Virus hits Pogacar's UAE team as Carapaz wins Tour stage 18; Alpe d'Huez looms

Carapaz solos to stage 18 win

Richard Carapaz attacked with 4 km remaining on the climb to Orcières-Merlette and rode solo to victory, 45 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid and Matteo Jorgenson. The Ecuadorian, an Olympic champion, claimed his second career Tour stage win and moved into the top ten overall, displacing Yannis Voisard. The 185.2 km stage from Voiron included 3,900 metres of climbing and marked the start of the Alpine trilogy.

UAE team struck by illness

Behind the stage winner, a more consequential story unfolded within the race leader's squad. UAE Team Emirates confirmed that a gastrointestinal virus had affected multiple riders. Adam Yates, who struggled with stomach issues on Wednesday, dropped back early on stage 18 to conserve energy. Brandon McNulty abandoned the race after riding alone for 50 kilometres. Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch also fell into a gruppetto on the first climb. Nils Politt, a key domestique, told ARD that the team was wearing masks on the bus and eating separately to limit contagion.

Brandon is definitely out. That's a bitter setback for the team. We have to survive the next two days, and thank God Isaac and Tadej feel good, Felix and I too. Adam felt significantly better today. He let himself drop back to save strength for the next two days. And then we'll see that we bring it home.

Pogacar retains comfortable lead

Tadej Pogacar finished 13th on the stage, 4:35 minutes behind Carapaz, and preserved his overall lead of 4:32 minutes over Remco Evenepoel. His teammate Isaac del Toro sits third at 6:51 minutes. Pogacar, who is chasing a fifth Tour title, took a conservative approach, avoiding attacks. He wore black shorts instead of his usual yellow for the first time in four years, a detail that sparked speculation about his own health, though he later said he felt fine.

In the end you have to follow your instinct in the race. But I believe everything will be fine. We will survive the next two days.

Two Alpe d'Huez finishes await

The Tour now faces back-to-back summit finishes at Alpe d'Huez. Friday's stage covers 127 km with 3,500 metres of climbing, while Saturday's queen stage packs 5,650 metres of elevation gain across three hors catégorie climbs. The illness within UAE could turn these stages into a survival test for Pogacar, who has not been seriously challenged since Jonas Vingegaard's exit. Evenepoel, 4:32 minutes back, remains the closest threat.

Team measures and outlook

Sports director Jotxean Fernández acknowledged the difficulties but insisted the team would push forward. Politt noted that many riders across the peloton were ill after three weeks of racing, calling it not unusual. The team's immediate goal is to shepherd Pogacar through the Alpine double and secure the yellow jersey in Paris on Sunday.