The Slovakian superstar faces not winning the Škoda Green Jersey for only the second time since 2012. And Bora–Hansgrohe will not give up Sagan’s reign in the points competition easily. Today, on stage 19, they are ready to give Sam Bennett a run for his money. It’s a lumpy parcours to Champagnole with a category-four climb before the intermediate sprint. More points are waiting at the finish line. There is no question that Sagan will be on the offensive. But will it be enough? There are more points to be had for the winner on the Champs-Élysées, but Bennett has a healthy 52-point lead.
Still, the Irishman feels the weight of the Škoda Green Jersey, as he admitted after yesterday’s stage: “It was hard, but I knew the start of the stage was very important. I had to follow Sagan and beat him at the intermediate sprint. The rest of the stage was not so pleasant. We found ourselves in a very big breakaway and I’m happy I got some more points. I try not to think of how close I am to winning the green jersey. I prefer to go day by day.”
And don’t forget about Matteo Trentin. He’s trailing only 11 points behind Sagan and could still make a huge comeback. Sam Bennett might be the safe bet now, but would you make that bet? Let us know!
Points Classification After Stage 18
1. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) 298 pts
2. Peter Sagan (Bora–Hansgrohe) 246 pts
3. Matteo Trentin (CCC Team) 235 pts
4. Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels–Vital Concept) 171 pts
5. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) 158 pts
6. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) 150 pts
7. Wout van Aert (Jumbo–Visma) 142 pts
8. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) 123 pts
9. Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) 120 pts
10. Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo–Visma) 101 pts
