Tadej Pogacar set for record-equalling fifth Tour de France title

Pogacar will join Jacques Anqueil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain as the only men with five Tour titles to their name.

Tadej Pogacar will start Sunday’s shortened stage into Paris leading the Tour de France by six minutes and 26 seconds. Pic: AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy

Tadej Pogacar stands to win a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title in Paris on Sunday after Richard Carapaz took advantage of late crashes for Sepp Kuss to win stage 20 on the Alpe d’Huez.

A day after setting a new record time up the Alpe’s famous hairpin bends to extend his overall lead, Pogacar could afford to concede 39 seconds to closest challenger Remco Evenepoel on Saturday and will start Sunday’s shortened stage into Paris ahead by six minutes and 26 seconds.

There was no sixth stage win of this Tour for Pogacar as he prioritised protecting his team-mate Isaac del Toro in the fight for the final podium spot and the best young rider’s white jersey – mission accomplished as the Mexican distanced French teenager Paul Seixas on the Col de Sarenne.

Instead Carapaz rode solo to his second stage win of the week, overtaking Kuss with six kilometres left after the American crashed twice in the space a few minutes, the second a frightening incident as he was only just collected by netting which prevented a much greater fall on a hairpin bend.

Pogacar will now join Jacques Anqueil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain as the only men with five Tour titles to their name.

“I did my best today to help Isaac,” said Pogacar of his day as a domestique. “I have massive respect for what all the guys did over the last three weeks because today I experienced it myself.

“I already before appreciated the work of the team-mates but now it’s another level. I must say thank you to every single one of them to work so hard for the last three weeks.” 

Carapaz, winner in Orcieres-Merlette on Thursday, was in the breakaway from the very start of the 171km stage from Le Bourg d’Oisans.

The Ecuadorian led the race over the Col de la Croix-de-Fer, the Telegraphe and then the Galibier – the highest point in the Tour – to mathematically secure the king of the mountains crown before they took the Sarenne, the back way up the Alpe d’Huez.

Carapaz began the final climb alongside Kuss and Jai Hindley and, although the others attacked first, Carapaz overhauled Hindley and then profited when Kuss pushed his luck on the approach to the Alpe d’Huez ski resort, with Kuss riding in battered and bruised in third as Evenepoel pipped him to second.

“There was a moment I didn’t believe it,” Carapaz said. “It’s been very hard because from the start I was fighting for the jersey.

“Sepp was fighting for the win, I was at the limit. In the end I don’t know what happened, but it was very hard. At the end it’s been beautiful for me. It’s been a dream Tour.” 

Sunday’s final stage has been shortened due to emergency services being diverted to battle wildfires in the south west of France around Bordeaux.

The stage has been cut from 133km from 89km and will head directly from Thoiry to central Paris, where the peloton will take on two additional laps of the Champs-Elysees circuit.