Carapaz wins Tour stage 18 solo as Pogacar stays in yellow

Final-climb separation

Richard Carapaz won stage 18 of the Tour de France solo after making the decisive move on the final climb to Orcieres-Merlette. For EF Education-EasyPost, this was the kind of stage victory that comes from timing the attack at the point where the race is least controllable.

That matters because a final climb changes the tactical equation. Chases become harder to organize, support becomes thinner, and a rider who can create separation late can turn strength into a clean solo result rather than simply forcing a selection. Carapaz’s move was decisive because it came where the terrain made hesitation expensive.

Yellow jersey unchanged

The other important takeaway is that Pogacar stayed in yellow. So while Carapaz’s stage win was the defining action of the day, the broader race picture did not swing through a jersey change. Stage 18 delivered a clear winner on the road, but not a change at the top of the yellow jersey standings.

Full details are at the linked CNA source.