Even as the Tour de France leaves the Alps, the fight for the King of the Mountains classification has hotted up considerably with the brand-new leader, Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), safeguarding a scant two-point lead over Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates).
Carapaz claimed the King of the Mountains jersey on stage 18 from Pogačar – the mountain leader for just 24 hr in that ranking after his third location on stage 17 – thanks to a day-long breakaway, culminating in a second-place behind teammate Michal Kwiatkowski.
One of his most unsafe challengers in the ranking, Marc Hirschi (Sunweb) declared maximum points on the very first 3 climbs of the stage, however then crashed, leaving the roadway clear for Carapaz to move into the polka-dot jersey with maximum points on the final two climbs of the day.
Pogačars sixth location on the Montée Plateau des Glières behind the stage leaders has enabled him to remain in the polka dot jersey game. Although Friday and Sunday only have one point apiece on single fourth classification climbs up, there are points on the first category ascent on Saturdays time trial of La Planche des Belles Filles. It indicates that the Tours only race versus the clock could, unusually, yet see another modification of the mountains category leader – back to Pogačar.
“I have the jersey in the meantime, and well have to exercise the finest method to keep it to Paris,” Carapaz told French television after the stage.
Carapaz choice to cede the stage to Michal Kwiatkowski hinged in large part on his laying a stake to the KoM jersey, offering he had actually already lost out on breakaways both on Tuesday and Wednesday.
He was 2nd to Lennard Kamna (Bora-Hansgrohe) at Villards-de-Lans then was the last to be captured from the day-long break, simply 3 kilometres from the line, on Wednesdays phase to the Col de la Loze.
“Today was an amazing success, we desired the jersey and the stage and we got both,” Carapaz said. “And we decided that Michal must have the win.” But whether Carapaz can keep a grip on the mountains category lead through Sunday stays to be seen.
