2026 Tour de France Stage 19 Preview | Pogačar won't need 21 reasons on Alpe d'Huez

We saw two fantastic stages in the Tour de France on Wednesday and Thursday, and expect more of the same on Friday as well! In stage nineteen, it is time for the mythical Alpe d'Huez, with, of course, the characteristic 21 hairpin bends. Can anyone threaten a UAE weakened by illness there? IDL Pro Cycling looks ahead!

Many riders will warm up on the rollers even before the start, because the road begins climbing right from kilometer 0. The riders will open this 127.9-kilometer stage (which includes 3,500 meters of elevation gain!) with the Col Bayard, a Category 2 climb. With 4.7 kilometers at an average gradient of 7.2 percent, this is already prime terrain for an attempt to break away.

After a short descent and a brief flat section, the next climb looms ahead. The Col du Noyer is tougher than the first climb, as evidenced by its First Category designation. The 7.2-kilometer climb, with an average gradient of 8.5 percent, gets tough right from the start and includes sections in the second half where the gradient reaches double digits.

At the summit, the riders have covered only 25 kilometers, so there are still just over 100 kilometers to go. First comes a long descent of over 15 kilometers, after which the road levels off somewhat. Not entirely, though, as after 52 kilometers there’s another uncategorized climb of nearly 3 kilometers with an average gradient of 6 percent. Riders will need to stay alert there, especially those at the front, if a breakaway has managed to form at all.

The middle section of this stage is mostly flat; it isn’t until 46 kilometers from the finish that the road really starts to climb again. That’s not yet the start of the day’s third climb: the Col d’Ornon. That climb begins with 35 kilometers to go and is 5.4 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6.4 percent.

The Col d'Ornon kicks off the final stage, which centers on the legendary Alpe d'Huez. Unlike on Stage 20 a day later, we’ll tackle it from the familiar side. The numbers speak for themselves: 21 turns, 13.8 kilometers long, and an average gradient of 8.1 percent. The gradients regularly hit double digits, only leveling off a bit toward the end. It’s the familiar formula by now.

Times
Start: 2:00 p.m CET
Finish: around 5:25 p.m CET

Lovely summer weather is expected on Friday in Gap, the starting point, where the temperature will rise to around 32 degrees thanks to the sun. On Alpe d'Huez, it will be a bit cooler due to the altitude, but the weather won't be any less pleasant than in the valley. The moderate wind won’t be a factor.

The big question on Friday is: How is UAE Team Emirates-XRG holding up? So far, the team from the Emirates has been firmly in control, but illness and crashes are raising some concerns. One thing is certain: Tadej Pogacar is by far the strongest climber, and he’s already proven he can do it without his teammates. As far as we’re concerned, he’s the absolute favorite.

In the general classification, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) is his closest rival. The Belgian is also the only rider who managed to beat Pogacar on the climbs in this Tour de France. Well, sort of... Officially, Isaac Del Toro did that too, but that was a gift from Pogi. It will be tough for UAE to help the Mexican secure the victory on Alpe d’Huez.

Following the withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard and Florian Lipowitz, Paul Seixas is now fourth in the general classification. The Decathlon star has already shown some impressive form, but it will be difficult for him to win this stage from the group of favorites. The same goes for Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), fifth in the standings, who said he plans to go all out.

Given the time gap, the Spaniard might be able to push for the stage win, and the same goes for his teammate Mattias Skjelmose, who is in sixth place. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) is facing a climb that suits his abilities, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) could always give it a shot, and it looks like it’s going to be a tough one for Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies).

Now that we’ve covered the entire top nine, we’ll move on to the riders who are more than a quarter of an hour behind the yellow jersey. We don’t think the chances are very high, but a strong group of climbers might be able to stay ahead. In this Tour, we’re thinking of riders like Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step). The latter still considers the polka-dot jersey his number-one priority.

No longer at the top of the standings, but certainly not to be overlooked: Visma | Lease a Bike. Following Vingegaard’s withdrawal, the Dutch team aims to be at the front of the pack and, with Sepp Kuss, Davide Piganzoli, and Matteo Jorgenson, is certainly capable of achieving something special. The same goes for XDS Astana riders Sergio Higuita and Harold Tejada, and of course Tobias Halland Johannessen of Uno-X.

Definitely keep an eye on Netcompany INEOS this Friday. Thymen Arensman had already set his sights on Stage 19, and Egan Bernal is a dangerous contender. We’d also mention Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Michael Storer (Tudor), and Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla), should UAE actually let a breakaway go. That brings the total, in keeping with the Alpe d’Huez theme, to 21 riders plus Pogacar.

Top Favorites: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Dark horses: Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), and Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Long shots: Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Sepp Kuss, Davide Piganzoli (both Visma | Lease a Bike), Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose (both Lidl-Trek), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X), Thymen Arensman, Egan Bernal (both Netcompany INEOS)