Stage 20

The road

At the start

The queen stage, over the Sarenne

Carapaz took the polka-dot jersey off Pogačar's shoulders on the Alpe yesterday, and the yellow jersey's lead is out to 7:11, with Del Toro holding the last podium place from Seixas by twenty-four seconds. Einer Rubio and Edoardo Affini are gone. The last day in the mountains has the Croix-de-Fer almost from the gun, then the Télégraphe, the Galibier, and Alpe d'Huez by the back road over the Col de Sarenne.

How it was won

1. 1138 km to go

   Fourteen away on the Croix-de-Fer

   After 20km of relentless attacking a 14-man move sticks — three Grand Tour winners, four Visma riders including Sepp Kuss, and seventh-placed Juan Ayuso. Carapaz takes the mountain points at the top while Pedersen fights out of the peloton to get across.

2. 2106 km to go

   Pedersen all but seals green

   The Dane makes it back on over the descent and takes the sprint at Saint-Julien-Mont-Denis, effectively putting the points classification beyond reach with one day left.

3. 385 km to go

   Healy sets it up on the Télégraphe

   EF send Ben Healy to the front to lift the pace, and Carapaz collects the maximum points on offer — a down-payment on the jersey he wants before the Galibier.

4. 462 km to go

   The Souvenir Henri Desgrange

   Ayuso attacks 65km out and Carapaz answers with a surge that takes him clear alone, chased down only by Hindley, Kuss and Riccitello. At the roof of the race he takes the points and the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, and with them the polka-dot jersey, mathematically, in Paris. Behind, Pogačar rides the whole climb on the front as a domestique for Del Toro, cutting the group to five.

5. 516 km to go

   Kuss goes clear, Seixas cracks

   Kuss dances away from Carapaz and Hindley and leads over the Sarenne by twenty seconds. Behind, Decathlon's attempt to isolate Del Toro backfires: the 19-year-old surges and drops Seixas with 3km of climbing left, saving the final podium place.

6. 67 km to go

   Two crashes, one lost stage win

   Diving back towards Alpe d'Huez, Kuss slips out just after a dark tunnel with 7km to go, remounts still ten seconds up, and then goes down again — nearly over a concrete wall, saved by a barrier and a safety net. Carapaz flies past him, and the American can only watch the win ride away.

7. 7At the line

   Carapaz doubles up in polka dots

   Thirty-one seconds clear at the line for the biggest win of the Ecuadorian's career, while Evenepoel, attacking the UAE pair without response, catches Kuss in the last 500 metres for second and Pogačar rolls in alongside Del Toro to seal a record-equalling fifth Tour.

The result