Carapaz Claims Stage Victory Amid Kuss’s Crashes
Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost secured victory in a dramatic stage 20 of the Tour de France on Alpe d’Huez. The Ecuadorian rider clinched his second stage win in three days, also solidifying his lead in the king of the mountains competition. His win came after American rider Sepp Kuss, of Visma-Lease a Bike, experienced two crashes in the closing kilometres while leading the stage.
Kuss was part of an early breakaway that formed on the first of four major climbs. He attacked alone with approximately 25km remaining and appeared poised for victory. However, he crashed coming out of a tunnel near Alpe d’Huez town and then again on a right-hand corner, sliding on dust at the edge of the road. Safety netting prevented a more serious fall, but Carapaz seized the opportunity to surge past.
Carapaz crossed the finish line 31 seconds ahead of Kuss. Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe finished second, 26 seconds behind Carapaz, having overtaken Kuss in the final metres. Kuss ultimately placed third in the stage.
Pogacar’s Support Role and Overall Lead
Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG is on the verge of securing a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title. He safely navigated the penultimate stage, finishing fourth, and holds a substantial lead of six minutes and 26 seconds over Evenepoel in the general classification. If he avoids a race-ending crash in the final stage, Pogacar will join an elite group of riders with five Tour de France victories.
Instead of pursuing another stage win, Pogacar dedicated much of stage 20 to supporting his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate, Isaac del Toro. Pogacar paced a struggling Del Toro up the final climb, helping the 22-year-old Mexican provisionally secure third place on the overall podium and the young rider classification’s white jersey. The pair crossed the line together, arms around each other’s shoulders, in a moment Pogacar described as “fantastic and one for the memories.”
Del Toro finished fifth in the stage, strengthening his position against Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA-CGM. Seixas, a 19-year-old French rider, had started the day just 24 seconds behind Del Toro in the battle for the final podium spot but faded on the final mountain. Seixas is now set to finish fourth in the general classification, 11 minutes and 56 seconds behind Pogacar’s overall time.
Final Stage Shortened Due to Wildfires
Race organisers ASO announced a reduction in the distance of Sunday’s final stage. The stage, traditionally a procession culminating in a sprint on the Champs-Élysées, will be shortened from 133km to 89km. This decision was made to allow emergency services to be redeployed to address devastating wildfires in the south-west of the country, particularly in the Arcachon Bay area near Bordeaux and around Biscarrosse in the Landes region.
The wildfires have destroyed more than 36,000 hectares of wooded area and led to the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. The final stage will now begin on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, incorporating additional laps around the famous avenue before joining the main Montmartre circuit. This modified route, with a new section over Montmartre, could offer an opportunity for riders with sustained power to attempt a breakaway win, deviating from the traditional sprinter’s battle.
Other notable performances include Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek, who is set to win the green points jersey by finishing the final stage, holding an uncatchable lead of 82 points over Jasper Philipsen. Britain’s Tom Pidcock of Pinarello-Q36.5 finished stage 20 in 16th place and will finish ninth overall in the general classification.
The stage 20 route covered 170.9km, featuring 5,450 metres of climbing across three hors category climbs, concluding in the iconic Alpe d’Huez ski resort for the second time in two days.
Source: bbc.com
Chloe Tremblay is the Sports Reporter at CasinoNews, covering basketball, tennis and athletics with nine years of reporting experience. She reported on the Raptors' rise and two Olympic cycles. She holds a degree in Journalism from Concordia University. Based in Montreal, she plays recreational basketball and follows track athletics. “The best stories come from the athletes everyone overlooks.”
