Richard Carapaz won the 20th stage of the Tour de France this Saturday, after a monumental day between Le Bourg-d’Oisans and Alpe d’Huez. The Ecuadorian finished in 4h59’39’’, with a 26s lead over Remco Evenepoel and 31s over Sepp Kuss. Tadej Pogacar perfectly controlled the race while Paul Seixas, dropped after an attack by Isaac Del Toro on the Col de Sarenne, lost his last chances for a podium.
Carapaz conquers the queen stage
The riders had to face 170.9 km and nearly 5,600 meters of positive elevation gain, with the sequence of Croix de Fer, Télégraphe, Galibier, and Col de Sarenne before the finish at Alpe d’Huez. A succession of challenges that quickly shattered the peloton and placed the climbers at the forefront.
Already winner two days earlier at Orcières-Merlette, Richard Carapaz spent much of the day in the breakaway. The EF Education-EasyPost rider accumulated points on the climbs, notably at the summit of Galibier, definitively securing his victory in the King of the Mountains classification.
Sepp Kuss tried to break away alone on the Col de Sarenne. The American opened a gap on Carapaz, but two crashes on the descent halted his attack. Carapaz overtook him less than 6 km from the finish and maintained enough lead in the final kilometers to claim another prestigious victory.
Remco Evenepoel finished very strongly. The Belgian detached himself from the favorites group on the last climb, caught Kuss, and finished 26s behind Carapaz. Despite two crashes, Kuss saved third place on the stage, 31s behind the winner.
Del Toro responds to Seixas and makes him crack
Paul Seixas approached this last mountain stage with only 24s behind Isaac Del Toro, third in the general classification and wearing the white jersey. The Frenchman could still hope to reach the podium and reclaim the best young rider jersey from the Mexican.
Decathlon-CMA CGM intensified the race on the Col de Sarenne. Nicolas Prodhomme then Matthew Riccitello set a strong pace to prepare an attack from Seixas. The Frenchman tried to accelerate about 20 km from the finish, but his move did not destabilize Del Toro.
The Mexican immediately counterattacked. Seixas failed to follow his wheel and dropped 18 km from the finish. Within minutes, his gap exceeded 40s. Del Toro thus pushed back his main rival and protected his third place in the general classification.
Pogacar rides to protect UAE’s podium
Tadej Pogacar did not seek a sixth stage win. The yellow jersey spent much time at the front of the favorites group to control attacks and support Isaac Del Toro. The Slovenian accompanied his teammate when Seixas was dropped, then tried to bring him back after his difficult passage in the last kilometers.
Pogacar comfortably retains the lead of the Tour before the arrival in Paris. Remco Evenepoel remains second, while Del Toro locks in third place and the white jersey. Paul Seixas stays fourth. The 19-year-old Frenchman finishes just off the podium after threatening the Mexican for much of this last week.
Carapaz takes the stage and the polka dot jersey
Richard Carapaz delivers an exceptional end to the Tour. After his victory at Orcières-Merlette, his third place on Friday at the first finish at Alpe d’Huez, and his capture of the polka dot jersey, the Ecuadorian wins the queen stage and definitively secures the King of the Mountains classification.
On the eve of the final arrival, the main verdicts are now known. Pogacar is heading for another Tour de France victory, Evenepoel holds second place, Del Toro completes the podium, and Carapaz will bring the polka dot jersey to Paris. For Paul Seixas, the last alpine battle ended with a fourth place overall, concluding a first Tour de France among the best climbers in the peloton.
