Pogacar on verge of fifth Tour after Alpe d'Huez win

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.

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In setting his staggering time, Pogacar had taken off alone in pursuit of the remaining riders in the break, before finding rejuvenated British team-mate Adam Yates further up the climb to help pace him some of the way through the crowds, who were spilling dangerously on to the road within millimetres of the riders, who in turn were becoming ever more frustrated by the potential of a collision.

Yates, 33, whose career includes a Tour stage win and time in the yellow jersey, showed great strength in leading the breakaway before becoming the perfect 'satellite' rider to help Pogacar on his late-stage charge.

It comes just a few days after Yates fell ill and vomited after stage 16's time trial.

He spent the subsequent two stages riding slowly at the very back of the field, losing nearly an hour in total overall.

Typically riders would abandon the Tour in that kind of condition to avoid causing further illness, but Yates' tenacity did not go unnoticed.

"Adam gave me a good moral boost," said Pogacar. "I was so happy he is finally back after the day of the TT - he was so bad and I'm super happy to ride behind him on the climb."

Yates, 33, has been a loyal domestique to Pogacar since 2023, and is contracted for another two seasons.

His identical twin Simon retired in January after winning the 2025 Giro d'Italia three-week Grand Tour to add to his 2018 Vuelta a Espana victory.

Further down the field Denmark's Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek remains it the green points jersey after stretching his lead over Belgium's Jasper Philipsen.

Carapaz's combative riding sees him take over the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey by one point from Pogacar.

Tour de France stage 19 results

1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 3hrs 17mins 57secs

2. Lenny Martinez (Fra/Bahrain-Victorious) +6secs

3. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-Easypost) +9secs

4. Sepp Kuss (USA/Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 14secs

5. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor/Uno X Mobility) +2min 7secs

6. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2min 29secs

7. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +2mins 41secs

8. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +2mins 45secs

9. Paul Seixas (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) same time

10. Harold Tejada (Col/XDS-Astana) +3mins 22secs

Tour de France general classification after stage 19

1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 67hrs 53mins

2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +7mins 11secs

3. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +9mins 42secs

4. Paul Seixas (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +10mins 6secs

5. Lenny Martinez (Fra/Bahrain-Victorious) +13mins

6. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +13mins 9secs

7. Juan Ayuso (Spa/Lidl-Trek) +15mins 58secs

8. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-Easypost) +21mins 15secs

9. Tom Pidcock (GB/Pinarello-Q36.5) +21mins 30secs

10. Jordan Jegat (Fra/Total Energies) +23mins 21secs