FDJ) s.t.

2018 Tour de France GC
1) Geraint Thomas (Great Britain/Sky) 53:10:38
2) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +1:39
3) Tom Dumoulin (The Netherlands/Sunweb) +1:50
4) Primoz Roglic (Slovenia/LottoNL-Jumbo) +2:46
5) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) 3:07