Pogacar secures Alpe d’Huez stage win, extends Tour de France lead
Pogacar’s Dominant Performance
Tadej Pogacar, the defending champion, achieved a significant victory on stage 19 of the Tour de France, conquering Alpe d’Huez. This win places him closer to securing a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider managed to close a gap of over three minutes on a breakaway group during the final hors category climb to the renowned ski resort. Thousands of spectators lined the route, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Pogacar, at 27 years old, is aiming to join an elite group of riders with five Tour de France wins, including Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. His current lead over Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe stands at seven minutes and 11 seconds, despite Evenepoel’s improved climbing form this year. Isaac del Toro, Pogacar’s Mexican teammate, holds third place overall and the white young riders’ classification jersey, trailing by nine minutes and 42 seconds.
The stage saw Pogacar cross the finish line six seconds ahead of Lenny Martinez of Bahrain-Victorious. Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost, who won the previous day’s stage, finished three seconds further back in third place. Pogacar described the atmosphere on the climb as “crazy” and expressed gratitude to his team for their support in achieving the victory.
A large breakaway group, comprising over 40 riders, had initially established a lead of several minutes over the peloton and the yellow-jersey wearer, Pogacar, mid-stage. However, the main pack gradually reeled them in. Martinez, Sepp Kuss of Visma-Lease a Bike, and Carapaz appeared to be the contenders for victory as they began the ascent of Alpe d’Huez’s challenging bends. However, Pogacar launched a decisive attack, setting a new record time of 35 minutes and 27 seconds for the final climb, surpassing Marco Pantani’s 1997 record by over a minute.
Team Support and Upcoming Challenges
During his record-breaking ascent, Pogacar initially pursued the remaining breakaway riders alone before being joined by his British teammate, Adam Yates. Yates, 33, played a crucial role in pacing Pogacar through the dense crowds, which at times encroached dangerously close to the riders. Yates’s performance was particularly notable given that he had been unwell and vomited after stage 16’s time trial, spending the subsequent two stages riding at the back of the field and losing nearly an hour overall.
Despite his recent illness, Yates demonstrated significant strength, leading the breakaway before becoming a key ‘satellite’ rider for Pogacar’s late-stage charge. Pogacar acknowledged Yates’s contribution, stating that Adam provided a “good moral boost” and expressed happiness at his teammate’s recovery. Yates has been a loyal domestique for Pogacar since 2023 and is contracted for two more seasons.
The extensive damage inflicted on Pogacar’s rivals was evident, with Remco Evenepoel being the least affected, though his hopes of challenging for the overall victory have diminished. Evenepoel and Isaac del Toro are now the only riders within 10 minutes of the race leader. Meanwhile, Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek continues to hold the green points jersey, extending his lead over Jasper Philipsen. Richard Carapaz’s aggressive riding earned him the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey, leading Pogacar by one point.
The peloton is set to tackle Alpe d’Huez again on Saturday for the three-week race’s mountainous ‘queen’ stage, which includes an additional 2,000 metres of climbing. Sepp Kuss, who finished fourth on stage 19, expressed his intention to try for a stage win on Saturday’s queen stage, noting that it is a day that suits him better due to its endurance test nature with multiple hard climbs, including the Col de Sarenne.
The general classification after stage 19 shows Tadej Pogacar leading with a time of 67 hours and 53 minutes. Remco Evenepoel is in second place, seven minutes and 11 seconds behind, followed by Isaac del Toro at nine minutes and 42 seconds. Paul Seixas is fourth, 10 minutes and six seconds back, and Lenny Martinez is fifth, 13 minutes behind Pogacar.
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Source: bbc.com
