Richard Carapaz moved up to 8th in Tour de France and took the mountains leadership

Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz finished third in the 19th stage of the 2026 Tour de France, moving up two places in the general classification to eighth place. Taking to the podium behind stage winner Tadej Pogačar and second-placed Lenny Martínez, Carapaz is 21 minutes behind the general classification leader with two stages remaining until the end of the race.

Despite losing the stage race for the fourth consecutive time, Carapaz managed to take the lead in the mountains classification with the points he earned. With a performance of 91 points, the Ecuadorian cyclist left Tadej Pogačar behind and will wear the polka dot jersey in the 20th stage on Saturday, defending the Rey de la Montaña title.

Carapaz's combative stance was also rewarded by the organization, and the Ecuadorian athlete won the 'most combative cyclist' award for the fourth time in this edition, writing his name at the top of the tournament. The fact that no cyclist has won this award so many times in the organization reveals Carapaz's outstanding performance in the last week.