Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost has claimed victory in stage 18 of the Tour de France, following a commanding breakaway in the French Alps. The Ecuadorian rider finished 45 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid of Jayco-Alula and Matteo Jorgenson of Visma-Lease a Bike.
The mountainous 185.2km stage, running from Voiron to Ocieres Merlette, marked the first of three challenging days in the Alps. Carapaz’s aggressive and strategic riding was a highlight of the stage, which saw several riders form breakaways under hot conditions.
Carapaz’s decisive move
Carapaz demonstrated his tactical prowess during the stage, particularly on the final 7km climb to Orcières-Merlette. He survived a series of attacks and counter-attacks within the front group, arriving at the base of the final ascent with five other riders, including Valentin Paret-Peintre of Soudal Quick-Step, a contender for the King of the Mountains jersey.
Approximately halfway up the climb, Carapaz launched a strong attack that temporarily splintered the group. Although initially reeled in, he seized an opportunity when his rivals were positioned on the opposite side of the road. Accelerating again, he quickly established a significant gap and rode solo to the finish line, securing his second career Tour de France stage win.
This victory also marks the first stage win for the EF Education-EasyPost team in this year’s Tour. Carapaz’s performance has boosted his standing in the King of the Mountains competition, where he now sits in third place, trailing by seven points.
Challenges for UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Meanwhile, the overall leader, Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, is facing challenges within his squad due to illness. Key domestique Brandon McNulty abandoned the race mid-stage, and Britain’s Adam Yates has also been affected by sickness. Yates reportedly fell ill and vomited after stage 16’s time trial, finishing significantly behind the peloton on subsequent stages.
On Thursday, Yates was again observed drifting back to his team’s service car to take on fluids, eventually finishing nearly half an hour down. McNulty’s abandonment follows a crash he sustained while reconnoitring Tuesday’s time trial route. These health issues for two crucial support riders could impact Pogacar’s strategy, especially with two brutal stages ahead, both culminating in ascents to the Alpe d’Huez ski resort.
Despite these setbacks, Slovenia’s Pogacar maintains a substantial lead in the yellow jersey classification, holding a four-minute 32-second advantage over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. His teammate, Isaac del Toro of Mexico, is in third place overall, six minutes 51 seconds behind Pogacar.
Pogacar, who is 27, also retains the King of the Mountains jersey, though only by a single point. Del Toro continues to wear the white young rider’s jersey. Denmark’s Mads Pedersen has extended his lead in the green jersey classification to 32 points, but remains vulnerable to Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen.
General classification standings
As the race heads into its final stages in the Alps, Pogacar is in a strong position, aiming to equal the record of five Tour de France wins held by cycling legends such as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain.
The loss of two domestiques could pose a challenge for Pogacar, particularly on stages involving significant climbing, where he typically relies on his team early on. The upcoming stages, featuring a total of four uncategorised climbs, promise to be exceptionally demanding.
The current general classification after stage 18 shows Tadej Pogacar leading with a time of 64 hours 35 minutes 13 seconds. Remco Evenepoel is in second place, four minutes 32 seconds behind, followed by Isaac del Toro at six minutes 51 seconds. Paul Seixas of Decathlon-CMA CGM is in fourth, seven minutes 11 seconds back, and Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek is fifth, nine minutes 22 seconds behind the leader. Carapaz’s stage win has moved him into tenth place overall, 21 minutes behind Pogacar.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
George Hartwell is the Senior Football Correspondent at News-GB.org, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with twelve years of reporting experience. He reported on West Country football before national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of the West of England and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Bristol, he watches grassroots football and writes a tactics column. “Tactics tell you more than any scoreline.”