Tadej Pogacar stands on the verge of securing his fifth Tour de France title, a milestone that would tie him with cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider claimed a dominant victory on stage 19, setting a new record of 35 minutes and 27 seconds for the final climb to Alpe d’Huez, surpassing the mark previously held by Marco Pantani since 1997.
Pogacar finished six seconds ahead of Frenchman Lenny Martinez, while Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost took third place. This victory extends Pogacar’s overall lead to seven minutes and 11 seconds over Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. His teammate, Isaac del Toro, holds third place and the white jersey for the best young rider.
The performance was aided by teammate Adam Yates, who provided crucial pacing support on the final climb despite recovering from a recent illness. While Pogacar celebrated his win amidst a massive, dense crowd of spectators, Carapaz earned the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey. The peloton faces another difficult test on Saturday during the race’s queen stage, which features another ascent of the iconic Alpe d’Huez.
