Tour de France Stage 20: Carapaz Wins After Kuss's Heartbreaking Double Crash on Alpe d'Huez

Stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France delivered one of the most dramatic days in recent Grand Tour history. What was expected to be a coronation for Tadej Pogačar instead became a stage defined by a heart-stopping crash, a narrow escape, and a solo victory that sealed both a stage win and the King of the Mountains jersey.

Stage Winner: Richard Carapaz Solos to Victory

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) won Stage 20, his second stage win of the 2026 Tour . The Ecuadorian, already leading the polka-dot jersey classification (King of the Mountains), sealed that title with the victory . Carapaz launched his winning move on the upper slopes of the Col de la Sarenne, catching and passing a stricken Sepp Kuss to solo to the summit finish at Alpe d'Huez .

Sepp Kuss's Crash: A Near-Catastrophe on the Descent

Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) was riding solo in the lead after cresting the Col de Sarenne and looked set for the stage win — his second career Tour de France victory . In the final 8 km, disaster struck twice on the technical descent toward Alpe d'Huez :

• First crash: Kuss hit the deck after exiting a dark tunnel with 7.1 km to go but remounted quickly and maintained his lead .
• Second crash: With approximately 4–5.8 km remaining, Kuss misjudged a corner, slammed into a roadside barrier, and slid toward a sheer drop. He was saved by safety nets (barriers) that prevented a catastrophic fall off the side of the mountain . Kuss later said he was "on the limit" and misjudged the corner while trying to make up time .

After the second crash, Kuss was also fined for littering after throwing a bidon in frustration . Carapaz caught and passed him, and Kuss was later overtaken by Remco Evenepoel in the final 50 meters, finishing third on the stage .

General Classification After Stage 20: Pogačar Set for Fifth Title

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) holds a commanding lead with only the largely ceremonial Stage 21 into Paris remaining. The top five overall after Stage 20 :

Rank	Rider	Team	Time
1	Tadej Pogačar	UAE Team Emirates-XRG	72h 53' 22"
2	Remco Evenepoel	Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe	+ 6' 26"
3	Isaac del Toro	UAE Team Emirates-XRG	+ 9' 42"
4	Paul Seixas	Decathlon CMA CGM Team	+ 11' 56"
5	Lenny Martinez	Bahrain Victorious	+ 13' 02"

Pogačar is essentially guaranteed to win his fifth Tour de France overall title after Stage 21 .

The Queen Stage Route: 171 km of Alpine Brutality

Stage 20 ran from Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Alpe d'Huez — 171 km with 5,494–5,500 meters of vertical gain, the most of any stage in the 2026 race . It featured four massive climbs :

Climb	Category	Notes
Col de la Croix de Fer	HC (Hors Catégorie)	Early brutal ascent; Ilan van Wilder crashed out here
Col du Galibier	HC	Highest point of the stage; Carapaz crested first to effectively seal the KOM title
Col de la Sarenne	1st category	The descent here is where Kuss crashed twice
Alpe d'Huez	HC (summit finish)	Historic 21-switchback finish; second consecutive day finishing at Alpe d'Huez

The stage was widely described as the queen stage of the 2026 Tour — a relentless Alpine route with over 5,000 m of climbing .

Key Takeaways from Stage 20

Stage 20 was a day of high drama that reshaped the final podium picture. Carapaz's second stage win of the Tour and his coronation as King of the Mountains was overshadowed by Kuss's near-miss. The American's double crash ended a five-year drought without a US stage winner at the Tour de France . Meanwhile, Pogačar's quiet day in the yellow jersey group ensured his fifth overall title is all but secured.