Chris Froome bloodied but unbowed in thrilling stage

He might have been on the deck after crashing hard and he might have crossed the line behind his rivals but a bloodied Chris Froome doggedly retained the race lead on a thrilling 19th stage of the Tour de France yesterday.

The Team Sky rider came down on a wet descent 11 kilometres from the finish line as the pace was really on and only for his teammate Geraint Thomas offering up his own bike, Froome’s seemingly unassailable lead could well have been wiped out.

He’s been unshakable this past three weeks and looks odds-on to ride into Paris tomorrow in the yellow jersey for the third time in his career but it could have all been so different.