Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is on the verge of winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France after taking a storming victory on stage 19 to Alpe d’Huez. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider pulled more than three minutes back on a breakaway group on the hors category final climb up to the famous ski resort, which was flanked by thousands of spectators from around the world. Pogacar, 27, is aiming to become the joint-most successful rider in the Tour’s history with five wins, alongside legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. He holds a dominant lead over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of seven minutes 11 seconds, despite the Belgian’s improved climbing form this year. Pogacar’s Mexican teammate Isaac del Toro remains third and in the white young riders’ classification leader’s jersey, nine minutes 42 seconds down. The peloton will take on Alpe d’Huez once again on Saturday for the three-week race’s mountainous ‘queen’ stage, which includes an extra 2,000 metres of climbing. “It was very cool to win up here – it was a crazy atmosphere all climb and I’m thankful for the team that I could pull it off,” said Pogacar. “When I heard some of the guys [were] dropped when [teammate] Felix [Grosschartner] set a super good pace at the beginning of the climb, I was already going full gas, as the breakaway was so strong. Every kilometre of Alpe d’Huez I had good legs and not many could follow [me].” Pogacar crossed the line six seconds ahead of France’s Lenny Martinez of Bahrain-Victorious, who thumped his handlebars several times in frustration as he crossed the line. Ecuador’s in-form rider Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost, who won Thursday’s stage to Ocieres Merlette, finished a further three seconds behind in third. A 40-plus strong breakaway had established a lead over the peloton and yellow-jersey wearer Pogacar by several minutes mid-stage, but the main pack began to slowly reel them in. It was Martinez, the USA’s Sepp Kuss of Visma-Lease a Bike, and a typically animated Carapaz who eventually emerged as the three seemingly set to battle for victory as they began Alpe d’Huez’s legendary twisting ribbons of tarmac. But Pogacar had other ideas and set a record time on the final climb of 35 minutes 27 seconds, beating the time set by Italy’s legendary Marco Pantani in 1997. The victory puts Pogacar in a commanding position heading into the final stages of the Tour. With a lead of over seven minutes, he is all but assured of his fifth title, provided he avoids any mishaps in the remaining stages. The Slovenian rider has been in dominant form throughout the race, winning multiple stages and showcasing his incredible climbing ability. As the Tour enters its final days, fans will be eagerly watching to see if Pogacar can cement his place among the legends of the sport. His performance on Alpe d’Huez has already etched his name into Tour history, and a fifth victory would confirm his status as one of the greatest riders of all time. The final stages promise more excitement as the peloton battles for stage wins and final classification positions, but the spotlight remains firmly on Pogacar as he closes in on another historic achievement.
