Paris: Tour de France leader Julian Alaphilippe admitted Monday his yellow jersey was "hanging by a thread" as the toughest, oldest race in the world heads into its final week. The 27-year-old Deceuninck-Quick Step rider, looking to become the first Frenchman to win the Tour since Bernard Hinault in 1985, told reporters on Monday's rest day that "the toughest is yet to come". Alaphilippe has worn the famed yellow jersey for 11 days and will start Tuesday's stage 16 with a 1min 35sec lead over second placed Geraint Thomas, the defending champion wearing the colours of Team Ineos. "One minute thirty ahead, that is a lot and very little at the same time," said Alaphilippe who is not a front line climber. "One weakness on a mountain over 15, 20 kilometres and it is all over."

Alaphilippe surprised most people by coming out of the Pyrenees on Sunday with his yellow jersey intact albeit with a slightly reduced lead. After two relatively flat transition days, however, the race moves back into the mountains on Thursday with three stages in the Alps, each with a summit finish over 2,000 metres. They culminate in Saturday's penultimate stage at Val Thorens which has a total ascent of 4,450 metres.