Tour drama: Tomorrow’s stage shortened after landslide shortens Stg 19; Bernal take lead - reaction; Tour slammed for 15m plastic-wrapped freebies; Dual carriageway leads to National TT boycott; the TdF Beefeaters; No Pinot but there is Wiggo + LOADS more

Due to the difficult weather conditions expected tomorrow and land slides noticed, the course of the 20th stage of the Tour de France will be modified.

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2019

When you first find out the stage is cancelled

NOTE: We 100% agree with the decision of the race, but nothing beats a initial shock reaction #TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/9IdOZJ3XC7

— Mitchelton-SCOTT (@MitcheltonSCOTT) July 26, 2019

Egan Bernal is the third Colombian rider to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey, after Victor Hugo Pena and Fernando Gaviria.

— CafeRoubaix (@CafeRoubaix) July 26, 2019

We absolutely love this@Eganbernal shows exactly how much it means to wear the yellow jersey of @LeTour #TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/SI8BtQEeoc

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 26, 2019

Would Alaphilippe have lost more time on the final climb to Tignes? Would Thomas have attacked again? And most importantly, did a group of crafty Frenchmen cause those landslides?

Julian Alaphilippe, after today’s cancelled stage pic.twitter.com/ya5iW10Ptl

— The Cycling Podcast (@cycling_podcast) July 26, 2019

Sean Kelly seems to have just kept on riding to the finish in Tignes! #TDF19 pic.twitter.com/gfk6N7Hf9c

— Bas Tietema (@BasTietema) July 26, 2019

Might be hard for the riders to even drive to the finish. https://t.co/7YrHnh8izj

— Race Radio (@TheRaceRadio) July 26, 2019

@vincenzonibali reacting to that news in the most Italian way possible pic.twitter.com/JvIqYE2X42

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 26, 2019

The day's course has been called due to adverse weather conditions, rider times have been taken at Col de l'Iseran.
La course est arrêtée à cause des conditions climatiques. Les temps sont pris en haut du Col de l'Iseran.#TDF2019

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2019

#TDF2019
This is why the stage to Tignes has been neutralised. As soon as we will know more what will happen we'll let you know. pic.twitter.com/8ZOJMsANv9

— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) July 26, 2019

What a race. What a day not to be french. Alaphilippe has two minutes to make up to Egan Bernal on this descent.

Oh and its hailing. This should be good.

Jonathan Vaughters sums this up best; 

Old skool bike racin.

— Jonathan Vaughters (@Vaughters) July 26, 2019

@Eganbernal joins @WarrenBarguil at the front of the race.
Egan Bernal rejoint Warren Barguil, qui état seul en tête de la course.#TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/kQO2TIJDge

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2019

The yellow jersey is currently 1'30 behind Bernal and Simon Yates and 1'00 behind Thomas. 

The Col d'Iseran, in 1938 pic.twitter.com/DN5AZ8FXq9

— Feargal McKay (@fmk_RoI) July 26, 2019

The riders are facing the first slopes up Col de l'Iseran, #TDF2019's highest summit.

Only 20 riders left in the #MaillotJaune group.#TDFdata pic.twitter.com/tpw4cg9t0y

— letourdata (@letourdata) July 26, 2019

As Pinot steps into the car in tears, one of the pool photographers pushes it too far and gets a kick in the nuts and a firm push backwards from his clearly-furious support team. pic.twitter.com/kOcp1sAMb6

— Joe Soap (@JoeSoap76) July 26, 2019

Pinot abandons in tears after losing over 3minutes in a few short kilometres. 

Abandon de Thibaut Pinot ! Le coureur de la Groupama-FDJ renonce à continuer en pleurs dans les bras de William Bonnet. #TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/cJ9NSmuIIg

— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) July 26, 2019

For the riders left, a long hard day is only just beginning as a strong breakaway has finally formed. 

A very hard battle in the first lumpy 35 km has seen a strong group of attackers emerge, featuring two riders inside the GC top 10: Rigoberto Uran and Alejandro Valverde.

Team Ineos are now driving a 56-man bunch.#TDF2019 #TDFdata pic.twitter.com/7N6ykkBzNe

— letourdata (@letourdata) July 26, 2019

There are rumours it was a bee sting, but whatever it was it looks like the Frenchman's Tour de France GC hopes are over after he loses over 2 minutes to the peloton. Notable that none of his team mates have waited for him.  It's all down to Alaphilippe now.

@ThibautPinot has already fallen 2 minutes behind the peloton.
⏱️ Thibaut Pinot est déjà à deux minutes du peloton.#TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/EFwKy2gJyS

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2019

The peloton is twitching as the short stage kicks off with lots of riders trying to get into the breakaway 

Before Julian Alaphilippe, only 7 French riders had worn the Maillot Jaune for at least 14 days on a single Tour de France. They all won the race except for René Vietto in 1947.#TDF2019 #TDFdata pic.twitter.com/kX0sVtmqYB

— letourdata (@letourdata) July 26, 2019

Nextbike struggled to find a corporate sponsor for the scheme.

Full story here.

Stage 19 / Étape 19

 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne -  Tignes

 Discover the 3D route of Stage 19.
 Découvrez le parcours 3D de l'Étape 19.#TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/MuZLcobpV7

— Tour de France (@LeTour) July 26, 2019

Team Ribble riders Dan Bigham, John Archibald and Si Wilson will boycott this weekend’s RTTC National 25 mile time trial.

The event is due to be held on the A25/11 course near Derby which runs along the A50.

The riders say that the A50 is unsafe for cyclists and have urged governing body Cycling Time Trials to move away from using dual carriageways.

.@Cycling_T_T Nat 25 this weekend. Myself, @jjzarchibald & @Si_Wilson won’t be lining up on the start line. We discussed this with @TeamRibble & they’ve supported our decision. As a local road I drive on many times a week, it’s not one I’m willing to ride on #MoreCircuitTTsPlease https://t.co/Uvj4Wkc63q

— Dan Bigham (@DanBiggles22) July 24, 2019

Reuters report that environmentalists are urging Tour de France organisers to rethink the handing out of freebies to spectators from corporate trucks on route, due to the amount of plastic waste it generates. 

The crowd are thrown essentials like bottles of water, but also keyrings, t-shirts and various other objects that amounts to over 15 million plastic-wrapped objects over the Tour. A few years ago, that number was as high as 18 million. 

Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France director, responded to the demand for action with a letter in L’Equipe saying that sponsors now had to pledge to reduce plastic, and that items such as caps and t-shirts were no longer distributed in plastic wrapping.

The Tour's main caterer is now handing out cutlery made out of bamboo instead of plastic, ahead of the EU's ban on many single-use plastic items in 2021. 

The only Links Rechts video you’ll ever need. Beefeaters, Bananaman, kids forced to where our hats whether they like it or not......oh and a T’Rex on his way to the shops . Peak Beefeater Bend! #TDF #TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/iTlvZUnVWH

— Beefeater Bend (@tdfbeefeaters) July 25, 2019

It's Friday, so here are some Beefeaters, a banana, a T-Rex and various others dancing to really bad europop.