Tour de France: Tadej Pogacar Wins at Alpe d'Huez

Tadej Pogacar secured his first victory at Alpe d'Huez during the 19th stage of the Tour de France on July 24, 2026. He finished ahead of French cyclist Lenny Martinez and Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, the previous day's winner, who claimed the Best Climber jersey from Valentin Paret-Peintre. Pogacar extended his lead just two days ahead of the final arrival in Paris. Amid a massive crowd, the Slovenian overcame a 3:30 deficit at the base of the final climb, overtaking the breakaway riders one by one to notch his 26th stage win in the Tour. The Tour peloton will return to Alpe d'Huez on July 25, 2026, via the Col de Sarenne, during a daunting 'mountain marathon'. This penultimate gargantuan stage includes four iconic climbs: a first-category climb, the Télégraphe (11.9 km at 7.1%), and three hors-catégorie climbs, the Croix de Fer (24 km at 5.2%), the Galibier (17.7 km at 6.9%), and the final ascent to Alpe d'Huez via the Col de Sarenne (12.8 km at 7.3%), totaling 5,450 meters of elevation gain.