Stage 19 of the 2026 Tour de France delivered one of the greatest spectacles in modern cycling. A 127.9km mountain stage from Gap to Alpe d’Huez, with 3,500 metres of climbing, always promised fireworks, but what unfolded on the Tour’s most iconic climb exceeded every expectation.
Richard Carapaz, Lenny Martinez and Sepp Kuss looked set to fight for the stage after an elite breakaway survived deep into the final ascent. But behind them, Tadej Pogačar had other ideas. Launching a devastating attack from the GC group, he rode alone up Alpe d’Huez, hunting down the breakaway one rider at a time before attacking again inside the final kilometre to claim one of the most memorable victories of his career. He didn’t just win on cycling’s most famous climb, he set the fastest ever ascent of Alpe d’Huez.
It was a performance that felt almost impossible to comprehend. Was this the greatest ride of Pogačar’s career? Is it one of the finest individual performances the Tour de France has ever witnessed? We break down every moment of an unforgettable afternoon in the Alps.
We also discuss Carapaz’s remarkable back-to-back mountain raids, Lenny Martinez’s outstanding ride into second place, Remco Evenepoel strengthening his grip on second overall, and how the battles for the podium and polka-dot jersey have been transformed heading into the final weekend. Carapaz’s efforts also moved him into the lead of the King of the Mountains competition, setting up a thrilling fight for the jersey.
Ned Boulting and David Millar Breakdown Stage 19 of the Tour de France 2026.
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23 Comments
Love the nature of the breadth and depth of the chats between the pair of you and I'm sure that I'm not alone in wishing that we still had yourselves, together with Gary and Pete, on ITV4. I'm grateful to Channel 5 for having an hour long highlights programme on terrestrial TV each evening, however, despite its best efforts, it compares unfavourably with what I, and I suspect i'm not alone in that, had become used to from yourselves.
I was there a month ago
Brother turned 60
Last hurrah in the Alps
It was incredible
Older now but the Alps never lose it’s magic
Brilliant work guys ❤
We should collectively start calling pogacar the shark. This is how he approached and closes the distance
It's the uncanny silence and 'mundanity' of Pogacar's 'attacks' that are so mindblowing. We're used to seeing a Contador/Schleck or a Froome/Quintana battle where each launches waves of hard accelerations to try to dislodge the other, but Pogacar just looks like he's riding normally and everyone else just dissolves off his back wheel. Maybe it looks like that partly because all his rivals know they have no chance and are in their own race, but it's remarkable to watch. Next year perhaps the Tour gives everyone but Pog a 6 minute head start on mountains and we see how many he can catch?
Just adoring the coverage here and I am so bowled over by David and Ned's obvious enthusiasm for watching an iconic stage with an iconic athlete. It made me enjoy it all the more myself even though I couldn't possibly be there.
I was fascinated by the money discussion too, as my sport of athletics is not a money rich sport, certainly at the club level where I coach. But like cycling, without there volunteers and parent support, it wouldn't happen and some of these elite athletes wouldn't get their chance to flourish and entertain us so wonderfully.
I now watch the tour anyway I can live(for free!), then the C5 highlights and then chill with these two TDF legends.
Just wow! Pogacar was pretty good too.
Pogarcar Is a TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE best RIDER FOR ME. What is their miracle MAGIC PORTION FROM UAE?
They talk about billion $$$$$$ investment in buying the TOUR DE FRANCE. We have to wait another decade to discover stories of behind all this winning.
I am following the tour for nearly 30 Years. How many time i saw this new "Emerging" riders onto the podium ? We live in a Scientocracy and technocracy era and dopage has many branches today. Motor dopage is still out of hands of the controllers and what else is to be revealed as new tech?
Big thanks to David ! And well done Ned, you made it to Paris !
Just wanted to say thank you to the team for these pods. For me the best coverage out there, somehow managing to nail the analysis whilst capturing the history and romance of the Tour, and today just the sheer childlike joy of watching greatness.
David is a very itchy bloke! 😂
❤❤❤
You've brought the Tour to life for us – your joy comes right through the screen, and you've added an entirely new dimension to my experience. The opening to the pod today was spine-tingling. Thankyou!
Re Pogacar: I was surprised at how easily the SBS commentators lost faith with Pogacar. I think the beauty of his riding this year is his maturity and ability to find the way to win. At four and a half minutes back, I started to wonder how. But the clue is always in his interviews: his words made it clear he wanted the stage.
Kuss, Martinez and Carapaz were so exciting to watch – I loved it. Carapaz is such a fighter.
Wow, what a finish. What a race.
Your word, Ned: lucid. That sums Pogacar up this year.
Really enjoyed the podcast once again. Shame it's just a few to go. Thanks to David. Liked the beginning of the pod where they were live near the finish, showing Pogacar zooming past. The stage on tv was phenomenal. I feel like Pogacar had to wing it a bit, as he didn't have his usual rival of Jonas, which made the race more interesting. He's unpredicatble anyway, but it added that extra edge and drama.
Are David and Benedict Cumberbatch related?
The joy I felt seeing Ned finally in that bucket hat!! 😂🎉
Nice bucket hat Ned 😊
It’s just so hard to believe.
I love this show so much. Thank you guys
Amazing stage but I couldn't completely enjoy it, seeing the fans encroach so much, cause many delays and the exit of Einer Rubio. I don't suppose you could barrier the whole climb off but it was too much at times for me.
David knows more than most that this is not clean. There’s a new drug out there.
He looks way too fresh ……somethings fishy