TOUR DE FRANCE 2024 | STAGE 19 | EMBRUN > ISOLA 2000
ISOLA 2000, France (July 19, 2024) — On a crucial day in the battle for the GC Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) strengthened his position with two days of racing remaining, by conquering Isola 2000 and gaining an additional 1’42” over his podium rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step). A fourth stage win and his third in yellow at this year’s Tour saw Pogačar finish 21” ahead of Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) and 40” in front of Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla), who had both been in the breakaway. After Pogačar attacked from and decimated the GC favourites group and picked off what remained of the breakaway on the final climb, Evenepoel and Vingegaard crossed the line fifth and sixth respectively, behind fourth placed Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), who now has the polka dot jersey. Going into the final two stages this weekend Pogačar now leads by 5’03” overall from Vingegaard, with Evenepoel in third, 7’01” from the leader.
An early breakaway
There were two non-starters announced ahead of the stage, with Jake Stewart (Israel – Premier Tech) out of the race due to illness and Stefan Küng (Groupama FDJ) also unable to start, meaning there were 143 riders on the start line in Embrun. An early breakaway group of 22 riders formed, with Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) the first of them to reach the line at the intermediate sprint in Guillestre (IS, km 21.1). Coquard was amongst the riders who then fell back as the lead group was decimated on the first climb of the day to Col de Vars (km 42.6, HC, 18.8 km at 5.7 %, 20 Mountain classification points).
A smaller lead group forms
Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) left the peloton on the climb and made it to the front group to join Matteo Jorgenson, Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike), Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-Quick Step), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Cristian Rodriguez (Arkea-B&B Hotels) and Oscar Onley (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) on the gruelling ascent. Olympic champion and Stage 17 winner Carapaz topped the Col de Vars first, ahead of Jorgenson, Kelderman and Van Wilder, with the peloton by that point 3’30” behind.
Tough Cime de la Bonette climb
As the breakaway riders began the brutal ascent of the Cime de la Bonette (km 87.5, HC, 22.9 km at 6.9 %) their lead over the bunch had grown to 4’30”. Onley, Prodhomme and Van Wilder were dropped on the climb, with Carapaz again reaching the summit first to take 40 Mountain classification points and put him in the polka dot jersey, with the main GC group getting there 3’40” later.
Isola 2000 showdown
Cristian Rodriguez was dropped by the five remaining breakaway riders – Jorgenson, Keldermann, S. Yates, Hindley and Carapaz – early on the final climb to Isola 2000 (km 144.6, Cat.1, 16.1 km at 7.1 %, 10 Mountain classification points). Then 13.5km from the summit Hindley also lost ground and a few metres later Jorgenson attacked, going solo at the front. But 9.5km from the summit Pogačar also attacked, with Evenepoel and Vingegaard trying to follow him and unable to hold his wheel. Within 2km the Yellow Jersey quickly built up a 20” advantage over his two rivals on the provisional podium. 1.9km from the summit Pogačar caught and overtook Jorgenson for another fantastic victory, cruising to the finish unrivalled.
Richard Carapaz: (EF Education-Easypost): “This Mountain Jersey is Prestigious”
“Our main objective today was to get the Mountain jersey. My team did a great job to allow me to get into the breakaway on the day and once I was there, I fought to get as many points as possible. Once I arrived at Isola 2000 with an advantage, I tried to fight for the stage victory. I was aware that the climb is very tough, and I tried to stay as close to Jorgenson as possible. However, I couldn’t… and Tadej came from behind, to take away any chance of victory. Anyway, I am very happy with how the day went. This Mountain jersey is a prestigious prize. All riders in my country dream of it because in Ecuador there are many mountains. Being the king of the Mountain means a lot to me. I’m going to try to keep this jersey until the end. It is my great personal goal, and the team is also supporting me a lot to achieve it.”
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step): “It’s a Key Moment in My Career”
“Tadej was once again above everyone else today. Already when he started to raise the pace, he put everyone on the limit and he hadn’t even attacked yet. Then I couldn’t follow him and I set my own pace and as I saw that it was almost the same as Jonas’, I waited for him so that we could ride together, but I lacked a bit of cooperation. I tried my luck to see if I could get it, but it didn’t work. But for me it’s another good day, I increased my advantage over Almeida. I performed well on this difficult stage with such high climbs. It’s a key moment in my career, because I’ve reassured myself about my abilities. Now I know in which direction I want to go, I know that I still have room to improve. Tomorrow we will have to stay focused, not make any stupid mistakes that could cause me to lose time. I will just ride for the podium. Then on Sunday, I will give my all to win the stage.”
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): “Now I Have a Good Lead”
“After winning this stage, I can confirm that the Col de la Bonnette is a scary climb. When you use it in training, you can skip the last kilometre but in the race, today, it was very hard. Between the Giro and the Tour, I had a hard training period and I knew today’s last climb very well. With the team, we planned it well and we did exactly as we said. Our race was 100% perfect. My goal today was to win the stage, but as I approached the last two kilometres, I felt a little drained. I still caught Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates and I could catch up with Matteo Jorgenson. When it was time to pass him, I pushed as hard as possible to overtake him with speed. He was very strong today, as were all the guys in the breakaway. Hats off to them. I’m very happy. Reaching the score of fifteen Tour stage victories is quite formidable. Now I have a good lead. Tomorrow I can let the escape go to the end. I will do the last two days of the Tour on the roads where I have trained my entire professional career.”
TOUR DE FRANCE 2024 | STAGE 19 | EMBRUN > ISOLA 2000 | DAILY STATS
15: POGAČAR MATCHES CAVENDISH AND PASSES MERCKX
With a 15th stage win, Tadej Pogačar joins Freddy Maertens at the 12th spot of the all-time rankings for most victories in the Tour de France. But if we look at successes claimed before the age of 26, the Slovenian cannibal joins Mark Cavendish and François Faber as the riders with most stage wins, 1 step ahead of Eddy Merckx (14) and 2 ahead of Bernard Hinault (13).
1984: A YELLOW WINNER LIKE FIGNON
With a 3rd stage win with the Maillot Jaune on his shoulders this year, Tadej Pogačar achieves a feat not seen in the Tour since 1984. That year, a flamboyant Laurent Fignon enforced his rule at La Plagne, Crans-Montana and Villefranche-sur-Saône. Pogačar’s yellow successes in the Tour 2024 were claimed at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet (stage 14), Plateau de Beille (stage 15) and Isola 2000 (stage 19), after he claimed the Maillot Jaune in Valloire (stage 4).
37: A MERCKXIAN RULE
With a 17th Maillot Jaune in the Tour 2024, to go along with 20 Maglia Rosa in the Giro, Tadej Pogačar has now claimed 37 Grand Tour leader’s jerseys this year, as many as Eddy Merckx in 1970 (23 in the Tour, 14 in the Giro). That’s the best tally ever over a single year. Chris Froome follows with the 34 leader’s jerseys he claimed in the Tour and La Vuelta in 2017.
2,802: CARAPAZ FLIES TO LA BONETTE
As part of the breakaway, Richard Carapaz went first over the highest summit in the history of the Tour de France, Cime de la Bonette, at a mighty 2,802m of altitude. The Ecuadorian history maker is used to altitude, as he comes from El Carmelo, at a similar height as La Bonette. He also went first atop Col de Vars (2,109m) earlier in the stage, after he had claimed Col de la Madeleine (2,000m) in the Tour 2020.
3: CARAPAZ REUNITES WITH THE POLKA-DOTS
With another strong stage in the mountains, Richard Carapaz is the new leader of the KOM standings, 14 points ahead of Tadej Pogačar. The Ecuadorian climber had already led the standings for 2 days in 2020, following his successful breakaway with Michal Kwiatkowski towards La Roche-sur-Foron (stage 18). At the time, he was just 2 points ahead of Pogačar. And the Slovenian overtook him on the penultimate stage, winning the La Planche des Belles Filles time trial. On the final day, Carapaz was still wearing the polka-dot jersey but Pogačar, shining in yellow, eventually took it on the podium.
2: JORGENSON’S LATE HEARTBREAKS
When Tadej Pogačar bridged the gap to him just inside the last 2km, after he had spent most of the ascent of Isola 2000 alone at the front, Matteo Jorgenson couldn’t resist. He eventually finished 2nd (+21’’), one spot ahead of his previous best Tour result, last year in Belleville-en-Beaujolais. But the American all-rounder mostly left his mark on the Puy de Dôme ascent, where he was still leading the race with 500 metres to go, before Michael Woods passed him. Jorgenson finished 4th on that day.
259: THOMAS IS A PROPER VETERAN
As he rode his 259th stage in the Tour de France from Embrun to Isola 2000, Geraint Thomas passed Edvald Boasson Hagen (258 stages) as the active rider with most stage starts. His record in the Tour started in 2007 and it includes 3 stage wins and the overall victory in 2018. He was already there in 2013, when a time-trial started from Embrun and saw his leader at the time Chris Froome all but seal his first GC victory. The all-time record is held by Joop Zoetemelk, with 403 stages between 1970 and 1986.
