Carapaz conquers the Tour's final mountain test on stage 20

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) took a magnificent solo victory on the final mountain showdown of the 2026 Tour de France, attacking from the elite group of favourites on the steep slopes of the stage 20 summit finish.

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) gave chase but settled for second place, 26 seconds behind the winner. Sepp Kuss (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) was best of the rest, finishing third a further five seconds adrift.

Race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) could not follow the accelerations, finishing fourth at 1:05 down. He conceded 39 seconds to his closest rival, Evenepoel, setting up a tense final weekend.

Stage 20 was the last dance for the climbers, a brutal day in the high mountains culminating in a punishing summit finish. With the general classification still in play, the pace was high from the start as the main contenders' teams controlled proceedings.

A breakaway formed but was never given much leeway by the peloton, where UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe marshalled the front. The escapees were caught on the lower slopes of the final ascent, ensuring their leaders would contest the stage.

As the pace from Tadej Pogačar's teammates thinned the bunch, Richard Carapaz launched a blistering move that no one could match. Behind, Remco Evenepoel and Sepp Kuss formed a chase duo and distanced Pogačar, who relied on teammate Isaac del Toro to limit his losses. Carapaz held his advantage to the line to take a memorable win.

• Richard Carapaz timed his attack perfectly. Unable to outsprint the GC favourites, he used the steep gradients to launch a powerful move that earned him the queen stage victory and salvaged a quiet race for EF Education-EasyPost.
• Remco Evenepoel and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe successfully isolated Tadej Pogačar. Evenepoel proved the strongest of the top contenders, landing a significant psychological and time-based blow ahead of the final weekend.
• For the first time in this Tour, Pogačar showed weakness. He could not respond when the pace ramped up, and without teammate Isaac del Toro, his losses would have been far greater. His yellow jersey is secure, but his aura of invincibility has faded.
• Sepp Kuss delivered another strong climbing performance. His third place on the stage solidifies his high GC standing and confirms his status as an elite Grand Tour contender.