Account
Tour de France 2021: Stage 20 Route, Live-Stream Schedule, TV Info for July 17
July 17, 2021
Tadej Pogacar has one more opportunity to reinforce his lead on top of the Tour de France overall classification during Saturday's Stage 20 individual time trial.
The reigning Tour de France champion and current yellow jersey holder built up a five-minute and 45-second lead over Jonas Vingegaard in the previous 19 stages.
Pogacar has had an answer for every threat tossed at him, and he did not show any weaknesses during the mountain stages in the Alps and Pyrenees.
Saturday's 30.8-kilometer individual time trial from Libourne to Saint-Emilion should be a coronation of Pogacar's second Tour de France title more than anything.
Someone else may win the stage itself, but unless Pogacar delivers the worst ride of his life, he will enter Paris on Sunday with the maillot jaune.
Tour de France Stage 20 Info
Distance: 30.8 kilometers
Route: Libourne to Saint-Emilion
TV: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Sports app and NBCSports.com.
Individual Time Trial Order
Preview
Pogacar will exit the starting gate in Libourne, France, at 5:19 p.m. local time (11:19 a.m. ET).
Based on what we have seen from the Slovenian over the last two weeks, he should create more separation between himself and his biggest rivals.
The 22-year-old has three stage victories at the 2021 Tour de France. The first of the three came during an individual time trial on Stage 5. He won back-to-back mountain days on Stages 17 and 18.
Only one rider came within 20 seconds of Pogacar on Stage 5. None of the top general classification contenders finished within 25 seconds of the leader.
That is yet another promising sign for Pogacar's title defense. If he is in yellow after Stage 20, he will be unofficially confirmed as the race winner. Stage 21's run into Paris is used to celebrate the victor of the competition before the sprinters take over for the stage victory once the race reaches the French capital.
Saturday's bigger story will be who wins the battle for second place between Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz.
Vingegaard holds a six-second advantage over Carapaz entering Stage 20. He was the better finisher in the Stage 5 time trial. Vingegaard was third and Carapaz landed in 23rd position.
If Carapaz is unable to better Vingegaard's time in Stage 20, he will have to settle for third place and the bottom spot on the podium in Paris.
There could be a fight for fourth place between Ben O'Connor and Wilco Kelderman if the latter makes up most of his 32-second deficit on the course. Kelderman finished seven seconds faster than O'Connor in Stage 5.
Most of the other top 10 riders are spread out by over a minute, so it would take a significant ride by some competitors, or a brutal day on course, to change the order beneath the top five.
As for the stage win, Pogacar and Vingegaard are the two favorites from the riders at the top of the overall standings.
However, there are a few time trial specialists who could finish the Tour on a high note with a stage victory.
Wout Van Aert and Kasper Asgreen both placed inside the top six in Stage 5 within 37 seconds of Pogacar.
Stefan Kung, who took second in Stage 5, is another rider to look out for who has not made waves in the general classification.
No other classifications will be decided by Saturday's stage results. Pogacar leads the young rider competition, Bahrain Victorious has a 23-minute lead in the team race and there are no significant climbs or sprints to affect those two disciplines.