Pogacar closes in on record-equaling fifth Tour de France title as Carapaz wins penultimate stage
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- Tadej Pogacar is on the verge of winning his fifth Tour de France title, holding a 6 1/2 minute lead over Remco Evenepoel heading into the final stage in Paris.
- A victory would see Pogacar join Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil, and Bernard Hinault as the only men to win five Tours.
- Richard Carapaz won the penultimate 171-kilometer alpine stage, securing his second win of the race and the polka-dot jersey as the best climber.
- The challenging stage included three hors catégorie climbs and one category 1 climb, with key moments involving Sepp Kuss nearly crashing and being overtaken by Carapaz and Evenepoel.
- Pogacar focused on protecting his teammate Isaac Del Toro’s third place in the rankings rather than launching attacks, prioritizing team success over individual stage wins.
