Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage 19 of the Tour de France - a short, sharp, sadistic schlep from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to the ski resort of La Toussuire. The 138km stage includes four big climbs and should see fireworks from the outset. We're live from 12:20 UK time - bring it on!

Tour de France

Stage 19 | Mountain | Men | 24.07.2015

Completed

Saint-Jean-de-MaurienneLa Toussuire

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Live Updates

ByThe Editorial Team

Updated 24/07/2015 at 15:53 GMT

35km

Rolland holds on to take the points over the top of the Mollard, but he only has 5 seconds over Nibali and so will be joined quickly on the descent.

35.5km

Sticky bottle for Nibali as he picks up some water from his Astana team car. Back with the pack, it's still Jose Herrada who sets the tempo for Movistar.

36km

Nibali has reduced the gap to just 32 seconds - Rolland is clearly tiring as he passes the 1km-to-go marker on this climb. He still leads the yellow jersey group by 2:05.

37km

Rolland is pulling a range of peculiar faces as he rides solo up the Mollard. He knows this combo of climbs well...

38km

Barguil is in difficulty - he got back in on the descent but has now been tailed off.

39km

Plaza, winner in Gap a few days ago, has been caught by the pack.

40km

There's a heated exchange between Froome and Valverde, resulting with the yellow jersey swinging out. They clearly have some beef - perhaps Valverde veered a little too close on that descent.

41km

Lone leader Pierre Rolland is straight onto the next climb, the Cat.2 Col du Mollard (5.7km at 6.8%). He has one minute over Nibali, 2:10 over Ruben Plaza and 2:30 over the pack.

42km

Warren Barguil is back with the yellow jersey group - that's impressive. Clearly no cows to hold him up today. Despite his travails on this descent, Rolland is still 2:25 ahead of the pack as he reaches the bottom of the drop.

45km

As reported by letour.com, Romain Bardet now virtually leads the KOM competition with 84 points, ahead of Joaquim Rodriguez (78), Chris Froome (75) and Jakob Fuglsang (64).

48km

Here's a GIF of that incident earlier between an old spectator and Froome - utterly shameful...

49km

Nibali is pushing it on this descent and has a little wobble on one corner - but so too does Rolland, who takes one corner very wide. Frantic stuff.

51km

There's a fair bit of jostling for positions on this descent between Quintana, Valverde, Poels and Froome... Valverde zips past both Sky riders with some gusto.

52km

With those points, Bardet is now the virtual leader of the KOM competition. Rodriguez was dropped earlier in the climb and is well down now.

54km

Bardet attacks from the main pack - he's in pursuit of those KOM points for third place ahead of the descent, which we know he can do well. Froome crosses for fourth place. They are 1:58 down on lone leader Rolland.

55km

Over the top goes Rolland to take maximum points over the Croix de Fer. Nibali crosses 1:04 behind.

55.2km

Remember - Thomas has been dropped and will lose time today and so there are places in the top 10 to play for.

55.5km

Gesink and Kreuziger drives the chase on Nibali - but the Italian has found a great tempo and he's cutting into Rolland's lead. He's such a good downhiller he may well catch the Frenchman on the descent.

56.5km

Rolland has 1:20 on Nibali and 1:55 over the yellow jersey group. He has one kilometre to go to the finish.

57km

Nibali continues his solo pusuit of Pierre Rolland. He has about 30 seconds on the main pack, in which Poels and Froome are back safely ensconced

57.5km

Terrible scene there as Froome is almost punched in the face by an old man gesticulating wildly and flicking the bird at the yellow jersey...

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