Tour de France 2026 stage 19 predictions, tips and odds

The first of three straight days of climbing in the Alps produced some spectacular cycling on Thursday and the stakes are even higher on Stage 19 on Friday as the field tackle a 127.9km stage to the famous Alpe d'Huez.

Ricardo Carapaz pulled clear on the final climb to Orcieres Merlette for his first stage win of this year's Tour, landing an excellent 9-2 winner for Nick Pulford.

Yellow-jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar finished safely in the main group of General Classification contenders at 4m 35sec behind Carapaz and still has a lead of 4min 32sec over Remco Evenepoel.

The next two stages both finish on Alpe D'Huez, so riders will have to decide whether to go all-in on an assault on this shorter stage or hold something back for Saturday's queen stage, which is longer at 170.9km.

The route starts at Gap and includes two second-category climbs and the first-category ascent of the Col du Noyer, which is 7.2km at an average gradient of 8.5 per cent before the final haul up to the iconic summit finish of 13.8km at 8.1 per cent, taking in 21 hairpin turns.

Only five of the 31 stages to finish on this mountain have gone to the rider who won the Tour that year, but Pogacar will no doubt be keen to add this to his CV and is a 8-11 favourite to do so.

Where to watch the Tour de France

You can watch every stage of the 2026 Tour de France live on TNT Sports.

Stage 19 start time, route and TV details

Date Friday, July 24

Starts 1pm BST

Route Gap to Alpe D'Huez (127.9km)

Stage type Mountain

Best bet for stage 19

Paul Seixas

1pt 22-1 bet365

Tour de France stage 19 predictions

Tadej Pogacar has won four of the six mountain stages so far in the 2026 Tour de France and after keeping his powder dry on Thursday's stage he looks the most likely winner on Alpe d'Huez on Friday.

There's not much value to be had in backing the great Slovene at 8-11 to make it five wins on the Tour this year, though, especially given the size of his overall lead.

Pogacar and Isaac Del Toro no longer have as much support as they would like from their UAE Team Emirates colleagues, though, as Brandon McNulty abandoned the race on Thursday, leaving the team down to seven riders.

France's Paul Seixas finished in the same group as Pogacar on stage 18 and could offer some value to make a bold showing on Friday.

The 19-year-old is riding in the Tour for the first time and has already shown enough to suggest he could be the home nation's next winner.

Seixas is an impressive fourth in the overall standings and has shown up well on the big climbs to date, finishing fourth, two seconds behind Pogacar on stage 3, fifth on stage six, third to Pogacar and Evenepoel on stage 10, third on stage 14 and fourth on stage 15.

He earned his place in the Tour when winning three of the six stages including the mountain stage to win the Tour of the Basque Country in April and looks a decent each-way bet.

Another big-priced rider to consider is Juan Ayuso, but Seixas could be the one to shine on Alpe d'Huez with teammates Nicolas Prodhomme, Matthew Riccitello and Aurelien Paret-Peintre capable of providing valuable support.

Tour de France stage 19 profile

Latest Tour de France betting odds

Here are the latest odds from bet365 for stage 19 of the 2026 Tour de France.

Odds from bet365 are correct at time of publication and subject to change

Tour de France 2026 stage-by-stage guide

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Tour de France FAQs

When is the 2026 Tour de France?

The 113th Tour de France begins on Saturday, July 4, in Barcelona and concludes on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday, July 26.

Who are the favourites to win the 2026 Tour de France?

Tadej Pogacar is odds-on favourite to win a fifth yellow jersey after winning the Tour in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025. Two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard is expected to be his nearest challenger at 100-30.

Who is the defending Tour de France champion?

Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar won a fourth Tour de France title in 2025 and will join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as a record-equalling five-time winner if he claims another yellow jersey.

Why does the Tour de France leader wear a yellow jersey?

The leader of the Tour de France wears a yellow jersey, or the Maillot Jaune, to signify their status at the top of the general classification. Yellow was chosen as the colour for the leader's jersey because the race's original sponsor, L'Auto, was printed on yellow paper.

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