Tadej Pogacar is on the verge of securing a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title, needing only to complete the final stage in Paris. This achievement would place the 27-year-old Slovenian among cycling legends such as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain, all of whom have won the prestigious race five times. Pogacar, however, would be the youngest rider to reach this milestone.
The penultimate 20th stage saw Richard Carapaz of Ecuador claim his second stage victory in three days, triumphing on the challenging Alpe d’Huez. Carapaz also secured the King of the Mountains polka dot jersey. This stage, dubbed the Queen stage, covered a brutal 170.9km and featured four significant climbs.
Final Stage Shortened Amid Wildfires
The final stage of the Tour de France in Paris has been shortened due to ongoing wildfires in other parts of France. Originally planned for 133 kilometers, the stage will now be 89km long and will commence directly on the Champs-Élysées, including circuits of the Butte de Montmartre. This alteration was made to reallocate internal security forces to assist with wildfire response efforts.
Wildfires near the Arcachon lagoon and around Biscarrosse in the Landes region have devastated over 36,000 hectares of forest. This marks the third instance in this year’s race where a stage has been impacted by prefecture intervention due to either wildfires or a heatwave. The decision to shorten the stage was made jointly by the Tour organiser, ASO, and the police prefecture.
Pogacar finished Saturday’s stage in fourth place, crossing the line arm-in-arm with his teammate Isaac Del Toro. Del Toro’s performance has positioned him for third place overall and secured him the best young rider’s white jersey, ahead of Paul Seixas. Pogacar’s substantial lead of 6 minutes and 26 seconds over Remco Evenepoel entering Sunday’s finale allowed him the luxury of conceding around 39 seconds to Evenepoel on Saturday.
The 20th stage was a formidable 171-kilometer alpine trek, featuring three hors catégorie climbs—the most difficult category—and one category 1 climb. Riders navigated the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Galibier, and Col de Sarenne, along with the Col du Télégraphe, accumulating 66 kilometers of hard climbing before the hilly finish at Alpe d’Huez.
Drama on the Mountain Stages
Considerable drama unfolded during the final mountain stages. On Saturday, Sepp Kuss, who was leading Carapaz by approximately 15-20 seconds, experienced two crashes within the final 7km. One incident saw him nearly fall into a ravine, only to be saved by safety netting on a tight bend of a cliff-hugging mountain pass. Despite his efforts, Kuss was overtaken by both Carapaz and Evenepoel.
The previous day, Friday’s chaotic climb up Alpe d’Huez also generated significant discussion regarding rider safety due to the behavior of spectators. Incidents included in-race motorbikes being blocked by crowds, which stalled an attack from Evenepoel. Additionally, a lack of crowd control led to Movistar climber Einer Rubio abandoning the race after colliding with the rear windscreen of a UAE team car. Rubio was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble and received 20 stitches for facial injuries, an accident attributed to an unruly spectator causing the car to brake suddenly.
The race director, Thierry Gouvenou, commented on the incident, suggesting that older car models might have prevented the accident. Further footage showed fans wrestling over gifts and climbing on moving race vehicles, intensifying concerns about crowd management. Romain Grégoire, the French national champion, described spectators as being “so drunk that it was more like being slapped on the arse, than getting pushes.”
Evenepoel’s sports director, Klaaas Lodewyck, acknowledged the positive atmosphere created by cheering fans but drew a line at aggressive behavior, such as punching side mirrors and banging on windows. On Saturday’s stage, Pogacar focused on protecting his teammate Del Toro’s position. Carapaz, who had also won a stage in Orcières-Merlette and finished third on Friday’s stage to Alpe d’Huez, initiated an attack on the Col de la Croix de Fer to solidify his lead in the King of the Mountains classification.
Fatigue also played a role, with Ilan Van Wilder, who was 12th overall at the start of the stage, crashing out on the descent of the Croix de Fer. A verbal exchange between Carapaz and French climber Lenny Martinez also continued into Saturday morning, stemming from an incident on Friday where Carapaz accused Martinez of “cutting in front” of him on the final corner. Martinez, however, remained unfazed, stating, “I knew I had to be first through the corner. We’re not at Club Med – I’m not letting him go first.”
The most intense moments of the final mountain stage occurred on the narrow climb of the Col de Sarenne, where Seixas lost ground to Pogacar, Del Toro, and Evenepoel. Kuss’s near-fall on a fast bend, where he was cushioned by crash netting, ultimately allowed Carapaz to pass him and secure his stage win and the polka dot jersey. Pogacar has won five stages in this year’s race and 26 overall in his career.
The final stage on Sunday will conclude with an uphill dash through the Montmartre district in Paris, finishing on the Champs-Élysées.
Source: cp24.com
