Warren Barguil won the final mountaintop finish of the Tour de France ©Getty Images

Chris Froome closed in on a fourth Tour de France title in five years as Frenchman Warren Barguil won the final mountain top finish of this year's race in Col d'Izoard.

It came in thrilling fashion as the 179.5 kilometres stage 18 from Briançon ended in a decisive 14km climb.

Barguil paced his effort brilliantly to follow his stage 13 victory and narrowly hold off a chasing group of overall contenders.

He crossed in 4 hours 40min 33sec to finish 20sec clear.

The 25-year-old is now guaranteed to finish the race in the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey.

This should mean a double celebration for Team Sunweb as Barguil's room-mate Michael Matthews leads the sprinter race for the green jersey.

Froome though remains the big favourite for the overall yellow jersey after crossing the line fourth today alongside his biggest rivals.

Romain Bardet, centre, held off Chris Froome, left, as they approach the finish line ©Getty Images
Romain Bardet, centre, held off Chris Froome, left, as they approach the finish line ©Getty Images

The Briton is seeking to add to his Tour de France victories in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Another Frenchman in AG2R La Mondiale's Roman Bardet now lies 23sec adrift in second place overall after edging ahead of Froome to pick up four bonus seconds for finishing third on the day.

Team Sky's Froome was fourth, with Colombian Cannondale-Drapac rider Rigoberto Uran crossing next, 2sec later, to move 29sec behind in third overall.

Darwin Atapuma, a Colombian UAE Team Emirates rider who is not an overall contender, crossed marginally in front of Bardet to take second place after losing contact with Barguil in the closing stages.

Froome's Spanish team-mate Mikel Landa leapfrogged Italian Fabio Aru into fourth place overall today after the Italian rider lost more time.

Landa now lies 1:36 behind the race leader, with Aru a further 19sec back.

It came as Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten crossed first on stage one of the two-day La Course by the Tour de France.

Annemiek van Vleuten won stage one of La Course today ©Getty Images
Annemiek van Vleuten won stage one of La Course today ©Getty Images

The Orica-Scott rider attacked in the final 5km of the same Col d'Izoard climb to finish the 67km stage in 2hours 7min 18sec.

Britain's Boels Dolmans star Lizzie Deignan finished second, 43sec behind, after beginning the stage as a support rider for United States team-mate Megan Guarnier.

Italy's Wiggle High5 rider Elisa Longo Borghini finished a further 40sec back in third.

The race ends with a 22.5km "chase" in Marseille on Saturday in which riders will set off according to time gaps established on the opening stage.