Pogacar wins Alpe d’Huez stage to extend Tour de France lead
Tadez Pogacar attacked on the final climb of Alpe d’Huez, securing his fifth stage win and widening his overall advantage with two stages remaining.
Tadej Pogacar launched a solo attack at the foot of the Alpe d’Huez climb on Friday, winning the 19th stage of the Tour de France and increasing his overall lead. Riding alone for the last 12 kilometres, he caught Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz and Frenchman Lenny Martinez with 1.5 kilometres to go and then pulled ahead to claim his fifth stage victory of the race and the 26th of his career. Martinez finished six seconds behind, while Carapaz, who had won the previous stage, arrived nine seconds later. American Sepp Kuss was 1 minute, 14 seconds back.
Pogacar now leads the general classification by 7 minutes, 11 seconds over Remco Evenepoel, putting him on course to join a select group of riders who have won five Tours, provided he avoids any incident before the finale on the Champs-Élysées. The Alpe d’Huez climb, classified as hors catégorie, is a historic and heavily attended ascent, with spectators lining the 21 hairpin bends.
Observers noted that the chase group’s lack of cooperation contributed to Pogacar’s success. Carapaz attempted repeated accelerations, but Martinez rode on his wheel without taking turns at the front, and Kuss was unable to sustain the pace, allowing Pogacar to distance them.
The upcoming stage on Saturday will feature three additional hors catégorie climbs and a Category 1 ascent before a hilly finish at Alpe d’Huez, presenting further challenges as Pogacar seeks to protect his lead.