Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost secured victory on stage 18 of the Tour de France, navigating the mountainous 185.2km route from Voiron to Ocieres Merlette. The Ecuadorian rider launched a decisive breakaway, finishing 45 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike).
Carapaz’s aggressive and strategic riding was a highlight of the stage, which marked the first of three challenging days in the French Alps. He demonstrated his strength on the final 7km climb to Orcières-Merlette, where he initially splintered a group of leaders before launching a final, successful attack.
Breakaway Success and General Classification
The stage saw numerous breakaways throughout the day, with Carapaz eventually joining a front group that swelled to 14 riders at one point. This group included Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who extended his lead in the green jersey classification by 32 points, though he remains vulnerable to Jasper Philipsen.
Carapaz’s win also enhanced his position in the king of the mountains’ jersey competition. He is now third in that contest, trailing by seven points. Yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) currently holds the king of the mountains jersey, as well as the white young rider’s jersey, which is held by his teammate Isaac del Toro.
In the overall general classification after stage 18, Pogacar maintains a significant lead. He is ahead of Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) by four minutes 32 seconds and his teammate Del Toro by six minutes 51 seconds. Pogacar, at 27 years old, is aiming for his fifth Tour de France victory, which would place him among the most successful riders in the race’s history.
Challenges for UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Despite Pogacar’s strong position, his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad has faced challenges. Key domestique Brandon McNulty abandoned the race mid-stage due to sickness. This follows Adam Yates also experiencing illness after stage 16’s time trial, which saw him finish significantly behind the main field.
Yates continued to struggle on stage 18, dropping back to his team’s service car for fluids and finishing nearly half an hour down. The loss of two domestiques could pose difficulties for Pogacar, especially with the upcoming brutal stages that include two finishes on the iconic Alpe d’Huez.
The mountainous terrain of the next two stages, featuring a total of four uncategorised climbs, promises to be particularly demanding. Pogacar’s reliance on his domestiques for early climbing stages could be tested as the race heads towards its conclusion in the Alps.
The stage 18 results saw Carapaz finish in 4 hours, 26 minutes, 21 seconds, with Schmid and Jorgenson 45 seconds behind. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quick Step) finished fourth, one minute 14 seconds back, followed by Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno X Mobility) at one minute 57 seconds.
Stage 18 Results
- Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-Easypost) 4hrs 26mins 21secs
- Mauro Schmid (Swi/Jayco-Alula) +45secs
- Matteo Jorgenson (USA/Visma-Lease a Bike) same time
- Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra/Soudal-Quick Step) +1min 14secs
- Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor/Uno X Mobility) +1min 57secs
- Raul Garcia Pierna (Spa/Movistar) +2mins 12secs
- Pablo Castrillo (Spa/Movistar) +4mins 30secs
- Lenny Martinez (Fra/Bahrain Victorious) +4mins 35secs
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
- Tom Pidcock (GB/Pinarello-Q36.5)
The general classification after stage 18 shows Pogacar leading with a total time of 64 hours, 35 minutes, 13 seconds.
General Classification After Stage 18
- Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 64hrs 35mins 13secs
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +4mins 32secs
- Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +6mins 51secs
- Paul Seixas (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +7mins 11secs
- Juan Ayuso (Spa/Lidl-Trek) +9mins 22secs
- Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +10mins 14secs
- Lenny Martinez (Fra/Bahrain-Victorious) +12mins 50secs
- Tom Pidcock (GB/Pinarello-Q36.5) +12mins 58secs
- Jordan Jegat (Fra/Total Energies) +14mins 4secs
- Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-Easypost) +21mins
The Tour de France continues with more challenging stages in the Alps.
Source: bbc.co.uk