Chris Froome hailed Tadej Pogacars Alpe dHuez victory as nothing short of remarkable after the Tour de France leader erased a deficit of more than three minutes and produced the fastest reported ascent of the legendary climb. Pogacar attacked with around 11 kilometres remaining, caught the survi...

Tom Pidcock admitted he reached Alpe dHuez with almost nothing left after going too deep on the Col dOrnon during stage 19 of the Tour de France. Returning to the climb where he claimed one of the biggest victories of his career in 2022, Pidcock had hoped to remain among the leading general classi...

Adam Yates has spent the previous days fighting simply to remain in the Tour de France. On stage 19 though, he was suddenly back at the front of the race and helping Tadej Pogacar complete a record-breaking victory on Alpe dHuez. Illness had reduced Yates to survival mode earlier in the week, with...

Thijs Zonneveld has accused Tour de France organisers of allowing spectacle to take priority over rider safety after the enormous crowds on Alpe dHuez repeatedly encroached on the racing line during stage 19. The Dutch journalist criticised the limited use of barriers and ropes across the climb, wi...

Joxean Fernndez, team manger of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG, has explained his part in the incident which saw Movistar rider Einar Rubio injured during Friday's Alpe d'Huez stage of the Tour de France.Rubio was forced out of the Tour with just two stages remaining, after hitting the back of one of the UAE team cars, close to the top of the final climb during stage 19. The Colombian had been part of the day's breakaway and was among the leading riders on the road as the race entered its final kilometres. He had just been passed by eventual winner, Tadej Pogaar when the incident happened, the UAE team car braking hard to a halt, Rubio hitting it so hard he broke the rear window with his head. The team car then immediately drove off, leaving the stricken rider alone with only members of the crowd for help.Rubio suffered multiple injuries to his face, requiring 20 stitches, but was discharged from hospital late on Friday evening. Some of the videos of the incident which have emerged on social media clearly show a fan falling in front of the car, and had Fernndez not braked as he did, it appears likely they could have driven over the fan. However, some have criticised the driver for not stopping to help Rubio."Today, I feel the need to explain what happened from my position inside the car during yesterdays stage," Fernndez wrote in a post in his instagram account posted on Saturday morning."In the final kilometers of the Alpe dHuez climb, with thousands of fans right next to the road and the immense pressure typical of a decisive Tour stage, a spectator suddenly ran out and fell right beneath our vehicle. My only reaction was to brake immediately to avoid running him over. It all happened in a split second, and my only thought was preventing a far worse tragedy."After braking, we heard a loud impact behind us, but amidst the noise, the tension, the crowd, and the responsibility of continuing to protect the race leader, I didn't learn the full extent of the accident, or that Einer had to withdraw from the Tour, until we reached the finish line. I immediately contacted the Movistar Team, its directors, riders, and staff to check on the situation and ask what had happened."Those of us involved in cycling know that in such extreme situations, decisions are made in fractions of a second and always with the aim of protecting human life."I deeply regret the consequences of this accident. If the decisions I made in that moment ended up affecting a rider in the peloton, I can only say that it pains me deeply. At the same time, I believe it is important to remember that the safety of riders, teams, and fans also depends on the responsible behavior of those who enjoy this sport from the roadside."I offer all my support and affection to Einer; I am deeply sorry for what happened and sincerely hope to see you back competing where you belong very soon. This has not been, and is not, an easy day for me, and I needed to share this with you."Despite the consequences of the incident, Fernndez was not sanctioned by the race commissaires in the post race Bulletin and he continued in the team car on Saturday's 20th stage, which also finishes at Alpe d'Huez, though by a different route.A post shared by x x (@matxin_)A photo posted by on

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have called for barriers along the full 13-kilometre ascent of Alpe dHuez after stage 19 of the Tour de France was repeatedly disrupted by crowds spilling into the road. Sports director Marc Reef said team cars were brought to a complete standstill on several occasions whi...

As one last shot for a contender to dislodge the yellow jersey, the final mountain pass of any Tour de France gets its name in lights.2026 is no exception and the honour goes to a new climb in the race, the Col de Sarenne, which will appear in the finale of the penultimate stage 20.Its one of three road routes to the ski resort of Alpe dHuez, which includes the northern road from the Lac du Verney reservoir and the classic route from Le Bourg-dOisans to the south. Many would argue that, pound for pound, the eastern Sarenne route is the finest.Of course, the classic route, with its 21 switchbacks and decades-long association with the race, is the stuff of legend. Alpe d'Huez's classic switchback-laden side has carved out its own place in cycling history over the decades. Getty Images Its the Tour de France at its cacophonous, luminescent best, where fans turn out in their droves to grab a slice of history.However, on every other day of the year, its the main road to the resort and such is the continuous construction work going on there, cyclists have to share the road with truckers.The northern passage has its finer moments, too, particularly beyond Villard-Reculas along the Pas de la Confession balcony road, where the road hugs the side of the mountain.The early slopes are a fairly dull drag, though, and you join the road from Le Bourg-dOisans late on, having missed the bulk of the switchbacks.The climb of the Sarenne is a much wilder affair, a secret door to the bustling Alpe dHuez and a climbers climb of mixed gradients, scarred road surfaces and often blissful isolation. If youre lucky, you might even spot an alpine marmot.What are the numbers of the climb and how hard is it in reality?The bare numbers of a cycling climb can mask its difficulty. The opening climb of stage 20, Col de la Croix de Fer, is a typical example. If you remove its 5km of flat/descents, its a much more oppressive climb than its 24km at 5.2% suggests.The Sarennes 12.8km at 7.3% statistically makes it easier than the Bourg-dOisans side, but again, remove a couple of descents and youre staring down the barrel of sustained sections at 10%.Here, the toughest bits come at the summit, rather than the foot, and like all the climbs to Alpe dHuez, it's fully exposed to the mid-afternoon sun towards the summit.It also tops out at 1,999 metres of altitude agonisingly short for fans of round numbers. If you have the energy, a bunny hop over the summit might fix it for you.Why has it taken 123 years for the race to come here? The Col de Sarenne during the 2013 Tour de France. Getty Images While its the first time the race will climb the Sarenne, it first appeared controversially as a descent in 2013.Stage 18 that year, the centenary edition of the Tour, saw a double loop of the classic Alpe dHuez ascent and, to make it happen, the race needed to head down the Col de Sarenne.From the moment it was officially revealed, there was much consternation from riders and directors on the safety ramifications of being sent down what they considered a goat track unsuitable for the highest echelons of the sport.There are plenty of mountains in France that are brilliant climbs but not fit for Tour de France purpose, but the Sarenne's proximity to Alpe d'Huez ultimately sealed the deal.Barriers were installed, potholes filled and gravel swept, and the stage passed without major incident, even if eventual winner Christophe Riblon, in the breakaway, almost came a cropper.There was also pushback from locals and environmental groups, who felt the worlds largest bike race would unsettle the delicate local flora and fauna including the marmots.That opposition re-emerged for 2026. In a sign of who holds the cards, the mountain may not have returned yet as a descent but it is back, this time as a climb.Concessions have been made. The approach to the Sarenne will be heavily restricted before and during the stage, with motor vehicles banned from two days out and cyclists shut out from 6pm the night before. Expect a much-reduced fan presence on the climb this weekend. A lone rider on the Col de Sarenne at the L'Etape du Tour. A.S.O./Victor Barcus Last weekend saw this stage play host to L'Etape du Tour, with around 16,000 riders climbing the Sarenne.Spectators were banned for the climb and only a small number of essential event vehicles were permitted onto its slopes.Has it appeared in the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes? The peloton descends the Sarenne during stage 7 of the 2013 Criterium du Dauphine. Getty Images Yes, it has, like many new Tour de France rendezvous. That stage race, whose most recent name until this year was the Criterium du Dauphine, is run by Tour organisers ASO and often trails new climbs as a dress rehearsal before inclusion in the big show.Thats happened with the Sarenne, which first appeared here in 2013 as a descent, weeks before its Tour de France debut.For its debut ascent, you have to go back nine years to 2017 its first and last appearance. That day saw Team Skys Peter Kennaugh (now a director with Astana) prevail.Does stage 20 finish at the summit of the Sarenne? The classic finish in downtown Alpe d'Huez is a more fitting finish to the stage, as Geraint Thomas seen here winning in 2018 will attest to. Getty Images No. It would be impossible for a race with the huge footprint of the Tour de France to finish a stage somewhere as small as the Sarenne summit.Like that Dauphine stage in 2017, the race continues for another 14.5km, descending into Alpe dHuez, down further on the main road towards Huez in a clockwise direction, then up again through the final five switchbacks and 4km of the classic ascent.Its a somewhat confected finish but just try arguing that with the winner today. More from the Tour de France Why is there so much fuss about Alpe dHuez at the Tour de France? The 10-year-old bike still being used at the Tour de France An incredibly low heart rate and an unbelievable engine: the physiology of a Tour de France cyclist in numbers Tadej Pogaar's new lactate super fuel is a "breakthrough" in sports nutrition, but should you believe the hype?