Pogacar shatters Pantani's Alpe d'Huez record as Seixas slips 24 seconds behind del Toro in Tour de France podium fight

Pogacar's record ride

Tadej Pogacar added another milestone to his 2026 Tour de France campaign by winning stage 19 atop Alpe d'Huez and setting a new fastest time for the iconic climb. The Slovenian, already in the yellow jersey, erased Marco Pantani's longstanding record on the 21 hairpin bends. His performance on Friday, 24 July, followed an earlier record on the Tourmalet during stage 6, underlining his dominance in the mountains.

Seixas loses ground

Paul Seixas had targeted the stage to close the gap to Isaac del Toro and snatch the white jersey of best young rider, but the Frenchman faded in the final kilometres. He conceded four seconds to the Mexican, leaving him 24 seconds adrift of third place overall. After the finish, Seixas was candid about his condition.

I didn't have the legs I hoped for.

The Decathlon-CMA CGM rider had been well placed approaching the summit but could not match the pace of the podium contenders. The loss, though small, makes his task significantly harder with only one mountain stage remaining.

The podium battle

Isaac del Toro remains firmly in third place and continues to wear the white jersey. The 24-second buffer gives the Mexican a clear advantage, but Seixas has not abandoned his dream of a podium finish in Paris. The French climber, still in his early twenties, has been one of the revelations of the race and will need a bold move on Saturday to overturn the deficit.

What comes next

The Tour de France now heads into its decisive weekend. Stage 20 on Saturday is the queen stage of the race, a high-altitude test that represents the last chance for Seixas to attack del Toro. The race concludes on Sunday with the traditional procession into Paris, where the overall winner will be crowned. For Seixas, the next 24 hours will define whether his Tour ends with a podium celebration or a near miss.