Carapaz solos clear at Orcières-Merlette to win stage 18 as the break takes the Alps
The Ecuadorian attacked inside the final 3km for his second career Tour stage win; Pogačar keeps yellow as the race heads to Alpe d'Huez.
Richard Carapaz soloed to victory on stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday, the Ecuadorian timing a late attack to perfection on the summit finish at Orcières-Merlette to claim his second career Tour stage win.
It was the first mountain stage of the 2026 race to be won from the breakaway, and it took some earning. Tadej Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG kept the front of the peloton tight on the long opening climb, and it was nearly 70km before a move finally got clear on a stage many had expected the yellow-jersey group to control.
Once the break was established, the finale turned tactical. Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) launched inside the final 3km of the 7.1km ascent. Valentin Paret-Peintre went with him, and Mauro Schmid and Matteo Jorgenson clawed their way back, but Carapaz simply attacked again. This time no one could follow, and the former Giro d'Italia winner stretched his lead on every switchback to cross the line alone.
Schmid pips Jorgenson for second
Behind the winner, Schmid edged Jorgenson in the sprint for the runner-up spot, with Paret-Peintre distanced on the closing ramps. The victory lifted Carapaz from 12th to 10th overall after he gained 4:35 on the general-classification group.
Pogačar stays in yellow
There was no change at the top of the standings. Pogačar retains the race lead with a 4:32 advantage over Remco Evenepoel, though UAE lost a key mountain helper when Brandon McNulty abandoned with illness. The result leaves the overall battle poised as the Tour heads into back-to-back summit finishes on Alpe d'Huez, the decisive stages of the final week.
