Gallery
Starting Alpe d'Huez TdF26-138
This quartet that was led first by Thymen Arensman (Netcompany-Ineos) and followed by Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious), Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) with just over three minutes over the group that included the Maillot Jaune. They were looking at a climb of twelve kilometers they all were hoping that it was enough of a gap to be the ones to vie for the stage win at the summit of the fabled climb of the Alpe d'Huez. Carapaz was hoping to follow his stage victory with a second in a row. He also knows that he has the chance to hold the Maillot a Pois outright should he finish the stage in the top three. And that is true even should Tadej Pogacar be able to chase them down and win the stage. The crowds at the base of the climb were but a taste of the multitudes awaiting every single rider to scale the Alpe.