Carapaz Seizes Stage 18 with a Ruthless Late Attack from Breakaway

Richard Carapaz delivered a fierce and brilliantly timed victory on Stage 18 of the Tour de France, conquering the summit finish at Orcières-Merlette from a breakaway that refused to die. The Ecuadorian claimed his second career Tour stage win and the first for EF Education-EasyPost in the 2026 race, tightening the battle for the mountains jersey in the process.

Carapaz’s ride was all aggression and calculation. He spent the day trading blows in a volatile front group, arriving at the foot of the final 7km climb alongside five other contenders — including Valentin Paret-Peintre, another major challenger for the polka dots. By day’s end, Carapaz had slashed the gap to the jersey to just seven points, while Paret-Peintre finished the stage only one point behind Tadej Pogacar in the KOM standings.

The stage opened with relentless attacking. A seven-rider move formed over the Côte d’Engin, featuring Mads Pedersen hunting sprint points. The break ballooned as the peloton eased off, and with roughly 110km remaining, the escapees were given room to fly. Counter-moves from behind brought Egan Bernal, Carapaz and Paret-Peintre across, swelling the front to 14 riders before Pedersen swept up maximum points at the intermediate sprint.

Attention then shifted to the looming Orcières-Merlette ascent. Matteo Jorgenson repeatedly tried to break the group, first with 25km remaining and again before the final climb, but each move was neutralised. The decisive selection came after the Côte de Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes, leaving six riders — Jorgenson, Carapaz, Paret-Peintre, Schmid, Johannessen and García Pierna — to contest the finish.

Behind them, UAE Team Emirates-XRG showed signs of strain. Brandon McNulty abandoned after his earlier crash, and Adam Yates continued to struggle with illness, leaving Pogacar’s support weakened.

With a lead of more than three minutes at the base of the final climb, the winner was certain to emerge from the front six. Jorgenson tried again with 5km to go, but Carapaz shadowed him. Moments later, Carapaz launched a vicious acceleration that only Paret-Peintre could initially follow. Schmid and Jorgenson clawed back — briefly.

Then Carapaz struck again, switching sides of the road and detonating the group with a second, sharper attack. This time, nobody could respond. He opened daylight instantly and held it all the way to the summit, riding alone into Orcières-Merlette for a commanding and emotional victory.

VIDEO: 2026 Tour de France Stage 18 Highlights