Numbers, curiosities and statistics help us re-read and delve deeper into what we experienced in yesterday's stage. Follow us:

2: CARAPAZ DOUBLES UP
Winner in solitary fashion after climbing the Orcières-Merlette ascent at an average speed of 23.4 km/h, Richard Carapaz has signed his second victory of his career – and Ecuador's – at the Tour de France. The climber had already raised his arms during the 17th stage of the 2024 edition. He thus becomes the fifty-first rider in history to win at least twice on French roads. The former wearer of the polka dot jersey brings his total of victories in the Grand Tours to 9 (2 at the Tour, 3 at the Vuelta, 4 at the Giro).

3: THE EF STREAK CONTINUES
Thanks to Richard Carapaz's victory, EF Education – EasyPost has won a stage in the last three editions of the Grande Boucle. Richard Carapaz had already launched the streak in Superdévoluy in 2024 before Irishman Ben Healy imitated him last year at Vire. Among the other teams entered in this Tour de France 2026, Soudal – Quick-Step holds the record with fourteen consecutive editions, as the Belgian team has won at least once since 2013! With its first opening success in Barcelona, Visma – Lease a Bike, under all its names, has won in the last ten editions (since 2017). Extended by the successes of Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro, the Emirates-XRG streak of the United Arab Emirates has stretched since 2020. Alpecin-Premier Tech has even managed to win at least twice every summer since its first participation in 2021.

40: STILL KING OF THE MOUNTAINS
Still leading the mountain classification at the end of the eighteenth day of racing, Tadej Pogacar wore the 40th polka dot jersey of his career at the Tour. But the Slovenian, who has already won this jersey three times in Paris, remains thirty behind Lucien Van Impe (70), himself far behind the record holder Richard Virenque, who led the mountain classification at the Tour on 96 occasions.

6: A FINAL POLKA DOT WALTZ?
The battle for the polka dot jersey is approaching its decisive moment! Scoring 23 points in yesterday's stage, Valentin Paret-Peintre has closed to within one point of leader Tadej Pogacar (70 against 69 points). The Frenchman, who will also have to contend with Richard Carapaz (63 points), now has every chance of winning the jersey he so desires in the next three days: there are 114 points still to be collected until the Champs-Élysées. There is hope, as six times the polka dot jersey has been won in the last three stages. If the first to achieve this was Giancarlo Bellini against Lucien Van Impe on the penultimate day of the 1976 edition, five other riders have imitated him in the 21st century. In 2011, Samuel Sanchez snatched the title from Jelle Vanendert, then it was Nairo Quintana's turn at Chris Froome's expense in 2013, who in turn took it back from Romain Bardet the day before the final arrival in 2015. Since then, Tadej Pogacar won it in 2020 at Richard Carapaz's expense, before the Ecuadorian did the same in 2024 against... Pogacar.

2: OLYMPIC PAIRING
The Olympic rings shine in this month of July. For the first time in Tour de France history, with the double of Remco Evenepoel (stages 15 and 16) and the victory of Richard Carapaz (stage 18), a reigning Olympic champion and a former gold medalist on the road have raised their arms in the same edition. Because before Evenepoel, who won the title in Paris in 2024, and Carapaz, who won in Tokyo in 2021, only five cyclists have won the Tour after their Olympic title, never in the same year. Among these are Samuel Sanchez (2011), Olaf Ludwig (1990, 1992 and 1993) and Hennie Kuiper (1976, 1977 and 1978).

2 x 2: ALL-TERRAIN
In great form at the end of the Tour de France, Mauro Schmid finished second on Thursday at Orcières-Merlette... just like the other day at Voiron! The Swiss rider, who has already won the thirteenth stage at Belfort – which included the climb to Ballon d'Alsace – confirms his qualities as an all-terrain rider, equally at ease on hilly terrain and in the medium mountains. If the 17th stage towards Voiron had a total elevation gain of 2,200 meters, for an arrival at an altitude of 295 meters, yesterday's stage climbed 1,530 meters more, for a total elevation gain of 3,900 meters. The pedigree of the men who beat him reflects his extreme versatility: first the sprinter Jasper Philipsen, then the pure climber Richard Carapaz.

6: ANOTHER PINK ON THE ATTACK
On the attack from the first climb of the day until the last, where he flew away winning at Orcières-Merlette, Richard Carapaz won the combativity award. The Ecuadorian, who participated in the breakaway for 146 kilometers at an average speed of 39.9 km/h on a demanding course, received this award for the sixth time in his career, two more than his teammate Ben Healy, his closest pursuer among the riders entered this year in the Grande Boucle. Winner of this award for the third time since the Grand Départ in Barcelona – as much as Frenchman Baptiste Veistroffer – Carapaz can, in case of another triumph, equal Giovanni Battaglin, the record holder for combativity with four awards received in 1979.