Richard Carapaz wins Tour stage 18 at Orcières-Merlette
Richard Carapaz claimed stage 18 of the 2026 Tour de France with a decisive late attack on the Orcières-Merlette summit finish. The EF Education-EasyPost rider left the breakaway behind on the final climb, finishing ahead of Mauro Schmid and Matteo Jorgenson while yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar's overall lead went unchallenged.
Key Takeaways
- Richard Carapaz won stage 18 in 4hrs 26mins 21secs after blowing the breakaway apart on the final climb.
- Mauro Schmid finished second and Matteo Jorgenson third, both 45 seconds back.
- The 185.2km mountain stage ran from Voiron to Orcières-Merlette, opening three big Alpine days.
- Pogacar retained the yellow jersey by 4mins 32secs over Remco Evenepoel; Carapaz rose to 10th overall.
How did Richard Carapaz win stage 18?
According to The Guardian's live report, Carapaz timed his move to perfection on the 7.1km Orcières-Merlette ascent, averaging 6.7%. He first went clear with Valentin Paret-Peintre around 4km from the finish, then attacked again at about 3.5km to go when the Frenchman could not follow.
By 1.5km remaining, Carapaz was riding away alone. He crossed the line in 4hrs 26mins 21secs. Schmid (Jayco AlUla) and Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) shared the same time for second and third, 45 seconds behind.
Paret-Peintre finished fourth at 1min 14secs, with Tobias Johannessen fifth. The Ecuadorian had been hunting a stage for several days; EF Education-EasyPost finally got its prize.
Why does this Tour stage finish matter?
Stage 18 was the first of three Alpine days and a classic summit finish. The Racing Post had flagged Carapaz as a strong breakaway pick at 9-2, noting he sat well off the podium and that the shorter final climb suited him.
The general classification barely budged. Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) still leads Evenepoel by 4mins 32secs, with Isaac Del Toro third. Carapaz moved into the top ten at +21mins 00secs, replacing Yannis Voisard.
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What else happened on the road to Orcières-Merlette?
The 185.2km route from Voiron featured early climbing, including the category-one Côte d'Engins. A break formed and reshaped through the day, with Carapaz and Paret-Peintre key figures in the mountains battle as well as the stage fight.
Paret-Peintre cut Pogacar's polka-dot lead to a single point by day's end (70-69), with Carapaz third on 63. Mads Pedersen took the intermediate sprint. Brandon McNulty abandoned after illness, a blow to UAE's support ranks.
With Alpe d'Huez looming Friday and Saturday, Pogacar's yellow looks secure barring disaster, but stage hunters and the King of the Mountains scrap still have room to explode.
Who was tipped before the summit finish?
Preview coverage stressed that Orcières-Merlette is steeped in Tour lore yet less brutal than Alpe d'Huez, making a successful escape realistic. Likely break candidates named before the race included Carapaz, Davide Piganzoli, Tobias Johannessen, Luke Plapp and Valentin Paret-Peintre.
That script largely held: the win came from the break, not a GC demolition, and Richard Carapaz delivered the headline result the tipsters had circled.