Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky seized his opportunity to grab a firm hold on a 2012 Tour de France title, as the general classification leader jumped out to a comfortable Stage 19 time trial win on Saturday. He and teammate Chris Froome are Nos. 1 and 2 in the Tour standings, marking a very successful event for Team Sky. Here is a bit more on the implications of Saturday's action, via SB Nation's cycling blog Podium Cafe:
Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky punctuated his impending Tour de France victory with an utterly dominant performance in the penultimate time trial, a 53km ride from Booneval to Chartres. By winning Stage 19 with over a minute to spare over teammate Chris Froome, Wiggins has silenced any inkling of doubt about his place in this race. Gone are the doubts that a Briton would ever win the Tour. Gone are the doubts about which Sky rider deserved the top spot. Gone are any doubts about Wiggins' ability to stay strong in a three week race. All that's left is a parade into Paris tomorrow... and perhaps a showdown with Alberto Contador starting in 49 weeks or so.
More details on the stage route and results can be found at the Tour de France website. Here is a look at the list of top-10 finishers for Stage 19 time trial (full standings):
| Pos. | Rider | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Bradley Wiggins | 01h 04' 13'' | |
| 2 | Christopher Froome | 01h 05' 29'' | + 01' 16'' |
| 3 | Luis Leon Sanchez | 01h 06' 03'' | + 01' 50'' |
| 4 | Peter Velits | 01h 06' 15'' | + 02' 02'' |
| 5 | Richie Porte | 01h 06' 38'' | + 02' 25'' |
| 6 | Patrick Gretsch | 01h 06' 41'' | + 02' 28'' |
| 7 | Tejay Van Garderen | 01h 06' 47'' | + 02' 34'' |
| 8 | Vasili Kiryienka | 01h 06' 59'' | + 02' 46'' |
| 9 | Rein Taaramae | 01h 07' 03'' | + 02' 50'' |
| 10 | Jérémy Roy | 01h 07' 18'' | + 03' 05'' |
For more on the Tour de France, please be sure to check out cycling blog Podium Cafe and SB Nation Chicago for all the latest news and updates. More coverage can be found in SB Nation's Tour de France StoryStream.
