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Last year’s champion Tadej Pogacar is in a record-tying fifth place in the Tour de France after winning the Alpe d’Huez in 19th place.
The UAE-XRG rider climbed to the famed ski resort on the last outing of the Horse category, more than three minutes back.
The 27-year-old Pogacar is on pace to become the joint-most successful rider in Tour history with five victories, along with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Endurain.
Although the Belgian’s climbing performance has improved this year, Pogacar leads Belgian Remco Evenepoel from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe by seven minutes and 11 seconds.
Pogacar’s Mexican team-mate Isaac del Toro was third and the leader of the white young riders category – nine minutes and 42 seconds behind.
The peloton will face the Alpe d’Huez on Saturday in the three-week mountain ‘queen’ stage of the race, which will include an additional 2,000 meters of climbing.
“It was really cool to win here – it was all a crazy atmosphere and thanks to the team that I was able to pull it off,” Pogakar said.
“Hearing that some guys (were) falling, (teammate) Felix (Grosschartner) set a very good pace at the beginning of the climb, the cut was so strong that I was already going full gas. I had good legs every kilometer in the Alpe d’Huez and not many could follow (me).”
As Pogacar crossed the line, France’s Leni Martinez was six seconds ahead of Bahrain-Victorius at the line.
Ecuador’s in-form rider Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost, Man He won Thursday’s stage for Osier Merlet. He finished a further three seconds behind in third place.
A strong 40-plus breakaway had established a lead over the peloton and yellow jersey-wearing Pogacar by several minutes midway through the stage, but the main pack slowly closed in on them.
It was Martinez, the USA’s Sep Kuss of the Visma-Lease bike and the normally animated Carapaz who finally emerged as the trio began the legendary winding asphalt ribbon of the Alpe d’Huez as they seemed to be battling for victory.
But Pogakar had other ideas and set the final ascent record time of 35 minutes and 27 seconds – in 2011. In 1997 he beat the time held by the famous Italian Marco Pantani.
