Key developments

1. Jul 26, 2026

   Richard Carapaz launches a solo attack on the final climb to win stage 18 at Orcières-Merlette, finishing 45 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid.

   137 sources on this →
2. Jul 26, 2026

   Tadej Pogačar preserves his overall Tour de France lead through the brutal alpine stage despite an illness cloud within UAE Team Emirates.

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Stories in this storyline

Pogačar Clinches Fifth Tour Title

Richard Carapaz launched a decisive solo attack on the final climb of Orcières-Merlette to win stage 18 of the Tour de France, finishing 45 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid with Matteo Jorgenson in third. The victory preserves Tadej Pogačar's overall lead, while marking Carapaz's second Tour stage win and a major boost for EF Education-EasyPost.

137 sources

Photo: Petar Milošević / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Pogačar Secures Fifth Tour de France Title

Stage 18 of the 2026 Tour de France concludes at Orcières-Merlette after a brutal 185km of alpine climbing, setting up a potential reshaping of the general classification with a decisive final ascent. With Tadej Pogačar in yellow facing a UAE Team Emirates illness cloud, climbers like Richard Carapaz and Valentin Paret-Peintre will chase mountain points and stage glory ahead of the Alpe d’Huez finale.