Sepp Kuss Alpe d’Huez hopes came within sight of a landmark Tour de France victory on stage 19.
The Visma-Lease a Bike climber rode deep into the final climb among the leaders on Friday. He finished fourth, 1:14 behind Tadej Pogačar, after the race leader surged past late.
Pogačar claimed his fifth stage victory of this Tour de France on the 127.9km route from Gap to Alpe d’Huez. The stage took place on July 24, 2026, in the 113th edition of the race.
Kuss, the last American to win a Tour stage in 2021, nearly ended that five-year wait. His chance came from a huge early breakaway that formed on the first two climbs.
Sepp Kuss Alpe d’Huez bid falls short late
The 42-rider move included four Visma-Lease a Bike riders, among them Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson. It also featured every U.S. rider who started this year’s Tour.
Kuss later pushed clear on the hors catégorie ascent with Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious and Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost. Carapaz had won stage 18 one day earlier.
The front group struggled to settle into a rhythm on the famous climb. Attacks came in waves, and the leaders repeatedly slowed after each acceleration.
Kuss said the climb still offered some drafting, which made the finish more tactical. He described the finale as riders watching each other instead of fully committing.
Carapaz and Martinez both forced the pace several times. Kuss repeatedly clawed back before making his own move inside the final three kilometers.
The 2023 Vuelta a España winner said he tried to ride steadily rather than match the sharper accelerations. He said the stop-start pattern made that difficult.
The dense crowds also shaped the tactical race. Fans lined the road in tight corridors, with inflatable dinosaurs among the spectacle on the mountain.
Kuss said the narrow sections made it hard to choose the right moment for an attack. Each possible opening quickly closed as the road tightened again.
Pogačar reels in the breakaway
Kuss expected Pogačar to attack from the bottom of Alpe d’Huez. He said a break likely needed around six minutes there to survive.
Visma-Lease a Bike’s Bruno Armirail worked heavily in the break before the final climb. Kuss credited him for helping create selection before Alpe d’Huez.
Even so, Kuss said the gap looked tight at the foot of the ascent. Pogačar’s chase soon confirmed that concern.
The Slovenian reached the leaders in the barriered section with about four kilometers remaining. He later admitted he still felt doubt during the catch.
Pogačar said Kuss attacked after a right-hand corner. He thought the leaders might have gone again, before Kuss swung off after that effort.
Once clear, Pogačar accelerated decisively and carried the race lead to another stage victory. Kuss remained close to the fight for the podium places before finishing fourth.
American riders animate the Tour’s iconic climb
EF Education-EasyPost’s Sean Quinn also spent the day in the escape. He worked for Carapaz as the team chased a second consecutive stage win.
Quinn said EF Education-EasyPost committed fully and did what it could. He called the atmosphere on the climb outstanding.
After his domestique work, Quinn stopped near a roadside screen and watched the final 800 meters. He said he happened to pass the big screen at the time.
Carapaz did not win the stage, but he gained a consolation prize. He took the King of the Mountains jersey by one point over Pogačar.
Quinn called the day unforgettable and said he had dreamed of racing up Alpe d’Huez as a child. He described the occasion as cycling at its highest level.
Matthew Riccitello of Decathlon-CMA CGM also joined the early move. That meant Kuss, Jorgenson, Quinn, Riccitello, and Quinn Simmons all rode in the day’s main break.
Simmons played a key role for Lidl-Trek and Mads Pedersen. The U.S. champion helped set up Pedersen to win the intermediate sprint.
Pedersen now leads Jasper Philipsen by 57 points in the points classification. Simmons said the team needed a hard start, but not one that dropped Pedersen.
Simmons also rode strongly on Alpe d’Huez and finished 16th. He later supported Lidl-Trek co-leader Juan Ayuso, who lost 6:26 to Pogačar.
Ayuso slipped to seventh overall, behind teammate Mattias Skjelmose.
Simmons said turning toward Alpe d’Huez at the front made him emotional. He had raced there before, but far behind the leaders.
This time, he climbed at the head of the Tour de France on one of cycling’s defining roads. For a rider of his profile, he said that opportunity rarely arrives.
Roadside fans also gave Simmons a small U.S. flag, which he carried in his pocket. He said the number of American flags on the mountain felt special.
The stage ended without an American victory, but the U.S. presence shaped the day. Kuss came closest, after a bold ride on the Tour’s most famous Alpine stage.