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Carapaz Conquers Tour de France Climb in Solo Win
23 Jul
Summary
- Richard Carapaz secured a solo victory on stage 18 of the Tour de France.
- He attacked decisively on the final climb to Orcieres-Merlette.
- Tadej Pogacar maintained his overall lead despite not contesting the stage.
Richard Carapaz of Ecuador delivered a stunning solo performance to win stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday. The EF Education-EasyPost rider launched a decisive attack on the final ascent to Orcieres-Merlette, securing his victory with a comfortable margin.
Carapaz's triumphant finish saw him finish 45 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Mauro Schmid, with Matteo Jorgenson rounding out the podium. This win marked the ninth Grand Tour stage victory of Carapaz's career, elevating him to 10th place in the overall standings.
Meanwhile, overall leader Tadej Pogacar remained in control of the general classification, finishing the stage over four minutes behind Carapaz. Pogacar extended his lead over his closest rival, Remco Evenepoel, to four minutes and 32 seconds.
Earlier in the demanding 185.2km ride from Voiron, the peloton set a rapid pace. Points classification leader Mads Pedersen successfully joined an early breakaway, aiming for the intermediate sprint. He secured victory in the sprint, increasing his lead over Jasper Philipsen to 32 points before rejoining the main group.
