Pidcock wins Alpe d’Huez stage, Vingegaard keeps Tour lead

ALPE D’HUEZ, France (AP) — Tom Pidcock became the youngest man to win a Tour de France stage on Alpe d’Huez when he raced away from a group of breakaway riders to cross the line solo at the iconic ski resort on Thursday.

The 22-year-old mountain bike Olympic champion from Britain attacked on the ascent, and his frenetic pace up the legendary 21 hairpin bends was too fast for his breakaway companions.

Race leader Jonas Vingegaard crossed the line more than three minutes behind, in a group including defending champion Tadej Pogacar and Geraint Thomas, and kept the yellow jersey. Pogacar tested his rival twice in the last three kilometers but Vingegaard responded with ease.

Pidcock and four-time champion Chris Froome had joined forces earlier in the day in the downhill of the Col du Galibier to catch the breakaway.

At the foot of the final climb, the five remaining breakaway riders — Louis Meintjes, Froome, Pidcock, Neilson Powless and Giulio Ciccone — had a lead of more than six minutes on the group including all the main contenders.

Amid the sound of cowbells and flares lit by some of the hundreds of thousands of fans lining the road, Pidcock accelerated with 10.5-kilometer left as he dropped Powless and Ciccone.

Meintjes and Froome stayed in contention a bit longer but Pidcock attacked again to dash Froome’s hopes of claiming a first win since the crash that nearly ended his career three years ago.

Pidcok beat the record of Colombia’s Lucho Herrera, who was 23 when he won on Alpe d’Huez in 1984.

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