A revolution on two wheels
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TimesLIVE
8 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Pogacar claims fourth Tour title, Van Aert wins brutal final stage
Tadej Pogacar claimed his fourth Tour de France title on Sunday, 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, 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 U-25 rider.
eNCA
8 hours ago
- eNCA
Competitive element of Tour de France final stage removed after rain
Tour de France organisers decided to 'neutralise' the race on its final stage on Sunday because of fears riders would be at risk on the rain-slicked cobbles of Montmartre. The decision to freeze the times with about 50 kilometres left to go takes away the competitive element of the final stage. The route takes in three circuits around the Sacre Coeur basilica for the first time this year after organisers introduced the change following the success of the road races at last year's Paris Olympics, which were attended by huge crowds. But as tens of thousands of people gathered at the tourist hotspot this year to watch the stage, light rain began to fall around 90 minutes before the riders were due to arrive and organisers decided to 'neutralise' the times. Organisers hoped to introduce an element of risk by including the three circuits around the tight bends and cobbled streets of Montmartre. "Due to slippery roads on shady spots in Montmartre, it has been decided, in accordance with the commissaires of the UCI and representatives of teams and riders, to stop the time at the 4th passage on the finish line - i.e. before the three laps featuring the Cote de la Butte Montmartre," organisers said. As a result, the overall standings will remain unchanged, meaning Tadej Pogacar remains in the lead. However, the Slovenian will still need to cross the finish line on the Champs-Elysees avenue to be declared winner of the race. jk/gj/lp
eNCA
10 hours ago
- eNCA
Spanish veteran Garcia wins stage 2 of women's Tour de France
Spanish veteran Mavi Garcia won the second stage of the women's Tour de France on Sunday as Mauritius' Kim Le Court finished the day in the race leader's yellow jersey -- a first for an African rider. The 41-year-old Garcia, of the Liv-AlUla-Jayco team, attacked with 10km to go and it paid off as she crossed the line three seconds ahead of the chasing peloton. Garcia is the oldest rider in the Tour peloton and her victory beat the former age record for a stage winner set by Annemiek Van Vleuten (39 years 9 months 23 days) in 2022. "I've been racing for a long time and I hadn't been having my best year, but this win really gives me a massive boost of energy," said Garcia. "I really didn't believe I was going to win at the end. I've tried many times like that and it never worked out, so I just couldn't believe it until I was five metres from the line and I turned around and saw they wouldn't catch me. "It was only then that I knew I'd really done it. It's been a long, long time since I had any feeling this good in my career." Le Court took over atop the overall standings from Marianne Vos, who won Saturday's opening stage. The duo are tied with the exact same time at the top of the general classifications, with the Mauritian earning the yellow jersey courtesy of her combined stage finish placings over the first two days of racing. "My team said we can take yellow today, but I could not believe it, to be honest I think I'm still a bit shocked," said Le Court. "The ultimate goal of the team is to fight for GC towards the end of the Tour for the overall, but our goal was also to win a stage. "I've come close twice, but now that I have the yellow jersey on my shoulders, it's already a massive achievement for the team and for myself." Dutch sprinter Charlotte Kool, who won the opening two stages of last year's Tour, was a late withdrawal from the peloton, which now counts 152 riders. The Picnic-PostNL rider, who finished 7:40 off Vos' pace on Saturday, fell in competition last week and after consulting her team's medical staff opted to withdraw. Kool's withdrawal was the second of the Tour following that of Swiss rider Marlen Reusser (Movistar), who had been expected to push for the podium but who was sick. Monday's third stage is a flat 163.5km ride from La Gacilly to Angers. The women's Tour features nine stages, culminating in a mountain ascent for a summit finish in the ski resort of Chatel on August 3.
