Pogacar secures stage 19 victory on Alpe d’Huez, extends Tour de France lead
Tadej Pogacar has further solidified his position in the Tour de France, winning the Alpe d’Huez stage and increasing his overall lead to more than seven minutes. The defending Tour champion’s performance on the legendary climb was marked by a record-breaking ascent.
Pogacar’s climbing time for the Alpe d’Huez was 35 minutes and 26 seconds, surpassing Marco Pantani’s 1997 record by over a minute. Despite previous speculation regarding his health, Pogacar appeared in strong form, navigating the 13.8-kilometre climb and its 21 hairpin bends with a consistent pace.
Dominant Performance on the Alpe
The stage began with a significant breakaway group of approximately 40 riders, including past stage winners Richard Carapaz and Thymen Arensman. The route from Gap to Alpe d’Huez covered 127.9 kilometres and featured two second-category climbs, as well as the first-category ascent of the Col du Noyer, which has an average gradient of 8.5 per cent over 7.2 kilometres.
With 25 kilometres remaining, the breakaway held an advantage of nearly four minutes. However, Pogacar initiated a decisive acceleration 12 kilometres from the summit, quickly closing the gap. He joined forces with teammate Adam Yates, who showed a strong recovery after experiencing illness earlier in the week. With 10 kilometres left, Pogacar launched his solo attack.
The Slovenian rider’s relentless pace allowed him to catch and overtake the leading group just three kilometres from the finish line. His victory on Alpe d’Huez marks his fifth stage win in 19 stages of this year’s Tour. His sports director, Matxin Fernández, was visibly emotional following the performance.
Impact on General Classification and Team Dynamics
Pogacar’s dominant ride has significantly impacted the overall standings. Remco Evenepoel remains in second place, but his chances of challenging for the final victory are now considered remote. Evenepoel and Pogacar’s teammate, Isaac del Toro, are the only riders within 10 minutes of the race leader.
The UAE Emirates XRG team has faced challenges, with Brandon McNulty abandoning the race on Thursday, reducing the team to seven riders. Despite this, Pogacar and Del Toro have continued to perform strongly. Young rider Paul Seixas, riding in his first Tour, also demonstrated a notable performance, finishing in the same group as Pogacar on stage 18 and holding fourth place in the overall standings.
The atmosphere on Alpe d’Huez was described as “crazy,” with large crowds, estimated at around 500,000, lining the climb. Some spectators had arrived days in advance to witness the stage. The next stage, described as the “queen” stage, will feature four of the hardest climbs in the Alps, offering Pogacar another opportunity for victory.
Thymen Arensman secured 12th place on stage 19, demonstrating a determined effort on the iconic ascent. His team, Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, worked effectively in the early stages, with Josh Tarling driving the pace and Tobias Foss supporting Arensman. Arensman launched an attack at the foot of Alpe d’Huez but was unable to respond to subsequent counter-attacks.
The 113th Tour de France began on Saturday, July 4, in Barcelona and is scheduled to conclude on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday, July 26.
Source: theguardian.com
Reuben Castle is the Sports News Writer at News GB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from print into digital sport news. He holds a degree in Journalism from Coventry University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Coventry, he follows the Open Championship and amateur boxing. “Accuracy first; the analysis can follow.”
