Tadej Pogačar moves close to a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title after winning his overall lead on the penultimate day, with Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz taking Stage 20. Multiple reports say Carapaz wins the 20th stage on the climb to Alpe d’Huez, a “Queen stage” often seen as decisive in the late Tour. Yahoo Sports adds that the stage is affected by late crashes that benefit Carapaz and also disrupt Sepp Kuss.
Meanwhile, Pogačar’s advantage in the general classification gives him the ability to manage the day and still head into the final stage toward Paris with a substantial lead. Yahoo Sports reports that Pogačar could concede time to his closest challenger, Remco Evenepoel, and still secure the title, noting that he starts Sunday with a six-minute-and-26-second overall lead. France 24 and BBC News similarly describe Pogačar as essentially assured of matching the all-time record for Tour wins, after extending his lead and reaching a new milestone earlier on the Alpe’s famous hairpin bends.
