Richard Carapaz Wins Tour de France 2026 Stage 20
Richard Carapaz conquered Alpe d’Huez on Saturday to win Stage 20 of the Tour de France, secure the King of the Mountains title and strengthen his place among the race’s leading riders. The EF Education-EasyPost cyclist attacked from the day’s breakaway and crossed the finish line alone after the race’s final major mountain test. Behind him, yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogacar safely defended his lead in the general classification and moved within one stage of winning the 2026 Tour de France. Sunday’s finale into Paris has been shortened after French authorities reassigned security personnel to support emergency operations linked to the wildfires affecting southwestern France.
The 170.9-kilometer (106.2-mile) stage from Nantua to Alpe d’Huez produced one final battle in the mountains before the Tour heads to the French capital. Carapaz launched his decisive attack on the final ascent and never looked back. Pogacar remained with the main general classification contenders, choosing to protect his overall lead instead of contesting the stage victory. The result lifted Carapaz to eighth place overall, 20 minutes behind Pogacar, while confirming his dominance in this year’s mountain competition.
Carapaz secures the polka-dot jersey after an outstanding final week
Saturday’s victory completed an exceptional final week for Carapaz. The Ecuadorian strengthened his position in the King of the Mountains classification during Stage 19 before mathematically securing the polka-dot jersey with his victory on Alpe d’Huez. The title recognizes the rider who earns the most points on the Tour’s categorized climbs and rewards consistent performances across the race’s toughest mountain stages.
Carapaz finished the Tour as the undisputed King of the Mountains after repeatedly attacking on the biggest climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees. The achievement adds another milestone to a career that already includes the 2019 Giro d’Italia title, the Olympic road race gold medal at Tokyo 2020 and podium finishes in all three Grand Tours.
The victory also delivered EF Education-EasyPost’s biggest success of this Tour de France. Carapaz animated many of the decisive mountain stages, repeatedly joining breakaways and forcing rivals to respond. His persistence paid off with two stage victories and the mountain classification, making him one of the race’s standout riders.
Pogacar, meanwhile, continued to race with the composure of a leader. He responded whenever his closest rivals accelerated and finished the stage without losing meaningful time. With a lead of 6 minutes 26 seconds over Remco Evenepoel, the Slovenian appears all but certain to claim another Tour de France title unless an extraordinary incident occurs on the final stage.
Harold Tejada delivers Colombia’s strongest mountain performance
Friday’s Stage 19 produced one of Colombia’s best performances of this Tour. Harold Tejada finished 10th after climbing with many of the race’s leading riders on Alpe d’Huez, delivering his strongest result of the final week. The ride confirmed the consistency he displayed throughout the race and placed him among the day’s best climbers.
That stage ended with Pogacar taking the victory after accelerating on the final ascent. Carapaz crossed the finish among the leading riders, collecting enough mountain points to place the polka-dot jersey firmly within reach before officially securing the title 24 hours later. Egan Bernal lost contact with the front group during the decisive climb but remained Colombia’s highest-ranked rider in the general classification.
Another Colombian contender, Einer Rubio, saw his Tour end after crashing during Stage 19. The Movistar Team rider abandoned the race following the incident, leaving Colombia with three riders still competing before the final stage.
General classification after Stage 20
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) — 72h 53m 44s
- Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) — +6m 26s
- Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) — +9m 42s
- Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) — +11m 56s
- Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) — +13m 02s
- Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) — +14m 59s
- Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) — +17m 48s
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) — +20m 00s
- Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) — +29m 28s
- Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) — +33m 21s
Colombian riders in the general classification
- 20. Egan Bernal (Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team) — +1h 47m 58s
- 26. Harold Tejada (XDS Astana Team) — +2h 19m 47s
- 38. Sergio Higuita (XDS Astana Team) — +3h 04m 35s
Pogacar heads toward another Tour title
The Tour now turns to its final stage, traditionally a celebration for the overall winner and the last opportunity for the sprinters. This year’s route into Paris has been shortened because of the wildfire emergency in France, although the change is not expected to affect the fight for the yellow jersey.
Pogacar will begin the final stage with a commanding overall advantage and needs only to complete the route safely to secure the 2026 Tour de France. Carapaz will arrive in Paris wearing the polka-dot jersey after winning two mountain stages and finishing as the Tour’s King of the Mountains. Bernal, Tejada and Higuita are also expected to complete the race, giving Colombia three finishers in this year’s edition. At the same time, Carapaz closes one of the strongest Grand Tours of his career.