July 19, 2026 · Stage 15 · Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison
Remco Evenepoel survived Tadej Pogačar's tempo and Isaac del Toro's late attacks, then produced the sharpest sprint atop Plateau de Solaison. The Belgian's first Tour mountain-stage victory was also Belgium's 500th stage win—but the celebration sat beside the race's bleakest news: Jonas Vingegaard crashed with 24 kilometres remaining and left the Tour in an ambulance.
A summit sprint after a punishing selection
The 11.3-kilometre final climb averaged roughly nine percent, steep enough to strip the favourites group to three. Pogačar set much of the decisive pace, apparently balancing his own stage ambition with another chance to launch Del Toro. Evenepoel was the only rival able to stay attached.
Del Toro attacked twice inside the final kilometre. Evenepoel answered both moves, used the Mexican's final acceleration as his lead-out, and drove past Pogačar and Del Toro at the summit. The result moved him into second overall and supplied an answer to the recurring question about whether he could win against the Tour's best on a true high-mountain finish.
Vingegaard’s Tour ends on the road to Solaison
The stage's classification consequences were shaped before the final climb. Vingegaard crashed with 24 kilometres to race; doctors immobilised his right arm and he was taken away by ambulance. It was his first Tour abandonment in six starts after five consecutive overall podiums, including victories in 2022 and 2023.
With Vingegaard gone, Evenepoel rose to second overall. Del Toro moved into third and reclaimed the white jersey from Paul Seixas, only 25 seconds ahead of the French debutant. A podium battle that had included several established contenders was suddenly centred on a young Mexican and an even younger Frenchman.
The rest day arrives with a different race
Pogačar remained comfortably in yellow, but Solaison gave Evenepoel a landmark win and transformed the contests beneath first place. The rest day would now reset a Tour without Vingegaard, with Evenepoel defending second and Del Toro and Seixas separated by seconds in the fight for third and white.
