Full Breakdown
Carapaz’s Solo Triumph on Orcières-Merlette Powers EF Education-EasyPost and Highlights UAE Team Illness
7/24/2026, 1:29:41 AM
Stage 18: Carapaz Wins the Alpine Finale
On July 23 2026 the 185.2-km mountain stage from Voiron to the summit of Orcières-Merlette ended with Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) soloing to victory. He opened a gap of 45 seconds on the final climb and crossed the line ahead of Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike). General-classification (GC) contenders, including race leader Tadej Pogacar, arrived more than four minutes behind, leaving the overall standings unchanged.
Background & Context
Stage 18 opened a three-day Alpine triptych with a Category-1 ascent of Côte d’Engins, a Category-2 climb to Côte de Monteynard and the final Category-1 finish at Orcières-Merlette, totalling roughly 3 900 m of elevation gain. The win was Carapaz’s second Tour stage victory and his ninth Grand-Tour stage win overall. The stage followed the abandonment of Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), highlighting health issues within Pogacar’s squad.
Data & Statistics
- Distance: 185.2 km (115 mi)
- Winning margin: 45 seconds to Schmid (Jorgenson same time)
- GC gap: Pogacar’s group finished ? 4 min 35 s (some reports 4 min 40 s) behind Carapaz.
- Top-10 move: Carapaz rose to 10th overall, gaining over 4 min 30 s on his direct GC rivals.
- Points classification: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) extended his green-jersey lead to 32 points over Jasper Philipsen after winning the intermediate sprint in Corps.
- KOM battle: Pogacar retained the polka-dot jersey with 70 points, a one-point lead over Valentin Paret-Peintre; Carapaz moved to 63 points, seven behind the leader.
Impact on Classifications
Carapaz’s win gave EF Education-EasyPost its first Tour stage victory and moved him within striking distance of the KOM jersey. Pedersen’s sprint points solidified his green-jersey lead, while Pogacar kept a 4 min 32 s advantage over Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). The abandonment of McNulty and the reported illness of Adam Yates left UAE Team Emirates-XRG with reduced climbing support for the upcoming Alpe d’Huez stages.
Official Statements & Responses
- Tadej Pogacar: “I’m sad that Brandon could not finish. We will see in the next two days but Adam is getting better, and tomorrow, we will go with the flow.”
- UAE Team Emirates-XRG spokesperson: “It’s totally different because Adam had stomach troubles, he was vomiting, and Brandon has a type of constipation.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact time gap between Carapaz and the GC peloton: the BBC and NBC list 4 min 35 s, while several Italian and French outlets record 4 min 40 s. No official clarification has been issued.
What’s Next
The race continues with summit finishes on Alpe d’Huez (stages 19 and 20), crucial for the overall classification given the reduced climbing support for Pogacar’s team. All eyes will be on whether the KOM lead can shift and if Pedersen can maintain his green-jersey advantage before the final run into Paris on July 26.
