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

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 :

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.