The Tour de France is Chris Froome's to lose after his victory in the stage 18 time trial put him almost four minutes clear in the yellow jersey.
Froome beat Dutch time-trial specialist Tom Dumoulin by 21 seconds over the 17-kilometres course from Sallanches to Megeve, but even more important was the gap back to the rest of the general classification contenders.
Team Sky's Froome took one minute and 25 seconds out of Trek-Segafredo's Bauke Mollema to stretch his lead to three minutes and 52 seconds, with two mountain stages left before the traditional parade into Paris.
Giant-Alpecin's Dumoulin won the other time trial of this Tour, stage 13 to La Caverne du Pont d'Arc, and was the favourite again but could not match Froome in the latter part of the course.
The steepest climb came in the first half of the stage on the Cote de Domancy, but it was after that point that Froome picked up 44 seconds on Dumoulin to seal his second stage win of this Tour and seventh of his career.
"I really didn't expect to beat Tom today," Froome said of his rival for glory in next month's Olympic time trial. "I think pacing was key today. I really started off quite steady and really controlled that first part and then just gave it everything I had over the last part."
The 31-year-old is closing in on what would be a third Tour title following his successes in 2013 and 2015.
Eddy Merckx, the five-time Tour winner, called Froome a "great champion" and said he could go on to win many more Tours.
"You see the riders who are behind him and I don't know who can beat him next year," Merckx said.
"He is complete. He did a good time trial, he is good in the descent. Overall he is the best at the moment and when you are the best of the moment you have to win."
The hilly course made equipment choice difficult but critical. Unlike many others, Froome went out on a full time trial bike, taking advantage of a new lighter model from the team's supplier.
"I looked at the parcours and thought I should use a road bike but the (team's) analysis was to go with the full TT set up, and with the new Pinarello time trial bike I saved a lot of weight there," Froome said. "I could use a time trial bike and not worry about having to get a 9kg bike up the climb."
Adam Yates put in a fine ride and picked up a couple of seconds on Mollema, but while he kept third place overall the vultures are circling around the 23-year-old Briton with Nairo Quintana, Romain Bardet and Richie Porte now all within 45 seconds of him after time gains.
"It is going to be tough," Yates said of staying in the podium places. "There are a lot of guys to watch, a lot of guys to make sure don't gain any time.
"For me, Porte is the main guy. Every day he is looking stronger. If he didn't have that puncture at the beginning of the race (on stage two) in my opinion he'd be on the podium already."
Yates has looked every bit the future Grand Tour winner in this race. The Orica-BikeExchange rider continues to point to time trialling as his weakness but has limited his losses against the clock.
"Both time trials have been quite hilly and that suits me more than 50k on the flat," he said. "Today wasn't great but it also wasn't bad. I was feeling strong at the first time check but then kind of faded and was peddling squares towards the end. But that's to be expected. It's the third week of the Tour de France. Everyone's tired, not just me."
Porte finished fourth in the time trial, 33 seconds off Froome's time of 30 minutes 43 seconds, to rekindle hopes of a podium.
The Australian, who left Team Sky for BMC in the winter, saw his yellow jersey hopes wrecked when he lost one minute 45 seconds to a late puncture on stage two to Cherbourg, but has rebounded strongly and appears to be the best of the contenders in the Alps.
"I think I showed today I'm climbing well," Porte said. "The next couple of days are mountain heavy so let's hope I can chip away some time. I'll fight for the podium, I really want it. I hope all my bad luck is behind me."
Movistar's Quintana had been expected to be Froome's biggest rival in this Tour but, while he boosted his podium hopes, the Colombian now sits four minutes and 37 seconds off yellow, with his team suggesting he is suffering from an allergy.
But if Quintana has been the biggest disappointment so far, none of Froome's rivals have yet shown they have the beating of him in any department.
"His team-mates are stronger than this rivals," Merckx said.
Source: PA-WIRE
