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 all around the world.
Pogacar, 27, is aiming to become the joint-most successful rider in the Tour’s history with five wins, alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Pogacar has a dominant lead over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe of seven minutes 11 seconds, despite the Belgian’s improved climbing form this year.
Pogacar’s Mexican team-mate 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 it could pull it off,” said Pogacar.
“When I heard some of the guys [were] dropped when [team-mate] 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 severnal 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.
Read more: Why are cycling’s anti-doping tests being carried out at night?
