Tadej Pogačar earns a handful of 2024 Tour de France stage wins

Saturday’s last road stage of the 2024 Tour de France in the Alps was also the penultimate stage off the 111th edition. Tadej Pogačar’s fifth stage win at its conclusion marked the 16th of his career. Even before his triumph, Pogačar set the record for most days wearing Grand Tour leaders’ jerseys in a single season with 38; the Slovenian was only without the yellow jersey for two days in the 111th edition. Derek Gee couldn’t hang on to the eighth place he seized on Friday and is back to ninth.

The Course

The final summit finish of the 111th edition was Cat. 1 Col de la Couillole, 15.8 km of 7.3 percent at the end of a 132.8-km route. Three other climbs, a Cat. 2 to whet the appetite and two Cat. 1 ascents, were spread evenly along the way.

Stage 20 of the #TDF2024: three climbs before a tough summit finish on Col de la Couillole. pic.twitter.com/Un41K3cZRi

— Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) July 20, 2024

Gee Cee

On Friday’s stage Derek Gee jumped over Giulio Ciccone into eighth after nearly a week at ninth, and he had also distanced Santiago Buitrago. However, the new threat to Gee’s place was American Matteo Jorgenson, 51 seconds behind the Canadian. Tenth place Ciccone was 54 seconds back and 11th place Buitrago was +1:04. Adam Yates in seventh was too far ahead of all of them.

Hugo Houle was in one of the early breakaways before Col de Braus, but his escape didn’t last. When King of the Mountains Richard Carapaz and Jorgenson tried to reach a trio up front, Gee and others responded. Ciccone attempted something too. People kept jumping and the action was hot. Enric Mas was the first rider over the crest, the yellow jersey group a minute behind.

On the descent of Braus, UAE-Emirates sent Marc Soler into a chase surge centered around Carapaz. At the foot of Col de Turini, Ciccone bolted, drawing Gee. The peloton parried their thrust.

At first on Col de Turini there were three groups ahead of the peloton and they gelled into a 10-strong breakaway from which Carapaz burst forth to pad his polka dot lead. It was still early, but it looked at that point like at least Pogačar, 4:30 in arrears, was happy to let someone else win on Saturday.

Col de la Colmiane was officially only 7.5 km long, but there was a gradual 16 km climb to its start. When Colmiane kicked up, the escape’s gap was still 4:00. Digs only managed to pop off one fugitive. Evenepoel’s Soudal-QuickStep, who had led the field up Turini, continued to drive on the Colmiane. Carapaz wrapped up the KOM competition by gobbling up the maximum points at the peak.

Throwdown on the Col de la Couillole

The leading nontet hit the foot of the Tour’s last categorized climb in a road stage with a 3:00 gap. Would it survive? Carapaz and Mas separated themselves from the others as Evenepoel’s boys piled on the pressure. With Mikel Landa continuing Soudal’s efforts, Gee and Ciccone fell away and watched Jorgenson climb away from them.

Evenepoel’s first attack didn’t dislodge anyone but his teammate Landa. A little north of them, Carapaz couldn’t get rid of Mas. João Almeida was the only cat who could hang with the Big Three. Just as Carapaz was trying to shed Mas again, Evenepoel tried again. Vingegaard countered and put Evenepoel in his rearview mirror. The yellow jersey was going nowhere.

With 2.5 km to go, the stage win dreams of Carapaz and Mas were in danger as the Dane and the Slovenian came over to them. Mas dropped first. Vingegaard, Pogačar and Carapaz passed under the red kite. The Ecuadorian faded.

The yellow jersey went to the front with 500 metres to climb. When the 2024 Giro d’Italia champion stood up on the pedals, that was that.

Jorgenson is now 24 seconds ahead of Gee and Ciccone is 58 seconds behind.

Sunday’s conclusion to the Tour de France is a rolling 33.7-km time trial from Monaco to Nice.

2024 Tour de France Stage 20

1) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 4:04:22
2) Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Visma-Lease a Bike) +0:07
3) Richard Carapaz (Ecuador/EF Education-Easypost) +0:23
12) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +2:48

2024 Tour de France GC

1) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 78:49:20
2) Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Visma-Lease a Bike) +5:03
3) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Soudal-QuickStep) +7:01
9) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +24:50