Richard Carapaz Crowned King of the Alps on Alpe d'Huez as Pogacar Seals Fifth Tour de France Victory

The Stage That Had Everything\n\nStage 20 was billed as the Queen Stage, and it delivered beyond expectations. Covering 170.9 km from Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Alpe d'Huez via a back route, the peloton faced four monster climbs totaling 5,450 meters of vertical gain — one of the most demanding days in modern Tour history.\n\nThe early breakaway featured a stacked cast including Carapaz, Kuss, Hindley, Ayuso, Arensman, and Healy. As the race reached the Col du Galibier (2,642m — the roof of the Tour), Carapaz secured enough points to mathematically lock in the polka dot jersey.\n\n### The Turning Point\n\nThe decisive moment came on the descent of the Col de Sarenne, where Sepp Kuss crashed twice within minutes on wet, technical roads. The American had been leading the race for the stage win but saw his advantage evaporate as Carapaz capitalized. \n\n### Pogacar's Selfless Masterstroke\n\nPerhaps the most remarkable storyline was Tadej Pogacar's willingness to work for his teammate. With his fifth overall victory already secured, the Slovenian superstar dropped back from the leading group to pace Isaac Del Toro up the final climbs, ensuring the young Mexican retained the white jersey and secured 3rd place overall.\n\nPogacar's efforts included setting tempo on the Galibier and Sarenne, neutralizing attacks from Paul Seixas, and personally delivering Del Toro to the finish line. It was a display of leadership that drew comparisons to the greatest team players in Tour history.\n\n### Final GC Standings\n\n| Position | Rider | Team | Time |\n|----------|-------|------|------|\n| 1 | Tadej Pogacar | UAE Team Emirates | 72:53:44 |\n| 2 | Remco Evenepoel | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +6:26 |\n| 3 | Isaac Del Toro | UAE Team Emirates | +9:42 |\n| 4 | Paul Seixas | Decathlon CMA CGM | +11:56 |\n| 5 | Lenny Martinez | Bahrain Victorious | +13:02 |\n\n### Historical Context\n\nCarapaz's victory on Alpe d'Huez adds his name to an illustrious list that includes Marco Pantani, Lance Armstrong, and Tadej Pogacar. The Ecuadorian's two stage wins in this Tour (Stage 18 and Stage 20) mark the finest Grand Tour performance of his career since his 2019 Giro d'Italia victory.\n\nPogacar's fifth Tour win at age 27 puts him among the all-time greats, with only Eddy Merckx (5), Bernard Hinault (5), Miguel Indurain (5), and Jacques Anquetil (5) having achieved five or more victories in the modern era.

How did Carapaz win the stage?\nA: Richard Carapaz was in a breakaway group with Sepp Kuss and Jai Hindley. When Kuss crashed twice on the descent of the Col de Sarenne, Carapaz pushed ahead and soloed to victory on Alpe d'Huez, finishing 26 seconds ahead of Evenepoel.\n\nQ: What happened to Sepp Kuss?\nA: Kuss crashed twice on the same descent near Alpe d'Huez. The first crash cost him precious seconds to Carapaz, and the second crash — where he slid into concrete barriers — effectively ended his chances of stage victory. He finished 3rd on the stage.\n\nQ: Did Tadej Pogacar help Isaac Del Toro?\nA: Yes. With his overall victory secured, Pogacar intentionally dropped back from the lead group to pace Del Toro up the final climbs, protecting his teammate's 3rd place overall and white jersey from attacks by Paul Seixas.\n\nQ: What was unique about this Alpe d'Huez finish?**\nA: Unlike the traditional 21-switchback ascent, the stage approached Alpe d'Huez from the back side via the Col de Sarenne, making the final climb only 3.7 km long but after 166 km of brutal Alpine racing.

*Do you think Tadej Pogacar can match Eddy Merckx's record of five Tour de France wins, or will the new generation of Del Toro and Seixas challenge him in the coming years? Let us know in the comments!*\n\n> *Share this article with others who need to stay ahead of this trend!*\n\nShare on: Twitter/X • LinkedIn • Reddit\n\n### Sources\n\n- Sporza – Tour de France Stage 20 Coverage\n- NOS – Tour de France Live Blog Stage 20\n- Tour de France Official – Stage 20 Results