Carapaz wins stage as Pogacar’s team suffers sickness
Richard Carapaz won stage 18 of the Tour de France with an assertive solo breakaway, while overall leader Tadej Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG team faced growing concerns over illness. The loss of key helper Brandon McNulty, alongside Adam Yates continuing to struggle, could weaken Pogacar’s support during the decisive Alpine stages despite his large overall lead.
Carapaz finished 45 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid and Matteo Jorgenson after attacking Valentin Paret-Peintre on the 185.2km mountain stage from Voiron to Orcières Merlette. Pogacar leads Remco Evenepoel by four minutes 32 seconds and team-mate Isaac del Toro by six minutes 51 seconds; he also holds the mountains jersey by one point, while Mads Pedersen extended his green-jersey lead to 32 points.
- Carapaz won stage 18 after a decisive breakaway attack.
- Illness has depleted Pogacar’s UAE support team.
- Pogacar still holds a commanding overall lead.
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The Tour de France is an annual cycling race lasting three weeks with daily stages. The winner is the cyclist whose combined time across all stages is fastest.
Tadej Pogacar currently leads the race overall and is expected to win. His team, UAE Team Emirates, provides crucial support during the race, particularly in the gruelling mountain stages.
In mountain stages, cyclists rely heavily on team-mates to set the pace, shield them from wind, and help execute tactical moves against rivals. When team members become ill or struggle, a race leader loses these essential advantages at the most critical moments.