Pogacar Victorious on Alpe d’Huez, Extends Tour de France Lead
Tadej Pogacar achieved a significant victory on the Alpe d’Huez, winning stage 19 of the Tour de France and further extending his overall lead. His climb time of 35 minutes and 27 seconds over the 13.8km ascent surpassed the previous record of 36 minutes 55 seconds, which was set in 1997.
This marks Pogacar’s fifth stage win in this year’s Tour and the 26th of his career. He is now only the second rider to win on this mountain while wearing the yellow jersey, a feat previously accomplished in 2018.
Decisive Attack on the Climb
Pogacar initiated his move on the initial hairpins of the Alpe d’Huez, steadily closing a three-and-a-half-minute gap to the leading breakaway group. He caught Richard Carapaz and Lenny Martinez with 1.8km remaining before ultimately dropping them within the final 1,000 meters.
His first attempt to distance Carapaz and Martinez was unsuccessful, but a subsequent acceleration secured the win. Pogacar finished six seconds ahead of Martinez, who subsequently moved up to fifth place in the overall standings. Carapaz finished nine seconds behind Pogacar.
The Slovenian rider’s performance allowed him to extend his overall lead to seven minutes and 11 seconds over Remco Evenepoel. Evenepoel also attacked within the last four kilometers of the stage, solidifying his position in second place.
Despite facing a substantial deficit of over three minutes with 12 kilometers left, Pogacar launched a solo attack from the base of the Alpe d’Huez. He navigated the challenging climb without a teammate for the final section, demonstrating his strength.
Team Support and Race Dynamics
Pogacar acknowledged the support of his team, stating, “It was a crazy, crazy atmosphere all climb and it was thanks to all the team that I could pull it off.” He also noted that he felt strong early in the climb, which encouraged his decisive move.
Concerns had been raised about Pogacar’s team earlier in the day, following the loss of teammate Brandon McNulty and the struggles of Adam Yates in previous stages. However, Yates recovered sufficiently to join an early break and assist Pogacar on the Alpe.
The day’s stage, covering 127.9 kilometers from Gap to Alpe d’Huez, saw a large breakaway group of over 40 riders initially. This group fractured after Mads Pedersen secured maximum points at an intermediate sprint. By the time they reached the foot of the climb, 14 riders remained in the break.
The peloton also faced the Category 2 climb up Col Bayard and the Category 1 ascent of Col du Noyer. Valentin Paret-Peintre was active in both, securing key points in the mountains classification, but later faded from the breakaway.
The crowds on Alpe d’Huez were described as having a “crazy atmosphere,” with many fans lining the 21 hairpins. Despite the challenging conditions, including limited visibility due to flares, Pogacar maintained his focus.
The standings after stage 19 show Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia leading the overall race, holding the yellow jersey. Mads Pedersen of Denmark leads the points classification (green jersey), Richard Carapaz of Ecuador holds the polka dot jersey for mountains, and Isaac Del Toro of Mexico is the best young rider (white jersey).
Looking Ahead to Stage 20
The Tour de France is approaching its conclusion with two stages remaining before the race finishes in Paris. Stage 20 is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, and will cover a distance of 170.9 kilometers (106.2 miles) from Le Bourg d’Oisans to l’Alpe d’Huez.
This upcoming stage is described as the “Queen stage” of the Tour and is expected to be the hardest day of the race. It includes three HC climbs: Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Galibier, and Col de Sarenne, along with one Category 1 climb up Col du Télégraphe, before a hilly finish.
Tom Pidcock, a previous stage winner on Alpe d’Huez in 2022, finished 20th on stage 19, maintaining his ninth position overall.
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates – XRG | 67h 53' 00'' |
| 2 | Remco Evenepoel | Red Bull – BORA – Hansgrohe | + 07' 11'' |
| 3 | Isaac Del Toro | UAE Team Emirates – XRG | + 09' 42'' |
| 4 | Paul Seixas | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | + 10' 06'' |
| 5 | Lenny Martinez | Bahrain Victorious | + 13' 00'' |
| 6 | Mattias Skjelmose | LIDL-TREK | + 13' 09'' |
| 7 | Juan Ayuso | LIDL-TREK | + 15' 58'' |
| 8 | Richard Carapaz | EF Education- Easy Post | + 21' 15'' |
| 9 | Tom Pidcock | Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 21' 30'' |
| 10 | Jordan Jegat | Totalenergies | + 23' 21'' |
Pogacar is on the verge of potentially securing his fifth Tour de France title, which would equal the record held by several cycling legends. The race concludes on Sunday on the Champs-Élysées.
Source: theguardian.com
