LA TOUSSUIRE, France -- Chris Froome always expected his rivals to throw everything at him and his lead in the Tour de France. He just didn't expect it would happen when he was stopped by the side of the road.
Showing bristle beneath his mild manners, Froome angrily tore into Vincenzo Nibali, calling him "unsportsmanlike," after the defending champion accelerated away while Froome was fixing a stuck wheel Friday on the toughest Alpine climb.
Nibali, who went on to win Stage 19, said, "He was very angry, but that's his problem."
Froome said a stone or piece of asphalt jammed between his brake and rear wheel on the Col de la Croix de Fer climb, forcing him to pull up momentarily to unjam it.
While Froome stopped, Nibali rode away.
Those weren't the only fireworks on the exhausting Alpine stage that moved Froome one step closer to a second Tour victory.
On the stage's final climb to the La Toussuire ski station, Nairo Quintana launched his most sustained and telling attack against Froome, and this time got the better of him.
Showing for the first time on this Tour that he's not untouchable, Froome chose not to stay with the Quintana, his closest rival, as he rode away, eating into the overall race lead.
Froome said he preferred to save energy for today's last Alpine stage, which features two very hard climbs. So rather than hunt down Quintana, Froome rode steadily, telling himself he needed to keep something in reserve.
He didn't hold back on Nibali.
At the finish, "I told him exactly what I thought of him," Froome said.
There was other unpleasantness out on the road. TV images of the final climb appeared to show a spectator spitting toward the race leader as he sped past.
Froome said he didn't see the man but called his behavior "appalling." Earlier in the Tour, Froome said another spectator threw a cup of urine at him and another punched his teammate Richie Porte.
Froome's lead of 2 minutes, 38 seconds over Quintana, down from 3:10 at the start, should still be enough to get the British rider through the last competitive day in the Alps before the final stage to Paris on Sunday, which is largely ceremonial and won't change the overall podium standings.
Still, the smaller cushion will force Froome to watch Quintana very carefully and means he cannot afford a bad day today on the two "Hors Categorie" climbs, so tough they defy categorization.
The last of those, up 21 hairpin bends to the Alpe d'Huez ski station, is cycling's most iconic ascent and will be lined with screaming spectators.
"It's the final test," Froome said. "I'm in a great position. I can't wait to get up there."
Nibali's victory Friday rescued what has otherwise been a disappointing Tour for him.
Nibali said he was "very disappointed" at the way Froome spoke to him at the finish with language "too hard and too unjust to be repeated."
He added that as far as he is concerned, no rule says other riders must wait when a race leader has an accident.
After fixing his bike, Froome rode furiously to catch back up with other podium contenders. But Nibali was gone, chasing French rider Pierre Rolland, who summited the Croix de Fer pass first.
Riding with the No. 1 bib as defending champion, Nibali has been crushed by Froome at this Tour. He started the day in seventh place, 8:04 behind.
Hitting 45 mph on the Croix de Fer descent and shaving the edges of bends, Nibali caught Rolland and overtook him on the final climb to La Toussuire.
With the time clawed back, Nibali jumped to fourth place, now 6:44 behind Froome. With third-place Alejandro Valverde just 1:19 ahead of him, a podium spot may not be out of reach for the Italian.
Sports on 07/25/2015