Tour de France Stage 19 sees breakaway action and team illness concerns
The Tour de France Stage 19, a 127.9km route from Gap to Alpe d’Huez, featured significant breakaway efforts and ongoing concerns regarding the health of UAE Team Emirates XRG riders. The stage, which includes the challenging Col d’Ornon and Col du Noyer, is considered a prestigious mountain finish.
Early in the stage, a large lead group formed, including riders such as Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), currently seventh in the general classification. Other notable riders in the breakaway included Richard Carapaz, Sepp Kuss, Quinn Simmons, and Tobias Johannessen. The peloton initially allowed the break a lead of around 1 minute 30 seconds, with Red Bull Bora-Hangrohe and UAE Team Emirates XRG controlling the front.
Breakaway Dynamics and Mountain Points
As the stage progressed, the breakaway’s lead increased, reaching over two minutes at one point. On the Col du Noyer, a category one climb spanning 7.2km with an average gradient of 8.5%, Paret-Peintre attacked for mountains points, with Carapaz following. Paret-Peintre secured the first five polkadot points of the day, moving ahead of Tadej Pogacar in the mountains classification standings.
The descent from Col du Noyer saw the lead group maintain a lead of 3 minutes 30 seconds. Mads Pedersen, part of the lead group, was positioned to add to his green jersey standings at the intermediate sprint. After the sprint, Pedersen and Adam Yates began to fall back from the breakaway.
The breakaway eventually reduced to 15 riders, still including Carapaz, Martinez, Kuss, and Simmons, as they approached the penultimate climb, the Col d’Ornon. This category two climb is 5.4km long with an average gradient of 6.4%.
Team Health Concerns for Pogacar
Concerns about illness within Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates XRG continued to be a significant storyline. Reports indicated that a virus had affected the team since Monday’s rest day. Brandon McNulty abandoned the Tour during the previous stage, and Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch also appeared to struggle.
Wellens suggested that other riders were unwell and mentioned having a sore throat. Despite Pogacar holding a substantial lead over Remco Evenepoel, the weakened state of his team raised questions about his strategy for the mountain stages. Pogacar acknowledged the challenges, stating, “I’m sad that Brandon could not finish. We will see in the next two days but Adam is getting better, and tomorrow, we will go with the flow.”
The Alpe d’Huez climb, known for its 21 hairpins and an average gradient of 8.1% over 13.8km, is a key feature of the stage. This iconic ascent first appeared in the Tour de France in 1952. The 2026 Tour de France is scheduled to visit Alpe d’Huez twice, with the Stage 19 ascent being the first.
The record for the climb, set by Marco Pantani in 1997, stands at 37 minutes and 35 seconds. While Sepp Kuss set a new Strava KOM in 2022, Pantani’s record remains faster. The seventh bend of Alpe d’Huez is known as Dutch Corner, a popular spot for supporters.
Despite the team’s health issues, Pogacar expressed confidence in managing the situation. He noted that it is the third week of the Tour, and all teams are experiencing difficulties. The stage is expected to be explosive, with some predicting an aggressive start from the peloton.
The short distance of Stage 19, combined with its immediate uphill start, was expected to favor a strong move from the general classification contenders. However, the extent of the illness within UAE Team Emirates XRG could influence Pogacar’s approach to attacking the mountain. Richard Carapaz previously won Stage 18 of the Tour de France.
The stage concludes with the demanding 21 hairpins of Alpe d’Huez, a climb that has been part of the Tour’s history since 1952.
Read Also
Source: theguardian.com
