Tour De France 2014 Results, Video Highlights, Classification: Vincenzo Nibali Wins Stage 13, Keeps Yellow Jersey

By Paul John Rivera First Posted: Jul 18, 2014 04:18 PM EDT

Vincenzo Nibali proved that he is too strong for his competitors as the Italian rider punched his way into victory in the 13th stage of the 2014 Tour de France on Friday to keep his general classification lead.

Stage 13 was considered as one of the most difficult stages this year, with analysts saying that it could lead to a shakeup on top of the leaderboards, but Nibali made sure that he will keep the yellow jersey with an impressive performance in Alps.

The Team Astana rider paced himself in the first 190 kilometers of the 197.5-kilometer race from Etienne to Chamrousse, then aggressively attacked in the final 6.6 kilometers of the race after also responding well to Alejandro Valverde's attack during the final uncategorized climb.

Tinkoff-Saxo rider Rafal Majka and NetApp Endura rider Leopold Koenig broke away from the yellow jersey group in the home stretch of the stage, but Nibali saved the best for last, perfectly timing his attack en route to a comfortable victory.

Nibali finished the stage in five hours, 12 minutes, and 29 seconds, while Majka and Koenig ended up second and third -- 10 and 11 seconds behind the yellow jersey holder, respectively.

While Nibali kept his place on top of general classification, Team Sky rider Richie Porte struggled in the final climb and finished almost nine minutes behind the Italian, dropping out of the general classification top ten.

Valverde, who finished fourth in the 13th stage, took the second spot in general classification, but the Movistar rider is three minutes, 37 seconds behind Nibali.

Below is the top five finishers on Friday's Alps race: