Omani League

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) doubled up on Alpe d’Huez, taking his second stage win of the week, and at the same time securing the King of the Mountains jersey on the race’s queen stage.

The rider from Ecuador took advantage of two late spills from Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), passing the American with just a few kilometres left to make it two victories in three days.

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), with the yellow jersey all but secured, took up the role of domestique deluxe in service to Isaac Del Toro. The world champion made sure the third podium place and white jersey of best young rider would go to his team-mate. 

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) achieved the seemingly impossible for a sprinter: making it over the first HC climb in touch with the leaders, in a position to take maximum points at the intermediate sprint. Assuming he completes the stage in Paris, he will be the race’s green jersey.

The queen stage - the name given to the hilliest of the race - had never before been left as late as the penultimate day. With almost 5500m of climbing spread across four huge ascents, it was one for the mountain goats. And Pedersen.

The Dane, desperate to secure the points jersey, needed to make it over the Col de la Croix de Fer close to the front in order to compete for the intermediate sprint at Saint Julien-Mont-Denis. Having missed the initial 14-rider break, by sheer force of will, Pedersen broke out of the bunch 5km from the summit, and drove his hefty frame across the gap.

As he was doing that, Carapaz was going in search of more mountains points, looking to add to his single-point lead. Tracked by Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), the Ecuadorian showed he had more depth and experience to turn the smallest advantage into a significant one. He and Paret-Peintre were caught by the chasers on the descent after which Pedersen, having completed the catch, clinched the green jersey with what could prove to be his final sprint of the three weeks.

Paret-Peintre tried to stay in touch with Carapaz but weakness revealed itself on the the Col du Telegraphe. After a number of efforts to come back to the group, he let the elastic snap. Behind, the intentions of the yellow jersey group were opaque. Did Pogacar want the stage, or not? UAE allowed the gap to grow to five minutes.

Carapaz, with support from team-mate Ben Healy, kept chugging away. He added 10 more mountains points, dipped down to the foot of the Galiber, then pressed on towards the highest point of the race. With 70km to go, Carapaz was left with just Healy, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) Kuss, Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos) and Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA-CGM) for company. Healy helped as long as he could, before dropping out of the group as the race passed 2000m altitude. Carapaz, born above 2800m himself, was the most active in the group, and deservedly claimed the Souvenir Henri Desgranges for first rider over the race’s highest point.

Pogacar, meanwhile, began riding for his team-mate. The yellow jersey effectively assured, he turned himself into a domestique in order to make sure Ayuso did not displace Del Toro in the white jersey or on the podium. His effort also had the effect of hurting Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA-CGM). 

On the descent of the Galibier, the front group was reduced to four, as Riccitello dropped back to assist his leader.

With 27km remaining, and the gap between groups at 3’40'', the stage was in the balance. Squabbles broke out between Ayuso, Kuss and Hindley, while Carapaz kept on with his own thing. Ayuso, who had appeared the weakest of them, gave it one big hit, which was easily countered by Hindley, then the Spaniard fell away. Carapaz, Kuss and Hindley traded blows until it seemed the American had won out. He had not.

Although Kuss crested the Col de Sarenne in the lead, Carapaz had not lost hope completely. When Kuss suffered two falls in short succession, the 2020 Olympic champion was perfectly placed to take advantage, riding past and then away. He began the final climb just one minute ahead of the yellow jersey group.

Behind, with Seixas having been well distanced by the legs of Del Toro on the Sarenne, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull) wanted to try for one last result for himself. Had he gone earlier, he might have been able to pull back Carapaz. As it was the best he could manage was second place. Equally, had Pogacar been prepared to leave the side of his team-mate, he might have claimed a sixth stage win for himself. He opted to cross the line with Del Toro instead, a fifth Tour de France title just a straightforward Parisien procession away.