Alpe d’Huez victory puts Pogacar on verge of fifth Tour de France title
Pogacar’s Dominant Performance on Alpe d’Huez
Tadej Pogacar, the reigning champion, secured a significant victory on stage 19 of the Tour de France, triumphing on Alpe d’Huez. This win places him on the brink of achieving a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider managed to close a gap of more than three minutes on a breakaway group during the final hors category climb to the renowned ski resort. Thousands of spectators from across the globe lined the route, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Pogacar, at 27, aims to join an elite group of riders with five Tour wins, including Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. He currently holds a substantial lead of seven minutes 11 seconds over Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. His teammate, Isaac del Toro, from Mexico, is positioned third overall and continues to wear the white young riders’ classification leader’s jersey, trailing by nine minutes 42 seconds.
During the stage, Pogacar set a record time on the final climb of 35 minutes 27 seconds, surpassing the time set by Marco Pantani in 1997. He crossed the finish line six seconds ahead of Lenny Martinez of Bahrain-Victorious, with Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost finishing another three seconds behind in third. Carapaz had previously won Thursday’s stage to Ocieres Merlette.
Pogacar expressed his satisfaction with the win, noting the “crazy atmosphere” throughout the climb and thanking his team for their support. He mentioned that he was “going full gas” from the start of the climb when his teammate Felix Grosschartner set a strong pace.
Team Support and Strategic Riding
Pogacar’s pursuit of the breakaway was aided by his British teammate, Adam Yates. Yates, 33, who had been ill and vomited after stage 16’s time trial, demonstrated remarkable resilience. After spending two stages riding at the back of the field and losing nearly an hour, he recovered to support Pogacar on the climb. Yates’s ability to lead the breakaway before becoming a “satellite” rider to assist Pogacar’s late-stage charge was crucial.
Pogacar acknowledged Yates’s contribution, stating that Adam provided a “good moral boost” and expressed happiness that he was “finally back” after his illness. Yates, a loyal domestique to Pogacar since 2023, is contracted for two more seasons. His identical twin, Simon, retired in January after winning the 2025 Giro d’Italia and the 2018 Vuelta a Espana.
Earlier in the stage, a large breakaway group, numbering over 40 riders, had established a lead over the peloton and Pogacar. However, the main pack gradually reeled them in. Martinez, Sepp Kuss of Visma-Lease a Bike, and Carapaz emerged as the frontrunners from the breakaway as they began the ascent of Alpe d’Huez. Kuss, who had been part of a 42-man breakaway that was later reduced to 15, believed the break needed a larger advantage to resist Pogacar.
Looking Ahead to the Queen Stage
The peloton is set to tackle Alpe d’Huez again on Saturday for the three-week race’s mountainous ‘queen’ stage. This stage will involve an additional 2,000 meters of climbing and is described as the hardest day of the Tour. It will feature three hors category climbs: Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Galibier, and Col de Sarenne, along with a Category 1 climb up Col du Télégraphe, before a hilly finish back at Alpe d’Huez. The stage will cover a distance of 171 kilometers.
Despite his significant lead, Pogacar indicated that his team would follow their own plan and rhythm for the upcoming stage, focusing on their performance regardless of external factors. Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek continues to hold the green points jersey, having extended his lead over Jasper Philipsen. Carapaz’s aggressive riding has earned him the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey, leading Pogacar by one point.
The Tour de France general classification after stage 19 shows Tadej Pogacar leading with a time of 67 hours 53 minutes.
Source: bbc.com
