Rui Costa Wins 19th Stage of Tour de France

Portuguese rider Rui Costa won the mountainous 19th stage of the Tour de France with a solo breakaway on the final climb, while race leader Chris Froome was still descending to the finish.

Costa secured his second stage win of the race after catching Frenchman Pierre Roland about a quarter of the way up Friday's fourth and final major ascent of Col de la Croix Fry.

German veteran Andreas Kloeden was second.

Froome and his main Tour rival Alberto Contador were still some distance behind Costa when he clinched his third career Tour stage win.

Friday's 204.5-kilometers (127-mile) trek featured two HC climbs and two Category 1 ascents between Bourg-d'Oisans and Le Grand-Bornand in the snow-capped peaks of the Alps.