Pogacar shatters Pantani's record at Alpe d'Huez and sets the fastest ascent in history

Tadej Pogacar made history again at the Tour de France 2026. The Slovenian not only conquered the mythical summit of Alpe d’Huez with a solo exhibition, but also set a new ascent record by completing the 13.8 kilometers of the climb in 35 minutes and 27 seconds, lowering the legendary mark set by Marco Pantani in 1995 (36:40) by 1 minute and 13 seconds.

Pogacar rewrites the history of Alpe d’Huez with a record that seemed impossible

The climb to Alpe d’Huez has always been one of the benchmarks of modern cycling. For more than three decades, Pantani's time stood firm against generations of riders with lighter bikes, better training, and much more scientific preparation. Until this July 24, 2026.

An attack from the base to sign an exhibition

Pogacar decided not to wait. As soon as he started the first slopes of Alpe d’Huez, UAE Team Emirates-XRG increased the pace with Felix Großschartner at the front of the reduced group of favorites.

When the Austrian finished his work, the yellow jersey launched an attack about 12 kilometers from the summit that left Remco Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro, and the rest of the general classification contenders without a response.

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Further ahead, he linked up with Adam Yates, who had been part of the breakaway and was able to offer him a brief pull before stepping aside. From there, Pogacar began an impressive chase on the survivors of the breakaway.

First, he caught Sepp Kuss and Lenny Martínez, then he hunted down Richard Carapaz, and after a final change of pace in the last kilometer, he crossed the finish line completely alone.

The performance is even more valuable given the context in which it occurred. UAE Team Emirates-XRG arrived at the stage with several riders affected by physical problems. Brandon McNulty had abandoned the Tour the day before, Tim Wellens and Adam Yates had reported discomfort during the last week, and Florian Vermeersch also showed a lack of strength at the start of the day.

Despite this, the Emirati team managed to control the race long enough for Pogacar to launch a devastating attack that ended up becoming one of the fastest ascents ever recorded.

With this victory, the Slovenian also added his fifth stage in the Tour de France 2026, further reinforcing a leadership that seems practically sealed.

A record that seemed unattainable

The conditions helped to register very fast times, with temperatures close to 25 °C and no wind, but the magnitude of the record remains extraordinary.

Until now, no modern ascent had really come close to Pantani's time, with most of the best references around 39 minutes.

With his 35:27, Pogacar not only surpassed that mark but also significantly lowered it, establishing a new historical reference in one of the most emblematic climbs of the Tour de France.

The fastest ascents of Alpe d’Huez