Richard Carapaz wins Stage 18 as Tour heads to Alpe d'Huez

sportsJul 24, 202623364

Ecuador's Richard Carapaz won Stage 18 of the Tour de France in Orcières-Merlette after a decisive attack with 4 kilometers to go, crossing the line 45 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Mauro Schmid and American Matteo Jorgenson. The 185-kilometer mountain stage ran from Voiron to Orcières-Merlette and plunged the peloton into the heart of the Alps. Carapaz, 33, claimed his second Tour stage victory, his ninth Grand Tour win and the 25th professional win of his career. French broadcaster France 2 aired the stage live to more than 3.8 million viewers. French rider Valentin Paret-Peintre finished fourth, having taken maximum points on the day and moving closer to the polka dot climber's jersey. The Tour now turns to Friday's iconic Alpe d'Huez finale, a shorter but brutal Stage 19 billed at about 127.9 kilometers with roughly 3,500 meters of climbing that finishes on the 13.8-kilometer, 21-hairpin ascent to Alpe d'Huez.

Cillian Kelly

@cilliankelly.bsky.social

As the Tour de France makes its way to Alpe d’Huez, a reminder of the most absurd thing anyone has ever made related to Alpe d’Huez. It took me one year of Tweeting every word of Phil Liggett’s commentary on the finale of the 1986 stage as the first word of all my Tweets. Enjoy!

7912h ago

Adam Schuster3

This is sicko level work. And I’m here for it.

Quoting this

Chancer On A Bike4

Fantastic A real demonstration of Cillian’s commitment @petercossins.bsky.social

the Inner Ring blog

@inrng.com

Richard Carapaz (EF Education First-Easypost) wins Stage 18 of the Tour de France

6119h ago

Velon CC

@veloncc.bsky.social

Pogi knew it was a matter of time 👀 Tadej Pogačar was certain Richard Carapaz would win a stage of the Tour de France, despite twice catching and passing him to victory on Stages 10 and 14. Carapaz finally got his reward with a brilliant solo win on Stage 18. _____ 🇫🇷#TDF2026

2817h ago

Domestique

@domestiquecycling.com

🇫🇷 Alpe d'Huez is getting ready! (Please keep it safe 🙏) 🎥 @deleadout

244h ago

Quoting this

Felix Heine3

@confluentes.bsky.social das hast du verpasst.

Dr Elisa Perego

@elisaperego78.bsky.social

A virus or illness would be spreading through Team UAE Emirates, the squad of Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar. Several riders would be unwell. Wellness has been noted to struggle and admitted respiratory illness. He also suggested other UAE racers were ill www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

1216h ago

Dr Elisa Perego1

"After Adam Yates’s stage-long calvary on the road to Voiron, Pogacar’s team was further weakened by the abandonment of his American colleague, Brandon McNulty, who quit the Tour with 21km of Thursday’s stage remaining."

Mark Allen

@markallen.io

Watching Richard Carapaz attack in the mountains is such a delight. It feels like he's the purest embodiment of vintage climbers in the modern peloton, and impossible to root against.

Richard Carapaz climbs through cheering roadside crowds in the Alps on his way to winning Stage 18 of the 2026 Tour de France.

1812h ago

Tour de France Hommes

@letour.stadio.top

🇪🇨 Richard Carapaz attacks and opens up a gap at the front of the race! No one seems able to keep up with the Ecuadorian! 😬 🇪🇨 Richard Carapaz attaque et fait le trou en tête de course ! Personne ne semble pouvoir suivre l'équatorien ! 😬 #TDF2026

1819h ago

Real Gaz on a proper bike: [email protected]

@gazza-d.bsky.social

Alpe D'Huez. Been there. Done that. Died a thousand deaths cos it's blooming hard. there is a lovely campsite at the foot though. I'm on the far left.

Me (on the far left) and some mates after climbing the iconic Alpe D'Huez

213h ago

ammattipyöräily

@ammattipyoraily.bsky.social

🇫🇷 #TDF2026, Stage 19 ⛰️🏁 ALPE D'HUEZ (13.80 km, 8.11 %, 1119 m) 🪡 21 hairpins await on Friday. Last time was in 2022. _____ (📷 cycling-challenge com)

1612h ago

Lukas Knöfler

@lukascph.bsky.social

"It was a very dangerous point and it was poorly indicated" - and the Tour de France keeps getting away with it because nobody dares speak up against ASO and hold them to account.

94h ago

wade-ingram.bsky.social

@wade-ingram.bsky.social

Manifesting a MORG stage win today from the top of Le Pic Blanc in Alpe d’Huez 🤞🤞🤞

1122h ago

Cyclingnews

@cyclingnews.com

'New opportunity, a fresh page' – Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney chases another Tour de France Femmes victory with team that delivers debuts for Bäckstedt, Klöser, Niedermaier www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/...

81h ago

DVP

@dvpdoes.bsky.social

Yesterday, I was mere feet from today’s Tour de France stage winner, Richard Carapaz!

Richard Carapaz in his pink EF kit in front of the team bus.

919h ago

Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS

@dimitridrekonja.bsky.social

Infectious diseases have a way of making themselves known in every setting. Will be wild if a GI illness does what no other cyclist could do: take down Pogacar 😳 www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/j...

47h ago

Le Monde

@lemonde.fr

Tour de France 2026 : le parcours de la dix-neuvième étape (Gap - l’Alpe-d’Huez)

74h ago

3 sources

jeanmarcmorandini.comAudiences Tour de France : Le triomphe de Richard Carapaz à Orcières-Merlette pour la 18e étape diffusée en direct sur France 2 devant plus de 3,8 millions de téléspectateurs lvz.deTour de France heute: Mythos Alpe d’Huez! Beißt sich die Konkurrenz in den 21 Kehren fest?lemonde.frTour de France 2026 : le parcours de la dix-neuvième étape (Gap - l’Alpe-d’Huez)

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Richard Carapaz wins Stage 18 as Tour heads to Alpe d'Huez

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