Milan wins Tour's 17th stage, Pogacar retains yellow
Milan prevailed in a 10-man dash to the line after the peloton was held up behind a massive crash with just one kilometre to go as riders went down on slippery roads in rainy south eastern France on Wednesday.
The spill involved Milan's rival sprinter Tim Merlier and others under the "flamme rouge" — the triangular red banner over the road signalling the final kilometer.
Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay came off worse and was attended to by race doctors.
"The last 25 kilometres were really, really, fast," said Merlier, who finished 25th, more than a minute behind Milan.
"I think I did a mistake. I took one roundabout on the wrong side and I lost a lot of positions. And then I knew I needed to move up. The moment I wanted to move up, I crashed."
Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) crossed the finish line safely to retain the overall leader's yellow jersey.
"I'm really happy and without words, I have to say. After surviving (the ascent to the Mont Ventoux on Tuesday) I didn't survive alone," said a relieved Milan, who holds the green jersey for the points classification.
"I survived all this with the help of my teammates. I really have to practice this because without all this I would not be here. Maybe I would have already dropped in one of the climbs (of the day).
"So, with the help every single day of my teammates, we achieved this result. Today was a really tough stage... We controlled it from the beginning, of course, with the help of some other teams. But they helped me also when I dropped. In the first climb, in the second one, they really did a good pace."
Frenchmen Quentin Pacher and Mathieu Burgaudeau, as well as Jonas Abrahamsen of Norway and Italian Vincenzo Albanese, broke away early but stood little chance against the collective power of the sprinters' teams.
With the peloton breathing down their necks, Abrahamsen went solo with 11km remaining, only to be reined in 4.3km from the line.
Milan was the strongest in the reduced sprint, edging out Jordi Meeus of Belgium and Denmark's Tobias Lund Andresen, who were second and third respectively.
Adelaide racer Jarrad Drizners was clocked as first Australian home in 13th place, helping his Lotto teammate Arnaud de Lie to fourth on the day after joining a massed group in the rain-soaked sprint finish.
Queenslander Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was placed 20th.
Ben O'Connor, in 12th place, 31:08 seconds behind Pogacar, remains the only Australian among the top 25 General Classification riders.
Norwegian cyclist Tobias Halland Johannessen remains eighth overall after returning to the race despite collapsing and needing oxygen after going down at the finish line on Tuesday's 16th stage on Mont Ventoux.
Thursday's 18th stage is a brutal mountain trek between Vif and the Col de la Loze, one of the most feared ascents in the Tour de France.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
35 minutes ago
- West Australian
Pogacar underlines greatness with fourth Tour triumph
Tadej Pogacar has claimed his fourth Tour de France title, cementing his status as the most dominant rider of his generation and joining Britain's Chris Froome on the all-time winners' list. The 26-year-old Slovenian, who previously triumphed in 2020, 2021 and 2024, delivered a near-flawless performance over three weeks, excelling in every department, and even coming close to prevailing on a spectacular final stage on the Champs Elysees after an epic duel with Belgian Wout van Aert. Pogacar attacked relentlessly in the ascents of the Butte Montmartre but eventually suffered a brutal counterpunch from Van Aert, who went solo to win the 21st stage. The competitive element was largely neutralised on Sunday after organisers decided to freeze the times with about 50km left in the stage due to hazardous road conditions in driving rain. It did not prevent Pogacar from going for it, but Van Aert proved to be the best on the day, beating Italian Davide Ballerini and third-placed Matej Mohoric. Pogacar took fourth place. The world champion effectively sealed his victory in the Pyrenees, with a brutal attack on the climb to Hautacam and a commanding victory in the uphill individual time trial, leaving chief rival Jonas Vingegaard more than four minutes behind before controlling the race. German Florian Lipowitz finished third on his Tour debut and won the white jersey for the best under-25 rider. "This was one of the hardest Tours I've ever been in," Pogacar said. Celebrations turned tense when the final stage featured three climbs up Montmartre. Times had been neutralised some 50km from the finish due to slippery roads, but a fierce fight for the stage win still unfolded. With his latest triumph, Pogacar equals Froome (2013, 2015-17) and now only trails cycling greats Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain, who share the record with five titles. Pogacar also secured the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification, underlining his all-round dominance, while Italy's Jonathan Milan clinched the green jersey for the points competition. For Ineos Grenadiers, the once all-conquering team that ruled the 2010s with victories by Bradley Wiggins, Froome and Geraint Thomas, there was little to celebrate beyond two stage wins by Thymen Arensman. Thomas, a former champion, rode his last Tour in virtual anonymity, as the British outfit continues to face questions amid doping allegations reported in recent weeks. As tradition dictates, riders entered Paris in a celebratory mood, but the finale proved anything but routine with the Montmartre climbs spicing up the closing laps. Australia's Ben O'Connor, of Team Jayco-AlUla, was 11th in the final general classification, with compatriot Callum Scotson 33rd. Harrison Sweeny was two places further back with Michael Storer 42nd. Kaden Groves, a dramatic winner of the penultimate stage on Saturday, came in 86th.
Perth Now
35 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Pogacar underlines greatness with fourth Tour triumph
Tadej Pogacar has claimed his fourth Tour de France title, cementing his status as the most dominant rider of his generation and joining Britain's Chris Froome on the all-time winners' list. The 26-year-old Slovenian, who previously triumphed in 2020, 2021 and 2024, delivered a near-flawless performance over three weeks, excelling in every department, and even coming close to prevailing on a spectacular final stage on the Champs Elysees after an epic duel with Belgian Wout van Aert. Pogacar attacked relentlessly in the ascents of the Butte Montmartre but eventually suffered a brutal counterpunch from Van Aert, who went solo to win the 21st stage. The competitive element was largely neutralised on Sunday after organisers decided to freeze the times with about 50km left in the stage due to hazardous road conditions in driving rain. It did not prevent Pogacar from going for it, but Van Aert proved to be the best on the day, beating Italian Davide Ballerini and third-placed Matej Mohoric. Pogacar took fourth place. The world champion effectively sealed his victory in the Pyrenees, with a brutal attack on the climb to Hautacam and a commanding victory in the uphill individual time trial, leaving chief rival Jonas Vingegaard more than four minutes behind before controlling the race. German Florian Lipowitz finished third on his Tour debut and won the white jersey for the best under-25 rider. "This was one of the hardest Tours I've ever been in," Pogacar said. Celebrations turned tense when the final stage featured three climbs up Montmartre. Times had been neutralised some 50km from the finish due to slippery roads, but a fierce fight for the stage win still unfolded. With his latest triumph, Pogacar equals Froome (2013, 2015-17) and now only trails cycling greats Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain, who share the record with five titles. Pogacar also secured the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification, underlining his all-round dominance, while Italy's Jonathan Milan clinched the green jersey for the points competition. For Ineos Grenadiers, the once all-conquering team that ruled the 2010s with victories by Bradley Wiggins, Froome and Geraint Thomas, there was little to celebrate beyond two stage wins by Thymen Arensman. Thomas, a former champion, rode his last Tour in virtual anonymity, as the British outfit continues to face questions amid doping allegations reported in recent weeks. As tradition dictates, riders entered Paris in a celebratory mood, but the finale proved anything but routine with the Montmartre climbs spicing up the closing laps. Australia's Ben O'Connor, of Team Jayco-AlUla, was 11th in the final general classification, with compatriot Callum Scotson 33rd. Harrison Sweeny was two places further back with Michael Storer 42nd. Kaden Groves, a dramatic winner of the penultimate stage on Saturday, came in 86th.
News.com.au
35 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Supreme Pogacar wins Tour de France for fourth time
Tadej Pogacar closed out a supreme 21-day performance to win the Tour de France in Paris on Sunday, crushing his rivals in the 3,400km slog to rack up a fourth title. Wout van Aert won the final-day cliffhanger on the cobbled roads of Montmartre, but Pogacar was spared any late challenge when rain forced times to be neutralised to avoid potential accidents. Pogacar gamely tried for the stage win anyway before Belgian Van Aert pulled away from the Slovenian on the last climb. The winner was clearly enjoying himself as he played to the delighted crowds, racing to the head of the peloton near the Moulin Rouge cabaret at the foot of the climb. Despite the rain, spectators packed Montmartre to follow his progress up and down the narrow lanes of the popular tourist spot in his leader's yellow outfit. Van Aert produced a well-timed attack to drop Pogacar and charge to the Champs-Elysees finish line, for his second last-day stage win there. Pogacar was fourth on the day but after wins in 2020, 2021 and 2024, he proved untouchable again in the world's greatest bike race. Jonas Vingegaard, the Dane who won in 2022 and 2023, suffered two shocking off-days and ended second overall, 4min 24sec adrift. Breakout German star Florian Lipowitz took third on his debut, rounding out the podium a distant 11 minutes off the pace in third. - Turning the screw - Defending his title Pogacar, embarked from the start in Lille clear favourite and won four stages along the way. In the first week, he struck on rolling runs in the north and west at Rouen and the Mur de Bretagne. He then turned the screw on the slopes of the Pyrenees on week two with his rivals as good as vanquished. Vingegaard suffered on the stage five time trial, and again in week two at the Hautacam mountain, leaving the Dane in shock as his form abandoned him. In need of a massive turn around in the Alps to overturn a four-minute deficit, Vingegaard was game enough to go all in on stage 18, producing a brave 71km attack as Pogacar sat on his rival's wheel. A barnstorming first week of the Tour revealed a raft of emerging stars. Lipowitz was given a run for his money for third place by 22-year-old Scot Oscar Onley, whose steady ride propelled him to fourth overall. Ireland's Ben Healy bagged a stage win and a two-day stint in the yellow jersey. Adding a heroic near-miss on Mont Ventoux was enough to earn Healy the prize for combativity, voted for by the public. The return of Dave Brailsford from his role at Manchester United to Ineos Grenadiers was overshadowed by the team's Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna falling early on stage one. He was withdrawn due to concussion. Having previously masterminded seven Tour de France wins, Brailsford dug in and the team's Dutch climber Thymen Arensman pulled off heists in the Pyrenees and the Alps with well-executed attacks to win two stages. Another Dutch rider, Mathieu van der Poel, lit up the first week, sealing a stage two win and twice wearing the yellow jersey. France's sole and unexpected stage win came on the lunar-like summit of Mont Ventoux thanks to Valentin Paret-Peintre. The 2025 Tour, however, will be remembered mainly for Pogacar's all-round dominance. dmc/gj
