Barguil became the King of the Mountains in the 2017 Tour de France.

Setting a record with his climb of Col d'Izoard, the young French rider won the Polka Dot Jersey for the King of the Mountains.

Stage 18 is highlighted by the finish line atop the Izoard, the final mountain of the 2017 Tour de France. This also marks the first time this legendary peak has served as the finish line for a stage in the world's most prestigious road cycling race.

Warren Barguil (Sunweb team) celebrated his King of the Mountains title in the most perfect way possible. The 25-year-old cyclist set a Tour de France record by climbing the 14.1 km Izoard mountain in just 38 minutes and 15 seconds, with an average gradient of 7.1 degrees. Barguil's achievement surpassed the previous record by almost 2 minutes.

Barguil finished the stage with a total time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, and 33 seconds, at least 20 seconds ahead of the runners-up. “This victory is miraculous and unbelievable,” Barguil said excitedly. “This is a dream come true for me. I feel like I’m in heaven right now.”

That victory gave Barguil 169 points in the race for the Polka Dot Jersey for the best overall mountain performance at the Tour de France. He was 89 points ahead of second-placed Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo). Therefore, even though the Tour de France still has three stages left, theoretically, the riders behind him no longer have a chance to catch up. He only needs to compete until the final stage in Paris to claim the top spot.

The achievement of the 25-year-old rider is even more significant considering that he had fallen and fractured his hip at the Tour de Romandie at the end of April. Barguil still managed to recover in time to participate in the 2017 Tour de France, but in the first week he was almost invisible in the mountain stages. From the second week onwards, Barguil dominated his rivals, gradually pulling ahead and creating a large points gap. This is a well-deserved victory for the home rider.

It's almost certain that Team Sunweb will win two titles at this year's Tour de France. Besides Barguil's Polka Dot Jersey, Michael Matthews is also virtually guaranteed the Green Jersey overall. The focus now rests solely on the champion. Chris Froome continues to perform consistently with excellent support from his Team Sky teammates. Behind him, Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) and Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) remain in the chase.

Froome will continue to wear the Yellow Jersey in Stage 19, as the cyclists leave the Alps. The British rider has a great opportunity to achieve a hat trick with three consecutive Tour de France victories.

Results of stage 18

1. Warren Barguil (French national/Sunweb team) 4 hours 40 minutes 33 seconds
2. Darwin Atapuma (Colombia/UAE Team Emirates) +20 seconds
3. Romain Bardet (France/AG2R La Mondiale)

Yellow Jersey (Top Rank)

1. Chris Froome (England/Team Sky) 78 hours 08 minutes 19 seconds
2. Romain Bardet (France/AG2R La Mondiale) +23 seconds
3. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/Cannondale-Drapac) +29 seconds

Scoreboard (Blue Shirt)

1. Michael Matthews (Australia/Sunweb) 364 points
2. Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto Soudal) 204 points
3. Sonny Colbrelli (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) 163 points

Stage 19 (Friday – July 21): Embrun - Salon-de-Provence, 222.5 km long.

According to VNE