00:00The race arrives in the Alps and things about to get tasty.
00:04Today not an easy one, but certainly more than what's upcoming.
00:08An intense day that could be the last big breakaway chance to win.
00:19Here's our breakaway.
00:31And suddenly, this is not the good news for UAE.
00:36Wellens is in difficulty for UAE.
00:39What is going on in UAE?
00:46This is Yaswa Philipson going out of the back of the group.
00:50Valentin Paripat all the way now to the line, looking for the 10 points.
00:56This is going to move him closer to the king of the mountains jersey.
01:11A long stage that now saw the green jersey group being chased down,
01:15notably by the day's expected protagonists.
01:18Paripat and Carapaz desperate to do so,
01:20while a 25-strong group were trying to reel them in too.
01:24Before the Côte de Montaigne summit, the Polkadot jersey group caught
01:28and a 14-strong leading pack formed.
01:31King of the mountains showdown, five points for the victor.
01:35Valentin Paripat with a real explosion of power on the front.
01:40Carapaz dodging around behind him.
01:43Yet again it's Valentin Paripat over the top of the second climb.
01:48The chase group now just 50 seconds behind.
01:51Meanwhile, the peloton was happy to graze nearly five minutes off the front.
01:59After three hours of racing and an average speed of 43 kilometres an hour,
02:03this what Maz Pedersen had in mind all day, the intermediate sprint.
02:06A chance to earn back some points lost to Philipson yesterday.
02:10Pedersen comes up and he's going to secure the 25 points.
02:15One of the slowest sprints we've seen.
02:17It's slightly uphill, very, very difficult.
02:20But the green jersey clad Mads Pedersen secures 25 points
02:25and a big buffer to Jasper Philipson.
02:37It's Brandon Abandon.
02:39Today, Brandon Abandon just now.
02:43He was alone for 50 kilometres.
02:46Come on, come on.
02:48You can do it still.
02:52Paripat checks over his shoulder.
02:55And Paripat goes over the climb.
02:5793, 93.
03:00It's not long.
03:01I'm not going to go.
03:01I'm not going to go.
03:02I'm not going to go.
03:0241, 41, 41.
03:0441, 41, 41.
03:055 points behind Pagacin.
03:07The King of the Mountains classification by Pant knew
03:10top three would earn the polka dots outright.
03:13But the Frenchmen really wanted to be the first home stage winner of this edition.
03:17Yet EF Education hoped Carapaz could deliver their first win of the tour.
03:21Six hopefuls, only one winner.
03:23And with four kilometres to go, the attack sparked into life.
03:26Now Paripat starts to up the pressure on everybody else looking over his shoulder.
03:31They don't like this jumping around sensation that he has.
03:35Because that really stings the legs.
03:41Carapaz attacks, massive attack of Richard Carapaz.
03:45The Ecuadorian Eagle soars and now he goes to try and win the stage.
03:50This is a brutal attack of Carapaz.
03:52The only rider who can respond is Valentin Paripat.
03:57I've put some revenue on the duo test.
03:59Jorgensen is just behind.
04:0097 now.
04:01He has a distance.
04:05Carapaz stops.
04:07More Schmidt.
04:08Paripat.
04:10You cannot discount the Polkadot.
04:13There he goes again.
04:14Another big move from Richard Carapaz.
04:17This is another massive attack.
04:20And no reaction at this point.
04:23Look at that.
04:25Carapaz is flying now.
04:27There is no more than two.
04:30There is no more than Valencia Paripat.
04:34This man absolutely thrives on.
04:37He checks over his shoulder again.
04:39It's going to be elation for Ecuador.
04:43Richard Carapaz comes round the corner right now.
04:47He looks, he checks and he can see the finish line just in front of him.
04:51The crowd get ready to welcome a class act.
04:55Carapaz crowns an amazing day.
04:58Elation for Ecuador and EF Education easy post.
05:02He wins stage 18.
05:16This Carapaz's second tour stage triumph two years after his first.
05:21Winning from a stacked group all the sweeter as his defying age.
05:25The 33-year-old ready to celebrate.
05:34To win here on the Tour has been something that has costed us a lot.
05:40And at the end, this is a very beautiful stage that I dedicate to my family.
05:47And, well, I think that, at the end, this is the most grateful for me.
05:52To know that the work that I do can be recompensed with all this.
05:57Every year it's more difficult to win.
05:59But, well, I think that the recompense is here.
06:03And, well, I'm not going to enjoy it now.
06:13A ninth contour success for the 2021 Olympic champion.
06:18The Ecuador Eagles sword up the final climb to beat Schmidt and Jorgensen by 45 seconds.
06:23King-of-the-Mountain rival Paripant came home in fourth.
06:29Despite some teammates blowing up,
06:32Pogaccia safe for now.
06:33Carapaz's heroics takes him into the top ten.
06:38A great show of endurance helped Pedersen recover some security for his green jersey,
06:43extending a narrow lead to a 32.1.
06:47Pogaccia watched the battle for his polka dots.
06:50Paripant just one point off.
06:51The previous time Carapaz won a Tour stage, he claimed the king of the mountain title.
06:57Del Toro's white jersey in play tomorrow,
07:00when the real climbing begins just 20 seconds to sex ass.
07:04Now the two are ready to cook up a storm of the Alpe d'Huez.
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