Full Breakdown
Pogacar Nears Fifth Tour Victory as Carapaz Claims Alpe d’Huez Win
7/25/2026, 9:48:42 PM
Core Event – Stage 20 Drama
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, the 20th stage of the Tour de France ran 170.9 km from Le Bourg-d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez. Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) won in 4 h 59 min 39 s, 26 s ahead of Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and 31 s ahead of Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike). The win gave Carapaz his second stage victory in three days and secured the King of the Mountains (polka-dot) jersey.
Team leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finished fourth, preserving a 6 min 26 s overall lead and a record-equalling fifth Tour title, pending a safe finish on the final stage. Pogacar’s Mexican teammate Isaac del Toro was fifth, confirming third place overall and the white jersey for best young rider.
Background & Context
Stage 20, the “queen stage,” featured four major climbs: HC Col de la Croix-de-Fer, Category 1 Col du Télégraphe, HC Col du Galibier, and HC Col de Sarenne, before the final ascent of Alpe d’Huez. The stage also concluded the battle for the mountains classification, with Carapaz, Pogacar and French rider Valentin Paret-Peintre all in contention.
The following day’s ceremonial stage into Paris was shortened from 133 km to 89 km after French authorities redeployed internal security forces to combat wildfires in the Gironde and Landes regions.
Data & Statistics
| Rider | Stage 20 Time | Gap to Carapaz | Overall GC Gap to Pogacar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Carapaz | 4 h 59 min 39 s | – | +6 min 26 s |
| Remco Evenepoel | +26 s | 26 s | +6 min 52 s |
| Sepp Kuss | +31 s | 31 s | +6 min 57 s |
| Tadej Pogacar | +1 min 05 s | 1 min 05 s | – |
| Isaac del Toro | Same time as Pogacar | – | +9 min 42 s |
Carapaz amassed 156 mountain points on the stage, overtaking Pogacar (100 points) to clinch the polka-dot jersey.
Official Statements & Responses
Pogacar said his role had shifted to “super-domestique” for del Toro, noting the team’s priority was to keep the overall lead secure rather than chase another stage win.
Carapaz’s sports director, Charlie Wegelius, praised the rider’s perseverance after Kuss’s double crash, saying Carapaz “kept on going” and deserved the victory.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's very cool to win up here,” — Tadej Pogacar
- “I knew I had to be first through the corner,” — Lenny Martinez
- “I did my best to help Isaac,” — Tadej Pogacar
What’s Next
The final stage on Sunday, July 26, 2026 will start on the Champs-Élysées and finish after two laps, reduced to 89 km to allow emergency services to continue fighting the wildfires. Pogacar needs only to finish to secure his fifth yellow jersey; del Toro will ride into Paris as the white-jersey holder, and Carapaz will appear in the polka-dot jersey.
