Pogacar poised for Tour de France victory as Carapaz wins stage 20
Tadej Pogacar is set to claim his fifth Tour de France title after Richard Carapaz secured victory in the 20th stage. The final stage into Paris on Sunday has been shortened due to wildfires in other parts of France.
The decision to shorten the final stage to 89km, starting on the Champs-Élysées, was made by the Tour organizer, ASO, in conjunction with prefecture police. This measure allows for the redeployment of internal security forces to areas affected by wildfires, particularly around the Arcachon lagoon near Bordeaux and Biscarrosse in the Landes, where over 36,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed.
This marks the third instance in this year’s race where a stage has been altered due to wildfires or a heatwave. Pogacar, a four-time champion, is expected to equal the record for most Tour de France titles.
Stage 20 Highlights and Incidents
Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost won stage 20, marking his second stage victory in three days. He also secured the King of the Mountains competition, earning the polka dot jersey. His win came after a dramatic day that included attacks on the Col de la Croix de Fer.
American rider Sepp Kuss of Visma-Lease a Bike, who was leading the stage, crashed twice in the final kilometers. His first fall occurred coming out of a tunnel near Alpe d’Huez town, and he crashed again shortly after on a right-hand corner, nearly falling down a sheer drop before being stopped by safety netting.
Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, finished fourth in stage 20. He dedicated his efforts to supporting his 22-year-old Mexican teammate, Isaac del Toro, who provisionally secured third place on the overall podium and the white jersey for the young rider classification. The pair crossed the finish line together, with Pogacar pacing a struggling Del Toro up the final climb.
Pogacar will begin Sunday’s shortened stage with a lead of six minutes and 26 seconds over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. Evenepoel finished stage 20 in second place, 26 seconds behind Carapaz.
Safety Concerns and Rider Reactions
The chaotic scenes during Friday’s climb up Alpe d’Huez raised significant safety concerns. Incidents included in-race motorbikes being blocked by crowds, which stalled an attack from Evenepoel. A lack of crowd control also led to Movistar climber Einer Rubio abandoning the race after crashing into a UAE team car.
Rubio’s crash, which resulted in 20 stitches for facial injuries after being transported by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble, was reportedly caused by an unruly spectator. Race director Thierry Gouvenou commented on the incident, suggesting that older car models might have prevented it.
Footage of fans wrestling over gifts and climbing on moving race vehicles further fueled concerns about the race’s control. French national champion Romain Grégoire described spectators as being “so drunk that it was more like being slapped on the arse, than getting pushes.” Evenepoel’s Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe sports director, Klaas Lodewyck, emphasized that while cheering is acceptable, punching side mirrors and banging on windows crosses a line.
A spat between Carapaz and French climber Lenny Martinez also continued into Saturday morning. Carapaz had accused Martinez of “cutting in front” of him on the final corner of Friday’s stage. Martinez, however, appeared unfazed, stating, “We’re not at Club Med – I’m not letting him go first.”
Overall Standings and Final Stage
After stage 20, Pogacar holds the general classification lead with a time of 72 hours, 53 minutes, and 44 seconds. Evenepoel is in second place, 6 minutes and 26 seconds behind, followed by Isaac del Toro in third, 9 minutes and 42 seconds back. Paul Seixas is set to finish fourth overall, 11 minutes and 56 seconds behind Pogacar.
Denmark’s Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek is poised to win the green points jersey in Paris, leading Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Premier Tech by 82 points. The final stage on Sunday will feature two laps of the Champs-Élysées followed by circuits of the Butte Montmartre.
Source: theguardian.com
