Greig Leach

Astana definitely went out of the neutral section of the 19th stage with a plan in mind. First they made sure that they got one of their men into the break away. Next on the climb up the Col de la Forclaz Queige, they put the rest of the team on the front of the already reduced peloton. The entire team was riding in hopes of moving their leader, Fabio Aru up the leader board. Andriy Grivko was laying down a hard pace trying to put the hurt on those behind them, but ahead of Aru on the General Classification. His pace was so intense that Diego Rosa came up along side and gave him the "slow it down" gesture. Grivko reached over, but his hand on the Italian's back and seemed to say, "I got this. I'll do my job you do yours." As Grivko pushed on, Rosa gave him the Italian equivalent of the finger. But the team stayed on the Ukrainian's wheel. With just today and tomorrow to race prior to arriving in Paris, it was now or never to shoot for the podium.