Tour de France: Carapaz Wins on a Breakaway. Pogacar Still in Yellow

Richard Carapaz was the star of the 18th stage of the Tour de France. The Ecuadorian cyclist, winner of the 2019 Giro d’Italia, was part of the day’s breakaway on the 185-kilometer stage from Voiron to Orcières. Carapaz then attacked three kilometers from the finish line, leaving his breakaway companions behind; they finished about 40 seconds later.

Mauro Schmid and Matteo Jorgenson rounded out the day’s podium, while the leading group finished 4’36” behind. Race leader and yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogacar controlled the stage and easily retained the yellow jersey, despite difficulties faced by several of his teammates.

Thanks to this victory, Carapaz has returned to the top 10 in the general classification, where Pogacar continues to lead with a 4½-minute advantage over Remco Evenepoel.

“It was a special day for me; I’m back to winning here at the Tour,” said Carapaz. “It took a huge effort from the team; it was a beautiful stage, my family was here, and that’s what I’m most grateful for. The work I put in has paid off. We knew what we had to do here; it’s a special day for all of us, and we want to enjoy it, especially given all the groundwork we laid in the previous weeks.”