Tour returns to Alpe d'Huez with back-to-back summit stages

Tour returns to Alpe d'Huez with back-to-back summit stages ORCIERES-MERLETTE, France, July 23 : Alpe d'Huez will host consecutive summit finishes on Friday and Saturday, as the Tour de France's intense Alpine trilogy concludes, with the general classification at stake. The Tour returns to Alpe d'Huez for the first time in four years, when Britain's Tom Pidcock claimed victory in 2022. Organisers have increased the challenge by scheduling back-to-back stages finishing at the summit, each with unique approaches. "The race finishes twice at Alpe d'Huez, from different approaches. Some riders thrive on this kind of challenge. I think we'll see a battle between the top contenders for the general classification," said the race organisers' sports director Gilles Maignan. The 19th stage on Friday will be relatively short with a 127.9-km ride from Gap. The finish will see riders tackle the traditional climb with its 21 hairpins. "Tomorrow we could see a direct showdown between the main general classification favourites on one of the Tour's most iconic climbs," said Decathlon CMA CGM sports director Julien Jurdie, whose rider Paul Seixas currently holds fourth place overall. INCREASED DIFFICULTY Saturday's 170.9-km route from Bourg-d'Oisans ramps up the difficulty, featuring 5,450 meters of climbing and four categorised ascents. The stage includes the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier and an unprecedented approach to Alpe d'Huez via the Col de Sarenne. Tour director Christian Prudhomme described it as possibly the toughest mountain stage in Tour history. All eyes will be on Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, a four-times Tour winner, who has yet to add Alpe d'Huez to his collection of conquests. Speaking ahead of Thursday's 18th stage, UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports director Mauro Gianetti said: "We're hopeful Tadej can go for the win here, because it's important for the general classification, because it's Alpe d'Huez and it's the Tour." Frenchman Paul Seixas is gearing up for his first Alpe d'Huez experience. The 19-year-old sits fourth overall, 20 seconds behind Mexico's Isaac del Toro in third place. "It's incredible. Hopefully I don't crash with the crowds, but it will all come down to the legs," Seixas said. Spectators are expected to pack the climb, so much so that local authorities have restricted vehicle access to Alpe d'Huez from Thursday to Sunday night.