DISCUSSION - Tour de France Stage 19 - Did Pogacar deliver one of the greatest Alpe d'Huez performances ever?

Tadej Pogacar delivered another statement performance in the Tour de France. Despite starting the final climb of Alpe d'Huez around three minutes behind a strong group of climbers, the Slovenian proved once again that he is operating on another level. He managed to catch all the breakaway riders and, in the final kilometre, also dropped Richard Carapaz and Lenny Martínez to claim another memorable stage victory.

Stage 19 started in Gap and covered 127.9 kilometres, featuring three earlier climbs before the final showdown on Alpe d'Huez: Col de Bayard, Col du Noyer and Col d'Ornon. The iconic climb, with its 21 hairpin bends and legendary history, returned to the Tour after four years and provided the perfect setting for a spectacular Alpine battle, with thousands of fans creating an incredible atmosphere on the slopes.

A large breakaway of 42 riders formed early in the day, including strong climbers such as Richard Carapaz, Sepp Kuss, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Thymen Arensman and Lenny Martínez, while Mads Pedersen also joined the move to secure valuable points in the green jersey competition.

UAE Team Emirates - XRG controlled the situation and allowed the gap to grow, knowing there was no immediate threat to Pogacar's yellow jersey. With Martínez and Carapaz far enough behind in the general classification, the Slovenian's team had no reason to panic.

The breakaway began to fall apart before the final climb, with Bruno Armirail setting a strong pace for teammate Sepp Kuss. In the favourites' group, Felix Grobschartner's acceleration reduced the contenders to a small selection containing Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose and others.

The gap to the escapees was still around three minutes at the bottom of Alpe d'Huez, but Pogacar had other plans.

With around 10 kilometres remaining, the yellow jersey attacked and immediately distanced his rivals. Supported briefly by teammate Adam Yates, Pogacar launched a remarkable solo chase towards the remaining breakaway riders. Carapaz, Kuss and Martínez tried to resist, but the Slovenian continued to close the gap at an incredible pace.

Inside the final kilometres, Carapaz attacked repeatedly in an attempt to stay clear, but Pogacar eventually caught the trio just before the finish. The world champion did not wait for a sprint and accelerated again, breaking the resistance of his final rivals to win the stage.

The victory was even more impressive because Pogacar also surpassed Marco Pantani's long-standing climbing record on Alpe d'Huez.

Carlos Silva from CyclingUpToDate analysed everything that unfolded on the French Alps roads throughout the day and, at the end, shared his reflections on what he had witnessed.

On a day marked by a very strong breakaway and a UAE Team Emirates - XRG weakened in numbers due to the illness cases that have affected the team, the victory only escaped the breakaway riders because Lenny Martínez decided to spend the entire day sitting on wheels. And I say this with complete honesty.

If Lenny Martínez, instead of being frustrated with finishing second on the stage behind Tadej Pogacar, had worked with his breakaway companions, perhaps the escape would have succeeded. Instead, at the finish line, he simply managed to be the best of the rest, and that is worth what it is worth.

It was clear that Carapaz and Kuss were cooperating, but the Frenchman never contributed any work. Carapaz attacked five times on the climb, but only on his final attempt was he able to get clear at the front of the race, before being caught 1.5 km from the finish by Pogacar and the French wheel-sucker, who had meanwhile taken advantage of the Slovenian’s draft.

What a fantastic stage EF Education-EasyPost and the Ecuadorian delivered after yesterday’s victory. Chapeau to Carapaz.

I did not understand Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe’s move. At one point during the stage, they came to the front of the peloton and started setting the pace, even though there was no need for them to do so. Why they did it is something their sports director should explain.

Lidl-Trek raced at two different speeds. First, they went full gas to allow Mads Pedersen to collect the maximum number of points at the intermediate sprint, and after the sprint they switched to cruising speed. Mattias Skjelmose escaped the carnage.

Juan Ayuso, as expected, completely collapsed on Alpe d’Huez and should probably have put the violin back in its case, because once again he showed that he does not have the legs to ride with the best riders in the world. He changed teams, but he has not learned anything new, because he continues to race in the same way and fade away at the crucial moments of races.

Paul Seixas, Isaac Del Toro and Remco Evenepoel delivered a stage at the level that was expected from them, with the Belgian consolidating his position in second place overall.

Tomorrow we have another very tough Alpine stage. Nothing is decided yet and a lot can change. A lot, except Pogacar’s lead.

The world champion showed his true colours and broke the Alpe d’Huez climbing record, winning the stage with a monstrous final ascent. Jonas Vingegaard was missing from the menu, because with all those tens of thousands of fans lining the climb, we could have had an even more spectacular stage.

Because despite everything that is said and written, the Dane remains the only rider capable of truly challenging the UAE Team Emirates leader.

Pascal Michiels of RadsportAktuell also reflected on another captivating day at the Tour de France. After the finish, he shared his thoughts on the tactical battle that unfolded throughout the stage, offering his analysis of the key moments that ultimately paved the way for Tadej Pogacar memorable victory.

This was no ordinary chase. It was a show of dominance that looked absurd even on Alpe d’Huez.

Tadej Pogačar began the final climb more than three minutes behind a group packed with proven mountain specialists. Richard Carapaz, Sepp Kuss and Lenny Martínez were up the road — riders who know exactly how to conquer an Alpine giant. Yet the Slovenian treated them not as genuine rivals, but as checkpoints on the way to another stage victory.

While Carapaz attacked, Kuss responded and Martínez desperately clung on, Pogacar powered his way forward, almost entirely from the saddle. Within just a few kilometres, he had already taken two minutes out of the other general classification contenders. Shortly before the finish, he finally caught the breakaway riders as well, then dropped them on the final uphill section.

Just as extraordinary as his performance was the setting. Alpe d’Huez had become a boiling corridor of people, smoke, noise and outstretched arms. Pogacar had to gesture at the spectators to move aside as he forced his way through the sea of fans.

That was what made the afternoon feel so unreal: Pogacar was not setting a record under controlled laboratory conditions. He was racing through complete sporting chaos, constantly having to search for a clear line, and still managed to make up three minutes on seasoned world-class climbers.

Carapaz, Martínez and Kuss were brave. They raced aggressively, attacked one another and did almost everything right. Against this version of Pogacar, however, it barely mattered. He swallowed up their advantage, crushed their hopes in the final kilometre and won at a pace that made the rest of the field look as though they were taking part in a different event.

Alpe d’Huez has witnessed many great champions. On this day, however, the mountain belonged to one man alone.

Javier Rampe from CiclismoAlDía closely followed the action on the French roads and shared his thoughts on what he witnessed during the day.

Alpe d'Huez once again surrendered to a champion. Tadej Pogacar delivered one of the most memorable performances of this Tour de France by winning stage 19 after attacking from the very base of the final climb, while he was still more than three minutes behind the breakaway. With the yellow jersey already practically secured, the Slovenian once again showed that he does not understand the concept of speculation: his way of racing is defined by an insatiable hunger and by an attacking instinct that pushes him to chase victory even when he does not need it.

The stage was marked by a massive breakaway of 43 riders that brought together some of the most prominent names in the peloton, including Richard Carapaz, Sepp Kuss, Adam Yates and the four Movistar Team representatives: Pablo Castrillo, Javier Romo, Raúl García Pierna and Einer Rubio. The escapees managed to build a lead of more than four minutes before the race exploded on the opening slopes of Alpe d'Huez.

The main animator of the breakaway was Richard Carapaz. The Ecuadorian turned the final climb into a constant exchange of attacks, trying again and again to break clear on his own. His courage and determination brought great excitement to the stage, but even his offensive display was not enough to hold off an unstoppable Pogacar, who picked off the breakaway riders one by one before completing a victory to remember.

Movistar Team once again confirmed that it is one of the most combative teams in this edition of the Tour. The Spanish squad placed four riders in the breakaway and managed to keep Javier Romo and Einer Rubio among the strongest riders until the start of the decisive climb. However, the same reflection emerges once again: the enormous amount of energy spent throughout these three weeks has still not been rewarded. The persistence deserves recognition, but perhaps a more selective strategy, choosing the right stages to launch their attacks, would have increased their chances of turning so much effort into a victory.

The disappointment of the day was once again Juan Ayuso. The Spaniard was dropped very early on Alpe d'Huez, lost more than a minute to Isaac del Toro and once again surrendered time in the general classification. After three weeks of racing, the rider from Alicante failed again at the decisive moment, confirming a Tour far below the expectations he had created.

Alpe d’Huez delivered another unforgettable chapter in this Tour de France, with Tadej Pogacar producing a performance that combined strength, courage and an instinct for attacking racing. The Slovenian had no need to take risks with the yellow jersey already secure, yet he once again chose to entertain and dominate. Starting the final climb more than three minutes behind the breakaway, he turned a difficult chase into a historic victory, proving once again that he is racing on a different level.

However, behind Pogacar’s brilliance, there was also the feeling that the breakaway had missed a golden opportunity. Richard Carapaz was magnificent, attacking repeatedly and showing the same aggressive spirit that brought him victory the previous day.

Sepp Kuss also contributed to the effort, but the lack of cooperation from Lenny Martínez changed the dynamic of the group. The Frenchman had the legs to fight for victory, but by refusing to work, he limited the chances of the escape succeeding.

The stage also provided more evidence of the different stories unfolding in the peloton. EF Education-EasyPost and Carapaz deserve huge credit for their ambition, while Movistar Team once again showed their fighting spirit with a strong presence in the breakaway.

At the same time, questions remain about some tactical decisions, especially Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe’s decision to control the race when there seemed to be little reason to do so. Juan Ayuso’s struggles continued as well, with the Spaniard once again unable to follow the best riders when the decisive attacks came.

In the end, though, the day belonged entirely to Pogacar. The world champion broke the Alpe d’Huez climbing record and delivered one of the most impressive performances of this Tour. The only thing missing was Jonas Vingegaard, because the Dane remains the one rider capable of turning Pogacar’s dominance into a genuine battle. Without him, Alpe d’Huez was not a duel between champions, it was a demonstration of one champion’s greatness.