Pogačar shatters 30-year Alpe d'Huez record on Tour de France stage

Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG recorded a time of 35:26 on the Alpe d'Huez climb during stage 19 of the 2026 Tour de France, breaking the benchmark set by Marco Pantani in 1995. Pantani's widely accepted time was 36:40, making Pogačar's effort over a minute faster, according to Velon data.

Pogačar caught and passed the breakaway on the ascent, then pulled away from riders including Richard Carapaz, Sepp Kuss and Lenny Martinez to claim the stage victory. He completed the 13.8-kilometre hors catégorie climb, which features an elevation gain of about 1,050 metres and an average gradient of roughly 8 percent.

"I actually don’t know what was the time of Pantani, to be honest," Pogačar said at the post-stage press conference. "I heard that I broke the record so I’m happy. I just wanted to do a good race and win today for the guys."

Team officials indicated that despite some illness within the squad, the team managed to control the race and support Pogačar’s attack on the lower slopes of the climb. After the finish, a fellow rider described the performance as extraordinary.

"You're insane, mate," Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM told Pogačar.

The new record adds to Pogačar’s palmarès and marks the first time the Alpe d'Huez benchmark has been lowered since Pantani’s 1995 effort.