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Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz wins the 18th stage of the Tour de France.
The EF Education-Easypost rider accelerated brilliantly from his rivals with intuitive and canny riding, finishing 45 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Mauro Schmid of Jako-Alula and Matteo Jørgenson of Visma-Lies A Bike.
Meanwhile, illness appears to be making its way through overall leader Tadez Pogakkar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad after mainstay Brandon McNulty quit mid-race.
Slovenia’s Pogacar finished in the yellow jersey four minutes 32 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Remko Evenpayol of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and six minutes 51 seconds ahead of UAE team-mate Isaac Del Toro of Mexico.
Thursday’s hilly 185.2km stage marked the first of three grueling days in the French Alps from Voiron to Osiers Merlet, and several riders made several breaks on a hot day on the road.
But Karapaz’s fight was the best to watch. With his gold chain and giant crucifix swinging around, he danced on the pedals, trying to distance himself from Soudal Quick Step’s hard-charging Valentin Paret-Paintre – who wears the King of the Hill jersey for KOM leader Pogakkar.
When Parret-Paintre avoided helping the pair extend their lead over Jorgenson and Schmidt, Carapaz practically stopped on the steep tarmac, telling Perret-Paintre, and with the French then taking a recovery period, Carapaz started again, collapsing an exhausted and out-of-rhythm Parret-Paintre.
Denmark’s Mads Pedersen extended his lead in the green jersey classification to 32 points, but remains vulnerable to Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen.
Pogacar, 27, holds the king of the hill jersey, but only at one point, as does del Toro in the white young rider’s jersey.
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