Alpe d'Huez hosts two consecutive stages finishing atop the mountain on Friday and Saturday, concluding the Alpine trilogy of the Tour de France, where the fate of the general classification will be decided. The Tour de France returns to Alpe d'Huez for the first time in four years, since British rider Tom Pidcock won the stage in 2022. Organizers have increased the challenge by scheduling two back-to-back summit finishes, each with a unique route. Race sporting director Gilles Maignan said: "The race finishes twice at Alpe d'Huez, from two different routes, and some riders excel in this type of challenge. I think we will witness a battle among the top contenders for the general classification." Stage 19 on Friday will be relatively short, at 127.9 kilometers starting from Gap, and riders will face the traditional high-altitude finish featuring 21 hairpin bends. Julien Jurdie, sporting director of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, whose rider Paul Seixas currently sits fourth overall, said: "Tomorrow we may see a direct confrontation among the top favorites for the general classification on one of the most famous climbs in the race." Race director Christian Prudhomme described this stage as perhaps the toughest mountain stage in Tour history. All eyes will be on Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, the four-time race winner who has never won at Alpe d'Huez.