Australia's Kaden Groves crosses the finish line to win the twentieth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 184.2 kilometers (114.5 miles) with start in Nantua and finish in Pontarlier, France. (AP )

PONTARLIER, France, July 26, (AP): Tadej Pogačar closed in on a fourth Tour de France title after safely finishing Saturday's penultimate stage and maintaining his big lead over arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard.

Australian rider Kaden Groves won stage 20 with a late solo breakaway, while Pogačar rolled over the line about seven minutes later in the same time as Vingegaard.

The Slovenian cycling star leads the two-time Tour winner Vingegaard by 4 minutes, 24 seconds, with German rider Florian Lipowitz 11:03 behind Pogačar in third overall.

Barring a heavy crash or illness, Pogačar was expected to celebrate Sunday and move level with British rider Chris Froome on four Tour titles. Victory would also give Pogačar a fifth Grand Tour after dominantly winning the Giro d’Italia last year.

However, Sunday's final stage is not a processional one, as is usually the case, and could potentially prove somewhat problematic toward the end with three consecutive climbs.

The 184.2-kilometer route through eastern France featured three small climbs and a moderately difficult one up Côte de Thésy before finishing in Pontarlier. But there was scant opportunity for Vinegaard to attack Pogačar.

As the riders set off Saturday in driving rain, the yellow jersey group stayed safely at the front until breakaways formed.

When the front group tackled the 3.6-kilometer Côte de Thésy, Frenchman Jordan Jegat launched a solo attack, but he was then overtaken by Australian rider Harrison Sweeny.