The Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz won the queen stage of the Tour de France, Saturday July 25, at Alpe d’Huez where Tadej Pogacar, transformed into a luxury teammate, has, barring an accident, definitively validated his final victory.
Present in the breakaway from the start of the stage, the EF Education rider was 26 seconds ahead of the Belgian Remco Evenepoel and 31 seconds ahead of the American Sepp Kuss who was in the lead but who fell twice in the last kilometers, even almost falling into the void, only held back by a safety net.
Tadej Pogacar, barring any last minute surprises, ensured his final victory on the eve of the last stage in Paris by finishing just over a minute behind the winner in the company of his teammate Isaac del Toro whom he helped all day to keep his third place overall.
Tenth in the stage, Paul Seixas collapsed after an acceleration by Del Toro in the silence of the Col de Sarenne, empty of public for reasons of safety and protection of nature, after the madness of the 21 bends the day before. But the Frenchman, the youngest rider to take part in the Tour de France since 1937, managed to save his fourth place overall during this second finish in two days at Alpe d’Huez.
The general ranking
Provisional general classification of the Tour de France after the 20th stage, run on Saturday between Le Bourg-d’Oisans and L’Alpe-d’Huez:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAD) 72 h 53 : 44.
2. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/RBH) at 6:26.
3. Isaac Del Toro (MEX/UAD) 9:42.
4. Paul Seixas (FRA/DCT) 11:56.
5. Lenny Martinez (FRA/TBV) 13:02.
6. Mattias Skjelmose (DEN/LTK) 14:59.
7. Juan Ayuso (ESP/LTK) 17:48.
8. Richard Carapaz (ECU/EFE) 20:00.
9. Tom Pidcock (GBR/Q36) 29 : 28.
10. Jordan Jegat (FRA/TEN) 33 : 21.
Sunday’s stage
For their final stage, the Tour de France cyclists will leave from Thoiry, before finishing their race in Paris. “An outcome in the form of a classic, this is what will await the runners again with three passages on the Butte Montmartre. But this time, the Champs-Élysées finish line will be located fifteen kilometers from Sacré-Cœur. The strongest sprinters will still have their chance,” according to Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France.
