Stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France brought a dramatic shake-up on the race’s second-to-last day. Richard Carapaz took the stage win, while Tadej Pogacar stayed in position to claim a third consecutive Tour de France title.
Much of the attention also centered on American rider Sepp Kuss, who was reportedly on course to make history before two crashes changed the race. The incidents knocked him out of the lead battle and turned what had been a breakthrough storyline into one of the biggest setbacks of the day.
The penultimate stage therefore had major consequences for both the stage result and the overall standings. Carapaz emerged with the day’s victory, but Pogacar remained the central figure in the general classification as he moved closer to another yellow jersey.
With only the final stage left, the 2026 Tour de France appears set to end with Pogacar on top again unless there is a late surprise. Stage 20 will be remembered for Carapaz’s win and for the crash-filled day that derailed Kuss’ bid at a landmark result.
