SAINT-JEAN-DE-MAURIENNE, France — Chris Froome is halfway through the Alps, the last obstacle to his second Tour de France victory, after comfortably maintaining his race lead on a Stage 18 won in style by Romain Bardet on Thursday.
Bardet rode alone down the huge Glandon pass and up the 18 hairpin bends of the Montvernier Laces, previously unclimbed by the Tour, to take a solo victory at Saint-Jean-De-Maurienne on the second of four days in the Alps, the last big test before the finish in Paris on Sunday. Pierre Rolland of the Europcar team made it a 1-2 French finish, coming in 33 seconds behind the winner for AG2R La Mondiale.
As they did on the first Alpine stage on Wednesday, Froome’s rivals again tested the Team Sky rider but couldn’t make him crack over seven climbs.
"Everyone attacked," Froome said.
Two-time champion Alberto Contador showed spirit, with a burst of speed on the 22-kilometre (14-mile) long climb up to the Glandon pass, but he couldn’t claw back the minutes he lost on Wednesday in a crash.
"One of the hardest days for me," Contador said. "I was in pain."
Froome, Contador, and other podium contenders finished together in a group of 10 riders who rode in three minutes behind Bardet, who remains too far down the overall standings — in 10th place, nearly 13 minutes back from Froome — to have realistic ambitions for the podium this year.
But, at age 24, the second French stage winner confirmed that he is a big talent for the future. He placed sixth at the Tour last year. He hasn’t been consistent enough to improve on that this year, but he is the highest-placed French rider so far.
Bardet rode away at the top of the punishing Glandon climb — the hardest Alpine ascent so far — and built a lead on the long descent. He held it up the Montvernier Laces, where the road spaghettis back and forth in a spectacular series of switchbacks.
"A crazy stage," Bardet said. "I can’t believe it."
The hairpins are so narrow that police stopped fans from lining the road there as they do elsewhere, making the telegenic ascent eerily quiet. But a cheering crowd waiting from Bardet at the top gave him a burst of energy to the finish.
"I had goosebumps," he said.
Froome remains 3 minutes, 10 seconds ahead of second-placed Nairo Quintana, and 4:09 ahead of the Colombian’s Movistar teammate, Alejandro Valverde.
Froome identifies those two as the riders he must watch most closely over last two days in the Alps, especially since they could work together against him on the very tough climbs. The crescendo will come Saturday on the 21-hairpin bends to the Alpe d’Huez ski station that will be teeming with fans.
"It’s the last challenge," said Froome. "We can really expect it to be a big finale."
Victoria’s Ryder Hesjedal was in 47th place.
The Tour has covered 3,000 kilometres (1,865 miles). Chances have nearly run out for Froome’s rivals to try to dislodge the 2013 winner. And he says he feels stronger than he did at the same point two years ago.
"Two more stages left of real racing," he said. "This time two years ago I was just sort of hanging on."