Tadej Pogacar is poised to win a record-equalling fifth Tour de France after finishing fourth on the decisive stage 20, while Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz won a dramatic Alpine stage on Alpe d’Huez. Barring a race-ending crash on Sunday’s final ride to Paris, Pogacar will join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the Tour’s most successful riders.

Carapaz took victory after Sepp Kuss crashed twice while leading late in the 170.9km ‘queen’ stage, which included 5,450 metres of climbing across three highest-category ascents. Pogacar is set to finish six minutes 26 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, having helped UAE Team Emirates-XRG team-mate Isaac del Toro protect a provisional third overall place and the white jersey; Carapaz is also expected to take the polka-dot mountains classification. Sunday’s final stage has been shortened from 133km to 89km because emergency services have been diverted to wildfires in south-west France.