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Tour de France
Tour de France
Tour de France
Carapaz claims Stage 18 win as Pogacar stays in yellow after team-mate blow
Completed
Tour de France

Stage 19 | Mountain

Mountain
Gap → Alpe d'Huez / 127.9 km
Finished
1
T. Pogacar
trophy
3:17:57
2
L. Martinez
+6
3
R. Carapaz
+9
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Live Commentary
18:04
Jersey - Yellow
RECORD ASCENT FOR POGACAR ON ALPE D’HUEZ AFTER FIFTH STAGE WIN
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) shattered Marco Pantani’s 31-year-old climbing record on Alpe d’Huez by over a minute as he came from behind to deny France’s Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) in a thrilling finish to Stage 19 of the Tour de France.
The Slovenian became the first man since Geraint Thomas in 2018 to win on the legendary Alpe d’Huez in the leader’s yellow jersey – and in doing so, extended his lead to over seven minutes on Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) just two days from Paris.
It was Pogacar’s fifth win of the race and the 26th Tour stage triumph of his career – bringing him just nine shy of Mark Cavendish’s all-time record, set just two years ago and then deemed unbreakable.
Attacking from the foot of the Alpe, Pogacar dropped his yellow jersey rivals in a heartbeat and then closed a yawning gap of over three minutes as he picked off the remnants of the day’s breakaway one-by-one until there were just three men up the road.
picture

'Fairytale, Hollywood-style script win' - Pogacar triumphs on Alpe d'Huez for Stage 19 victory

Video credit: TNT Sports

Martinez, Carapaz and the American Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) had traded punches all the way up the famous 21 hairpin bends of the iconic climb – but while the gloves came off in their three-way tussle on the front, a yellow bullet was bearing down on them behind.
Cutting through the sea of spectators like a knife through butter, making light work of the distractions of Beefeater Bend and Dutch Corner, Pogacar put in yet another thermonuclear acceleration to draw level with the escapees inside the last three kilometres. Despite a series of attacks, the double world champion was unable to distance his opponents until the final kilometre, when a final dig saw the elastic snap.
Pogacar crossed the line with his arms aloft to complete the 13.8km climb in a time of 35:27 to break the late Pantani’s previous record by a whopping 1:28. Banging his handlebars in frustration after narrowly missing out on ending the hosts' stage drought, Frenchman Martinez took second place while Carapaz was third.
Unable to secure a second successive win after his victory in Stage 18 at Orcieres-Merlette, Carapaz took a consolation prize in the polka dot jersey, the veteran climber moving one point clear of Pogacar in the King of the Mountains standings.
Further down the mountain, Pogacar’s team-mate Isaac del Toro broke clear of his white jersey rival, the French 19-year-old talent Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM), inside the final moments. But while the Mexican came to within nine seconds of catching Evenepoel at the line, a late rally by Seixas saw him limit his losses to just a handful of seconds.
Del Toro now leads Seixas by 24" in the battle for both the white young rider’s jersey and the final place on the podium, while Martinez rose two places to fifth after his impressive second place on one of cycling’s most mythical mountains.
picture

'Really lucky!' - Protective pad stops Haller crashing into concrete bowl

Video credit: TNT Sports

Martinez and Carapaz were part of a huge 42-rider break that formed on the first of four categorised climbs, the Col Bayard, with the road heading uphill from the outset of the 129km stage from Gap.
Wearing the polka dot jersey in Pogacar’s place, Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) took maximum points ahead of Carapaz over the summit – and then repeated the feat on the Col de Noyer to move 14 points clear of the Slovenian in the virtual polka dot jersey standings.
But with Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) also in the break, the focus soon switched from polka dots to green as the Dane used a trio of team-mates to extend the gap over the peloton to four minutes in the long lead up to the intermediate sprint in Le Perier.
Pedersen won the sprint to add another 25 points to his tally, all but guaranteeing him a first career green jersey in Paris ahead of his nearest rival Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Premier Tech, who had been distanced on the first climb.
The breakaway was then whittled down on the Col d’Ornon as Visma and Netcompany Ineos looked to use their power in numbers to force a selection ahead of the final test. Behind, Pidcock’s Pinarello-Q36.5 and the Lidl-Trek team of Juan Ayuso and Mathias Skjelmose led the chase – their leaders’ positions in the top 10 under threat from that man Martinez in the break.
Much of the pre-race discussions had involved the illness that has swept through Pogacar’s UAE team since the second rest day. But while Tim Wellens and Gianni Vermeersch were dropped fairly quickly, Adam Yates fought into the day’s break, while Nils Politt helped lead the chase before passing the reins over to Felix Grossschartner, who set up Pogacar and Del Toro with aplomb.
Rather than wait until later in the climb, Pogacar made his move early on the Alpe – shedding his rivals before the first of 21 hairpin bends ahead of joining Yates further up the hill after the Briton had dropped back from the break.
picture

'He wants that record, he wants that number!' - Pogacar attacks at the foot of Alpe d'Huez

Video credit: TNT Sports

Led out by his team-mate Bruno Armirail after solid earlier work from both Matteo Jorgenson and Davide Piganzoli, Kuss quickly emerged as one of the big favourites. But it was the Dutchman Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos) who, emerging from the wheel of team-mate Tobias Foss, forced the first selection from the remaining 14 leaders on the climb.
A series of counter-attacks from the in-form Carapaz saw the Ecuadorian go clear with Kuss and Martinez inside the final 10km. But with Pogacar pushing on after a pull from Yates, the gap started to tumble.
Rather than throw in the towel, the plucky trio kept their hopes alive with a series of unseated surges that staved off the inevitable capture from the man in yellow. The pendulum swung this way and that before Pogacar – as if toying with his prey – finally decided to put them out of their misery.
A last-ditch attack from Carapaz gave him brief hope of a second win in as many days – but while Kuss hit the wall, Martinez clung to Pogacar’s back wheel as the duo returned to the lone leader ahead of the flamme rouge.
Pogacar then pounced – and the rest was history: a fifth win on this Tour, a 26th in total, a new climbing record and that record-equalling fifth Tour triumph now all but assured.
The 113th edition of the Tour continues on Saturday with the so-called Queen stage of the race – a 171km ride over the Col de le Croix de Fer, Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier. The second half of an Alpe d’Huez double header then concludes with the riders tackling, for the first time ever in the Tour, the Col de Sarenne ahead of the final five hairpin bends of Alpe d’Huez.
Booed by French fans on Bastille Day earlier in the race, Pogacar clearly has the form and legs to win a sixth stage – or, perhaps, to set up his team-mate Del Toro for his second win of the race. But with the hosts looking like they could end up empty handed in a Tour for only the third time in history, Pogacar would repair his relationship with the locals were he to allow a Frenchman to take the stage spoils. Over to you, Paul and Lenny…

17:07
Jersey - Climber (Tour de France)
CAPAPAZ TAKES THE POLKA DOT JERSEY
A consolation prize for Richard Carapaz, who may have lost out on a second successive stage win, but whose third place on the final climb saw him take enough points to move one point clear of Pogacar in the KOM standings.
Valentin Paret-Peintre had done enough over the first two climbs to move 14pts clear in the virtual standings, but he was dropped on the Ornon and slips to third place.
It’s all still to play for, though, with the top three separated by just seven points:
1. Richard Carapaz 91pts
2. Tadej Pogacar 90pts
3. Valentin Paret-Peintre 84pts

17:00
Jersey - Yellow
NEW-LOOK GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 19
Over seven minutes of a cushion now for our race leader two days away from Paris. Meanwhile, still just 24 seconds separate Del Toro and Seixas in the battle for white and the final place on the podium...
1. Tadej Pogacar 67:53:00
2. Remco Evenepoel +7:11
3. Isaac Del Toro +9:42
4. Paul Seixas +10:06
5. Lenny Martinez +13:00
6. Mattias Skjelmose +13:09
7. Juan Ayuso +15:58
8. Richard Carapaz +21:15
9. Tom Pidcock +21:30
10. Jordan Jegat +23:21
Here's the moment Pogacar took his fifth win and shattered the climbing record on Alpe d'Huez...
picture

'Fairytale, Hollywood-style script win' - Pogacar triumphs on Alpe d'Huez for Stage 19 victory

Video credit: TNT Sports


16:59
Quote
POGACAR THANKS HIS TEAM AFTER FIFTH WIN OF THE RACE
”It’s very cool to win up here. It was a crazy atmosphere for all the climb. It was thanks to all the team that I could pull it off today. I was riding for all my team-mates today and I’m super happy to take the win.
”When I heard that some of the guys had been dropped by Felix [Grossschartner]’s pace, I decided to go. I committed to the top. I had Adam in the middle, which was a morale boost. I’m glad he is back. I was super happy to ride with him for a couple of kilometres.
”The leaders were playing a bit with each other at the end and this helped me catch up and then take the stage. Tomorrow is the queen stage – it’s the hardest day of the Tour. Now we won, tomorrow we will see.
”We go our own rhythm, our own plan, we don’t care about anything else, we go as a team and see what happens. We make sure that Isaac fights for the beautiful white jersey and the podium.”
16:45
Jersey - Yellow
STAGE 19 RESULT – TOP 10 AT ALPE D’HUEZ
So, the soon-to-be five-time Tour champion can join the history books and have his name on a sign on one of the famous hairpin bends of Alpe d’Huez.
1. Tadej Pogacar 3:17:57
2. Lenny Martinez +06
3. Richard Carapaz +09
4. Sepp Kuss +1:14
5. Tobias Johannessen +2:07
6. Remco Evenepoel +2:29
7. Isaac del Toro +2:41
8. Mathias Skjelmose +2:45
9. Paul Seixas +2:45
10. Harold Tejada +3:22
Here was the turning point for Pogacar on that record ascent of Alpe d'Huez...
picture

'He wants that record, he wants that number!' - Pogacar attacks at the foot of Alpe d'Huez

Video credit: TNT Sports


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