Richard Carapaz (EF Education) won the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France, held between the towns of Voiron and Orcières-Merlette, over a distance of 185.2 kilometers.
On this first Alpine stage of this year’s edition, Slovenian Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification, after a stage marked by an early breakaway and a tactical truce among the main favorites.
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Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz Leads the 2024 Tour De France
The 33-year-old Ecuadorian cyclist, from El Carmelo, led the day’s breakaway and sealed the victory on the final climb to the ski resort. Carapaz clocked a time of 4 hours, 26 minutes, and 21 seconds, registering an average speed of 41.7 km/h.
The winner finished 47 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Mauro Schmid (Jayco) and American Matteo Jorgenson (Visma), who completed the stage podium. Spaniard Raúl García Pierna, also part of the breakaway, finished 2 minutes and 12 seconds behind the winner.
The victory in Orcières-Merlette holds significant historical value for cycling, as Carapaz raised his arms in victory on the same course where, in 1971, Spaniard Luis Ocaña gained an 8-minute advantage over Eddy Merckx.
This triumph marks Carapaz’s second stage win in the Tour de France and the 25th of his professional career. The success also comes after overcoming a difficult period of health, which included surgery last spring.
“Ha costado mucho. Se lo dedico a mi familia”
“Cada año es más difícil ganar, pero aquí está la recompensa”
La felicidad de Richard Carapaz tras volver a ganar en el Tour.
Vía @Eurosport_ES pic.twitter.com/cOjSLIK7rq
— TERADEPORTES (@Teradeportes) July 23, 2026
The text reads, “”It’s been hard-won. I dedicate this to my family. Every year it gets harder to win, but here’s the reward.” Richard Carapaz’s happiness after winning the Tour again.”
The eighteenth stage featured five categorized climbs and almost 4,000 meters of accumulated elevation gain. From the start in Voiron, a breakaway of six riders formed: Valentin Paret Peintre, Raúl García Pierna, Richard Carapaz, Johannessen, Mauro Schmid, and Matteo Jorgenson.
The peloton allowed the gap to widen, highlighting the signs of weakness from UAE Team Emirates. The Emirati team suffered the abandonment of American Brandon McNulty and the loss of Tim Wellens, both of whom presented with physical discomfort and stomach problems.
The delay allowed by UAE was not exploited by any other team with general classification aspirations to test for any potential physical weakness in the Emirati squad.
On the climb to Orcières-Merlette (1st category, 7.1 km at 6.7%), García Pierna lost ground after a prolonged effort. Carapaz launched his first attack 4.1 km from the summit, but was caught by Paret Peintre.
However, he launched his decisive attack 3.5 km from the finish, opening up an insurmountable gap to crest the summit alone. “It was a special day, a very beautiful stage for my family, that’s the most rewarding thing, knowing that the work I do pays off. I tried several times, but on a very tough day I was attentive to the splits and the finale suited me well, and I created my gap to attack and win,” he declared at the end of the race.
Maillot Jaune sur les épaules, Tadej Pogacar est accueilli chaleureusement par le public de Voiron !
#TDF2026 #MaillotJauneLCL pic.twitter.com/LLE2QktZ8G
— Maillot Jaune LCL (@MaillotjauneLCL) July 23, 2026
The tex reads, “With the Yellow Jersey on his shoulders, Tadej Pogačar is warmly welcomed by the crowd in Voiron!”
Tadej Pogacar retained the overall lead without incident, maintaining his previous advantage on a day when the teams of the favorites didn’t adopt a chasing pace.
In the battle for the King of the Mountains jersey, Valentin Paret Peintre closed the gap to Tadej Pogacar, reducing the difference to just 5 points after scoring points at the front on the Côte de Saint-Léger-les Melèzes. A podium finish in Orcières-Merlette would have put Paret Peintre in the lead of this secondary classification, adding extra motivation to the stage.
The competition continues this Friday with the nineteenth stage, a 127.9-kilometer route linking Gap and Alpe d’Huez. The day includes the climbs of Col Bayard, Col du Noyer, and Col d’Ornon, before tackling the final 13.8 kilometers with an average gradient of 8.1% and the 21 hairpin bends of Alpe d’Huez, each named after a conqueror of the summit.
#Ecuador | Richard Carapaz became the leader in the general classification of the 2024 Tour de France. He is the first Ecuadorian cyclist to achieve this position and the fourth Latin American in history.https://t.co/gVCb2GD4fW
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) July 2, 2024
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