A time trial for Le Tour’s penultimate stage seems almost like a cruel joke, as fresh legs are not exactly the order of the day.  Nevertheless, as the race schedule has been strategically designed this way before, so it happens again– laying out just another test of true endurance.

Stage 20 found a winner in Germany’s Tony Martin, with yet further gain– now approaching eight minutes– for the wearer of le maillot jaune, not to mention France welcoming a not-recently-seen 2-3 Paris podium.  While tomorrow is of course still a competitive day, with all the unexpected that could yet occur, at this point it’s a safe bet to say, with little question:  Game over.