Tour de France Stage 13: Tadej Pogačar powers to victory
"It's more comfortable and I ride that 95 percent of the year," he explained. "I went without a radio too, there are time clocks along the way so I just looked at them."
Reigning champion Decked out in his overall leader's yellow kit, the 26-year-old Team UAE rider was faster from the off, despite his exertions from the previous day, when he finished over two minutes ahead of main rival Vingegaard. "I was feeling good all day, from when I got up. I was planning to go all in from start to finish and that's what I did," Pogačar said. Pogačar won the Tour de France in 2020, 2021 and 2024. Pogačar had a sticker of the Hulk comic book superhero on his bike but said after the stage his hero was Spider-Man. "Hulk though, he's the one you don't want to make angry," said Pogačar.
By the time he finished stage 13 at the Peyragudes Altiport where the opening scene of the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies was shot, Pogačar was 36 seconds faster than Vingegaard, while Primoz Roglic was third at 1min 20sec.
Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard cycles during the 13th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race. Source: AFP / Anne-Christine Poujoulat Evenepoel was overtaken close to the line by Vingegaard, but said he was too tired to care. "I was drained," he said, slumped in a chair. "I didn't give a damn when Jonas went past." "I just wanted to finish. To be honest I'm relieved it's over," said the double Olympic champion. Most riders warmed up for the time trial wearing ice jackets to combat the sizzling 30C temperature at the foot of the climb.
Australian champion Luke Plapp set the early pace and sat in the hot seat all day before suddenly packing his case and vacating it on seeing Vingegaard storm up the mountain.
At 1580m altitude the ride remained beneath the clouds and below the treeline, but even atop the hill it was punishingly hot. American Quinn Simmons gave hundreds of high-fives on the home straight as one of the rare riders appearing to enjoy the climb. Saturday's stage 14 is another punishing affair with around 50km of climbing but it will likely be raced in rain. It starts with the famous Col de Tourmalet and ends at the Luchon-Superbagneres ski resort. Stage 15 is a hilly run to the walled city of Carcassonne but for Pogačar there remains the spectre of three more massive mountain stages in the final week. There is also the prospect of potential chaos in Paris with three ascents of Montmartre's old cobbled lanes on the final day. The place to watch the 2025 Tour de France — live, free and exclusive — plus the fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is right here on the SBS On Demand Hub .
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News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Tour de France 2025: Aussie cyclists rated as Groves, O'Connor, Plapp and more deliver big
The Tour de France may have finished in Paris yesterday under sodden skies but it was definitely a bright outlook for the Australian talent. Ten faced the starter three weeks ago in Lille and nine made it to Paris after Jack Haig crashed at the end of the first week. Kaden Groves was just fantastic on Saturday, claiming his maiden Tour de France victory in his debut Tour with a brilliant solo attack 16 kilometres out from the finish in Pontarlier. The Australian, who has won stages at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, burst into tears after crossing the line, overwhelmed at claiming the victory. 'There's so much pressure at the Tour,' Groves said at the finish. 'Having won in the Giro and the Vuelta, all I'm asked is whether I'm good enough to win at the Tour. And now I've shown them.' Groves is a world-class sprinter but this win was one out of the ordinary as it was a pretty gnarly stage, and to ride away from some quality riders and win alone was special. Fellow Queenslander Harry Sweeny had attempted his own solo attack on the same stage. He opened a gap of 40 seconds before being reeled in, but was awarded the most combative prize. On the monster Queen stage 18, Aussie Ben O'Connor conquered the highest summit of the 2025 Tour de France to claim his first win for Jayco AlUla. And what a brilliant ride it was. A 16km solo on the toughest stage of the race in the final week. That's when many falter, but O'Connor finally found his form in this year's race. To get in the break is tough. To force the pace and make it stick is hard. But to be then joined by the heavyweights – Tour winner Tadej Pogacar and runner-up Jonas Vingegaard – and be able to ride away from them is bloody serious. His ferocious attack showed just how good the young man from Western Australia is. This was one of the most impressive stage victories ever by an Australian. Last year O'Connor was unstoppable, but after a spectacular crash on day one, he had struggled to find the exceptional form he is capable of. 'It's special to do it again here in the Tour de France,' an elated O'Connor said. 'Having that moment today is absolutely massive. You always want another win at the Tour and you can't get enough of these.' It had been a successful Tour for Jayco, with Mauro Schmid 's oh-so-close second and Luke Plapp 's brilliant time trials. But it needed a win and O'Connor delivered. Team owner Gerry Ryan was overjoyed with the win. 'The team have worked hard for this victory,' an excited Ryan said. 'But we needed a win. Strong efforts and close finishes may show just how well we're going, but winning a stage is very important, not just for our riders and sponsors, but for all our staff who work so hard.' Plapp, riding his first Tour de France, was all smiles in Paris. 'It's the most brutal race but the most beautiful race,' he said. 'It's just the hardest race I've ever done. I just want to be in Paris every year at the end of July.' Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) rode a super aggressive Tour and whenever the roads rose up he seemed to be there. His third on Stage 6 was impressive. There is no doubt he will challenge again.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Domestique' embraces grunt work in Suns' tour de force
Admitting his sleep's "been sucking" during the Tour de France, Alex Davies sheepishly felt like a domestique in his AFL return for Gold Coast. A fan of Tadej Pogacar, who claimed a fourth Tour title on Sunday, the big-bodied Davies insists he can be the footballing equivalent of the Slovenian star and win his own ball. The 23-year-old's 30 touches and 10 tackles in the Suns' historic 66-point defeat of the Brisbane Lions on Saturday showed that. But it was the 191cm midfielder's work on Josh Dunkley - designed to free Suns star Matt Rowell - that he was picked for. And Davies delivered as a footballing domestique - French for servant - as best-on-ground Rowell finished with 37 touches, 15 clearances and 12 tackles. "Domestique," Davies offered with a laugh, when asked if he felt like a Suns hit-man or bodyguard. "My sleep's been so bad, been sucking (while watching the Tour). "But yeh, a big body ... helping Rowelly. But I can get my own footy ... I can play my own game; I know what I can do." Davies played just seven AFL games in Hardwick's first year at the club in 2024 and had to settle for VFL domination this season until getting the call-up on Saturday. The Suns' midfield is stacked with Rowell, injured Touk Miller and captain Noah Anderson well supported by Bailey Humphrey and emerging trio Will Graham, Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers. Contracted until the end of next season, Davies said he was "shocked" to read reports last week that he was open to an earlier move to a rival club for greater opportunities. But, while insistent he was settled and happy at Carrara, the Cairns product didn't deny it. "All my mates sent it to me and I was like, 'What's going on?'," he said of the report. "The job at hand is getting to finals because it's a special opportunity we have right now and all I'm thinking about." Hardwick admitted Davies' selection was partly a horses for courses approach against a Lions midfield that had overpowered his own in recent outings. "The definition of insanity is … we didn't want to be having the same conversation if we lost the same way," he said, having also recalled Jy Farrar and Nick Holman. "It's taken me a bit of time to understand what that looks like against Brisbane. "They all stood up ... he's (Davies) only starting to understand what he may be and get an understanding of where he can end up." With the Suns now on the cusp of a maiden finals campaign - and potentially a top-four finish - Davies may be cottoning on to what's possible quicker than Hardwick realises. "A win like that ... it's pretty big and beating Brisbane, it's a big challenge," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Richmond. "If we can do that .. we can go anywhere." Admitting his sleep's "been sucking" during the Tour de France, Alex Davies sheepishly felt like a domestique in his AFL return for Gold Coast. A fan of Tadej Pogacar, who claimed a fourth Tour title on Sunday, the big-bodied Davies insists he can be the footballing equivalent of the Slovenian star and win his own ball. The 23-year-old's 30 touches and 10 tackles in the Suns' historic 66-point defeat of the Brisbane Lions on Saturday showed that. But it was the 191cm midfielder's work on Josh Dunkley - designed to free Suns star Matt Rowell - that he was picked for. And Davies delivered as a footballing domestique - French for servant - as best-on-ground Rowell finished with 37 touches, 15 clearances and 12 tackles. "Domestique," Davies offered with a laugh, when asked if he felt like a Suns hit-man or bodyguard. "My sleep's been so bad, been sucking (while watching the Tour). "But yeh, a big body ... helping Rowelly. But I can get my own footy ... I can play my own game; I know what I can do." Davies played just seven AFL games in Hardwick's first year at the club in 2024 and had to settle for VFL domination this season until getting the call-up on Saturday. The Suns' midfield is stacked with Rowell, injured Touk Miller and captain Noah Anderson well supported by Bailey Humphrey and emerging trio Will Graham, Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers. Contracted until the end of next season, Davies said he was "shocked" to read reports last week that he was open to an earlier move to a rival club for greater opportunities. But, while insistent he was settled and happy at Carrara, the Cairns product didn't deny it. "All my mates sent it to me and I was like, 'What's going on?'," he said of the report. "The job at hand is getting to finals because it's a special opportunity we have right now and all I'm thinking about." Hardwick admitted Davies' selection was partly a horses for courses approach against a Lions midfield that had overpowered his own in recent outings. "The definition of insanity is … we didn't want to be having the same conversation if we lost the same way," he said, having also recalled Jy Farrar and Nick Holman. "It's taken me a bit of time to understand what that looks like against Brisbane. "They all stood up ... he's (Davies) only starting to understand what he may be and get an understanding of where he can end up." With the Suns now on the cusp of a maiden finals campaign - and potentially a top-four finish - Davies may be cottoning on to what's possible quicker than Hardwick realises. "A win like that ... it's pretty big and beating Brisbane, it's a big challenge," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Richmond. "If we can do that .. we can go anywhere." Admitting his sleep's "been sucking" during the Tour de France, Alex Davies sheepishly felt like a domestique in his AFL return for Gold Coast. A fan of Tadej Pogacar, who claimed a fourth Tour title on Sunday, the big-bodied Davies insists he can be the footballing equivalent of the Slovenian star and win his own ball. The 23-year-old's 30 touches and 10 tackles in the Suns' historic 66-point defeat of the Brisbane Lions on Saturday showed that. But it was the 191cm midfielder's work on Josh Dunkley - designed to free Suns star Matt Rowell - that he was picked for. And Davies delivered as a footballing domestique - French for servant - as best-on-ground Rowell finished with 37 touches, 15 clearances and 12 tackles. "Domestique," Davies offered with a laugh, when asked if he felt like a Suns hit-man or bodyguard. "My sleep's been so bad, been sucking (while watching the Tour). "But yeh, a big body ... helping Rowelly. But I can get my own footy ... I can play my own game; I know what I can do." Davies played just seven AFL games in Hardwick's first year at the club in 2024 and had to settle for VFL domination this season until getting the call-up on Saturday. The Suns' midfield is stacked with Rowell, injured Touk Miller and captain Noah Anderson well supported by Bailey Humphrey and emerging trio Will Graham, Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers. Contracted until the end of next season, Davies said he was "shocked" to read reports last week that he was open to an earlier move to a rival club for greater opportunities. But, while insistent he was settled and happy at Carrara, the Cairns product didn't deny it. "All my mates sent it to me and I was like, 'What's going on?'," he said of the report. "The job at hand is getting to finals because it's a special opportunity we have right now and all I'm thinking about." Hardwick admitted Davies' selection was partly a horses for courses approach against a Lions midfield that had overpowered his own in recent outings. "The definition of insanity is … we didn't want to be having the same conversation if we lost the same way," he said, having also recalled Jy Farrar and Nick Holman. "It's taken me a bit of time to understand what that looks like against Brisbane. "They all stood up ... he's (Davies) only starting to understand what he may be and get an understanding of where he can end up." With the Suns now on the cusp of a maiden finals campaign - and potentially a top-four finish - Davies may be cottoning on to what's possible quicker than Hardwick realises. "A win like that ... it's pretty big and beating Brisbane, it's a big challenge," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Richmond. "If we can do that .. we can go anywhere."
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
Tadej Pogačar wins fourth Tour de France, one off all-time record
Tadej Pogačar appears on the verge of emulating cycling great Eddy Merckx after his fourth Tour de France win, but the Slovenian says he is in no rush to chase history, warning that the risk of burnout looms large in one of the most mentally and physically demanding sports. The 26-year-old sealed his fourth Tour de France title after three more weeks of dominance, but admitted fatigue crept in during the final days. "We were comfortably in the yellow, but yeah, I was a bit tired in the last week, to be honest," Pogačar told a press conference, adding he wanted to enjoy the moment in Paris rather than dissect mistakes. While his achievements have already placed him among the all-time greats in the race's 122-year history, Pogačar said cycling's relentless calendar and obsession with training create a dangerous cycle that could leave riders drained. "Burnouts happen in sports, in a lot of sports, mental burnout, physical burnout. We train a lot. Cyclists are sometimes too obsessed with training, and everybody wants to train more and more and more," he said. The world champion warned over-training combined with constant racing demands could trap riders in a cycle of fatigue that rarely allowed time for recovery. "You see some riders have fatigue too early in the season and then the team needs you to race, race, race. In the end, you just keep going into this circle and you never recover," the UAE Emirates-XRG rider said. "Then you come to October and you're like, finally a break. And then in December, you're trying to do it all over again." For Pogačar, that risk is why he refuses to set lofty targets such as joining Merckx, Miguel Induráin, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault with five Tour titles. "Obviously it's not the goal to win five tours. Right now, I have no clear goals. Maybe the world championships this year and [the Tour of] Lombardy, but for now I just enjoy the moment and will think about the next goals quite soon," he said. Pogačar also credited rival Jonas Vingegaard, saying their five-year duel was a privilege and pushed both "to the next level". It is the first time two riders finish first and second in five consecutive Tours, Vingegaard having beaten Pogačar in 2022 and 2023 while the Slovenian edged his rival out this year, in 2021 and 2024. After three gruelling weeks, Pogačar savoured the relaxed final stage in Paris. "Today was pure racing and I enjoyed it quite a bit," he said with a smile. Ben O'Connor was the best-placed Australian, finishing 11th, 34 minutes and 34 seconds behind Pogačar. Reuters
