Tadej Pogačar achieved another rare feat Friday in Stage 19 of the Tour de France 2026, where he dominated the most iconic climb in cycling to pick up a fifth stage victory at this year's race and extend his lead in the General Classification to over seven minutes.
The two-time defending champion attacked at the bottom of the Alpe d’Huez climb, picking off competitors one by one and ultimately erasing a deficit of more than three minutes to the day’s leaders.
He moved to the front of the race with 1.5 kilometers remaining and added his name to the short list of riders who have conquered Alpe d’Huez while wearing the yellow jersey.
He'll now have a chance to repeat that accomplishment Saturday in Stage 20, as this year's Queen stage will give the riders another shot at the famed climb.
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It's going to be difficult and exciting and decisive, as this is where this year's Tour de France winner will be finalized - barring any kind of disaster on Stage 21, of course.
The 170.9-kilometer journey has it all, including three of the toughest climbs on the 2026 cycling calendar, one of which is the unrelenting Alpe d’Huez, which has been taunting and punishing riders at the Tour de France since 1952.
In Stage 19 on Friday, Pogačar chased down Richard Carapaz and Lenny Martinez and flew past them, finishing six seconds ahead of Martinez and nine seconds ahead of Carapaz, who won Stage 18.
In the GC battle, Pogačar leads Remco Evenepoel (7:11) and his own teammate Isaac del Toro (9:42), who is 24 seconds ahead of young French star Paul Seixas in the fight for the best young rider's white jersey.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes coverage of Stage 20 will begin at 3:55 a.m. Eastern and is expected to conclude around 11 a.m. EDT.
Here’s what to know about Stage 20 of the Tour de France 2026, a 170.9-kilometer ride from Le Bourg d'Oisans up the famed Alpe d’Huez, which ultimately should finalize who gets to go home with the yellow jersey:
Stage 20: Tour de France 2026
Traditionally, this is the stage that determines how the Tour de France ends.
Obviously, something major still could happen in Stage 21, but it has become the custom for the final ride into Paris to be one of celebration and reflection for the teams, with an understanding by the riders that the man in the yellow jersey is the winner. Also, at least in recent years, the time difference by this point has been pretty significant.
For Stage 20 this year, the race organizers have provided a huge challenge for the remaining riders, and there's no doubt the stage will be exciting. It's the biggest mountain stage of the year and reaches 5,600 of cumulative vertical gain. Distance-wise, it's 170.9 kilometers from Le Bourg d'Oisans up to the famed Alpe d’Huez ski resort.
The riders will tangle with the iconic climb for the second consecutive day, with some potentially coming off a sleepless night filled with nightmares of making the climb in Stage 19.
This time, they'll cover it a different way, but there still will be four grueling mountain passes leading up to the final summit, three of which rank as Hors Catégorie. What does that mean?
Well, climbs in cycling are categorized 1-4, with four being the easiest. Then comes the HC tag. That means the climb is so hard, it's beyond categorization.
Early in Stage 20 will be the Col de la Croix de Fer climb, a 24-kilometer jaunt that averages 5.2% and summits at 2,067 meters. It's an HC climb.
Second up, past the intermediate sprint, will be Col du Telegraphe, a Category 1 climb that spans 11.9 kilometers at 7.1%. This includes the highest point of the TDF 2026.
The third and fourth obstacles both will be HC climbs - Col du Galibier (17.7km at 6.9% average) and Col de Sarenne (12.9km at 7.3%).
Then, of course, the monstrous conclusion, the mighty Alpe d’Huez, though this appearance is only for 3.8 kilometers at 6.1% gradient. Reaching the ski station via the Col de Sarenne will be a first. Though it featured previously in 2013, that was as a descent.
Alpe d’Huez consists of 21 hairpin turns, with No. 21 coming at the bottom, and No. 1 coming at the top. Each one is dedicated to a past Tour de France stage winner.
The first rider to conquer the climb was Italy's Fausto Coppi in 1952. It was one of five stages he won that year on the way to taking home the yellow jersey. He also won the Mountains Classification.
Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 20 Of The Tour de France 2026?
Stage 20 of the Tour de France 2026 is 170.9 kilometers, or approximately 106.19 miles long.
Tour de France 2026 Stage 20 Profile
Here is what the route looks like for Stage 20:
How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Stage 20
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
Who Won Stage 20 Of The Tour de France In 2025?
By the time Stage 20 rolled around at the Tour de France 2025, Tadej Pogačar pretty much had the whole thing wrapped up, though there still were two opportunities for the remaining riders to pick up stage wins.
For Stage 20, he and the other GC contenders played things safe and rolled across the line in the middle of the pack. That left Pogačar more than four minutes ahead of eventual runner-up Jonas Vingegaard, with only the mostly ceremonial Stage 21 to go.
The win in last year's penultimate stage went to Kaden Groves, who won after a long-range escape.
It was the first career Tour de France win for Groves, but so much of the attention and chatter was about Pogačar being on the cusp of a second consecutive GC title, his fourth since debuting in the TDF in 2020.
Tour de France 2026 Results: Here’s Who Has Won Each Stage So Far
- Stage 1: Who Won Stage 1 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 2: Who Won Stage 2 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 3: Who Won Stage 3 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 4: Who Won Stage 4 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 5: Who Won Stage 5 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 6: Who Won Stage 6 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 7: Who Won Stage 7 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 8: Who Won Stage 8 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 9: Who Won Stage 9 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 10: Who Won Stage 10 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 11: Who Won Stage 11 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 12: Who Won Stage 12 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 13: Who Won Stage 13 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 14: Who Won Stage 14 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 15: Who Won Stage 15 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 16: Who Won Stage 16 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 17: Who Won Stage 17 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 18: Who Won Stage 18 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 19: Who Won Stage 19 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?
- Stage 1 (TTT) - July 4: Barcelone - Barcelone (19.6km)
- Stage 2 - July 5: Tarragone - Barcelone (168.5km)
- Stage 3 - July 6: Granollers - Les Angles (195.9km)
- Stage 4 - July 7: Carcassonne - Foix (181.9km)
- Stage 5 - July 8: Lannemezan - Pau (158.3km)
- Stage 6 - July 9: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
- Stage 7 - July 10: Hagetmau - Bordeaux (175.1km)
- Stage 8 - July 11: Périgueux - Bergerac (180.4km)
- Stage 9 - July 12: Malemort - Ussel (185.5km)
- Rest Day - July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 - July 14: Aurillac - Le Lioran (166.6km)
- Stage 11 - July 15: Vichy - Nevers (161.3km)
- Stage 12 - July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
- Stage 13 - July 17: Dole - Belfort (205.8km)
- Stage 14 - July 18: Mulhouse - Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
- Stage 15 - July 19: Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
- Rest Day - July 20: Haute-Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) - July 21: Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
- Stage 17 - July 22: Chambery - Voiron (174.7km)
- Stage 18 - July 23: Voiron - Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
- Stage 19 - July 24: Gap - Alpe d'Huez (127.9km)
- Stage 20 - July 25: Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez (170.9km)
- Stage 21 - July 26: Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin - Premier Tech
- Bahrain - Victorious
- Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
- Cofidis
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama - FDJ United
- Netcompany INEOS
- Lidl - Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic PostNL
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates - XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who Won The Tour de France In 2025?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
Tadej Pogacar Reacts To Record Alpe d’Huez Win In Tour de France 2026 Stage 19
Tadej Pogacar won Stage 19 of the 2026 Tour de France on Alpe d’Huez, taking victory on one of cycling’s most iconic climbs. The yellow jersey added another historic win to his palmares on the famous 21 hairpins.
In this finish-line interview package, we hear from Pogacar after his Alpe d’Huez victory, plus reaction from Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas and others.
We break down what the win means for Pogacar, the records he set and the Tour de France GC battle.
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