Tour de France 2025: Mathieu van der Poel sprints to stage two victory and into yellow jersey
Tour de France
into Boulogne-sur-Mer for Alpecin-Deceuninck, claiming the race lead from his team-mate Jasper Philipsen after a quick succession of short climbs inside the final kilometres exploded the peloton on the approach to the Channel port.
The Dutchman thwarted Tadej Pogacar's attempt to take the 100th win of his career, outsprinting the defending Tour champion on the steady final climb of the Boulevard Auguste Mariette.
'The final was actually harder than I thought,' said Van der Poel. 'I was really motivated. It's four years since I won my first stage on the Tour, so it was about time I won a second one.'
It was a much-improved day for the two Irish riders.
Eddie Dunbar
finished the stage 48th to climb to 84th in the General Classification, while
Ben Healy
was close behind in 52nd to jump to 42nd in the GC.
READ MORE
Philipsen, who had started the stage in the yellow jersey after winning stage one to Lille on Saturday, was distanced in the closing kilometres and Van der Poel took the race lead from the Belgian sprinter.
'People said I was a favourite, but if you see which riders were in front, on the climbs, I did a really good job today to be there,' said Van der Poel. 'The climbs were harder than I expected and [ridden at] a hard pace. It was a nervous day again.'
Pogacar's main rival, Jonas Vingegaard of Visma Lease-a-bike, followed the Slovenian across the finish line, with the Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel distanced on Saturday's stage, showing greater vigilance to also finish in the front group.
Primoz Roglic, only a year ago characterised as one of the Tour's 'big four', finished in the lead group after ceding ground in Lille, but has done little so far to dispel the impression that he has relinquished any lingering hopes of contending for the overall title.
The Slovenian is the winner of the Vuelta a España four times and also the Giro d'Italia in 2023, but told the media as the race began that he 'didn't really care' and just wanted to 'make it to Paris for a glass of champagne'. He has been anonymous so far.
The 35-year-old was, with his Bora Hansghrohe team-mate Florian Lipowitz, among those who missed Saturday's decisive split in the front group on the fast approach to Lille. 'The guys were asleep,' Roglic's sports director Enrico Gasparotto said of their costly error on the opening stage. 'We talked about that stretch, the wind and the related dangers, but they were surprised.
'We are all aware of the opportunity we wasted: Roglic and Lipowitz lost the chance to gain time on Remco. We learned an important lesson.'
Worse befell the hapless French rider Benjamin Thomas, who crashed on Saturday's stage while fighting his compatriot Matteo Vercher for a single point in the mountains classification on Mont Cassel, and woke on Sunday morning to the news that his bike, along with 10 others from the Cofidis team, worth about €140,000, had been stolen from their vehicles overnight.
Ineos Grenadiers are also already on the back foot, having lost the time-trialling powerhouse Filippo Ganna to a concussion on stage one, while their team leader Carlos Rodríguez and the 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas both missed the decisive break in Saturday's dramatic finale in Lille.
Rodríguez and Thomas lost a further 31 seconds to the front group on the run-in to Boulogne-sur-Mer, and are now one minute 16 seconds behind Pogacar after the opening weekend.
Monday is another day but there is yet another tricky stage to come, through the Nord and towards the Channel, this time to Dunkirk, in which the cobbles of Mont Cassel and the crosswinds off the sea will again play their part. – Guardian
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Euro 2025 round-up: Sweden storm to group victory with big win over Germany
Sweden made the most of the sending-off of Germany defender Carlotta Wamser to sweep to a 4-1 win and secure top spot in their Group C clash on Saturday, with the Germans also going through to the quarter-finals as runners-up The Swedes finished top of the group with a perfect nine points from their three games and will take on the runners-up in Group D – which features France, England, Netherlands and Wales – with the Germans taking on the winners of that group. Germany defender Wamser set up Jule Brand for her side's opener in the seventh minute, but the Swedes hit back through Stina Blackstenius five minutes later and they took the lead through a fortuitous goal from full back Smilla Holmberg in the 25th minute. Wamser's red card for a deliberate handball in the box in the 32nd minute allowed Fridolina Rolfo to confidently slot home the resulting penalty, and substitute Lina Hurtig rubbed salt in Germany's wounds with an 80th-minute goal to seal an emphatic win. READ MORE Poland's Natalia Padilla-Bidas scored her country's first goal at a major women's tournament in a 3-2 victory over Denmark that sends Poland home from their European Championship debut on a high note. Both teams had already been eliminated from quarter-final contention so Saturday's match was about final group placings with Poland finishing third and Denmark fourth. Bayern Munich's Padilla-Bidas brought the Polish fans to their feet at Allmend Stadion with her historic strike in the 12th minute when a loose ball fell at her feet and she fired home. Ewa Pajor, Poland's all-time leading goalscorer, doubled their lead eight minutes later when she intercepted the ball in the midfield, laid it out to Padilla-Bidas then charged to the back post to head it in. Janni Thomsen pulled one back in the 59th minute but Poland restored their two-goal lead when substitute Martyna Wiankowska struck from the edge of the box, firing the ball in off the bar. Denmark, runners-up at Euro 2017, replied in the 83rd minute when Signe Bruun headed in Katrine Veje's pinpoint cross.
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland break scoring records as they pass the 100-point mark against Portugal
Summer Tour: Portugal 7 Ireland 106 A rout, plain and simple that doesn't serve any greater purpose from an Ireland perspective than ticking off milestones in terms of debuts, points and try-scoring feats. The only consolation was the majority of the Portuguese supporters had streamed away before a penalty try at the death took the visitors over the 100-point mark. The Irish records tumbled: most tries, 16 and most conversions in a match, Jack Crowley landed 12, breaking Ronan O'Gara's 10 against Japan in 2000. It was the most points scored by an Ireland team and they also eclipsed the previous biggest winning margin, an 83-3 victory over the USA in New Hampshire in 2000. All three debutants, Hugh Gavin (two), Shayne Bolton (two) and Alex Kendellen scored tries. Gavin and Bolton were excellent, particularly the young 21-year-old centre in terms of his carrying game. Ireland did as they pleased for the most part. The back three were sharp, the halfbacks put pace and width on the game and the pack, with Ryan Baird again in the van, gave their backs a perfect platform. This all must be said in the context of a game in which Portugal contributed massively to their downfall. Tommy O'Brien (two), Bolton (two), Gavin (two), Cian Prendergast (two), Stuart McCloskey, Thomas Clarkson, Craig Casey, Calvin Nash, Ciarán Frawley, Kendellen and a penalty try contributed 16 tries, Crowley 12 conversions and one that accompanies a penalty try. READ MORE The atmosphere from the get-go was one of gentle distraction, the decibel levels didn't rise one iota when the teams emerged on to the pitch, or when tries were scored. The chattering continued in the stands, Irish supporters understood that anything more than polite applause would seem a little crass in the context of the game. Portugal would have spoken about the need to be accurate and composed in the opening throes of the contest, to try and thwart Ireland for as long as possible. They gave up a try after 45-seconds to McCloskey and three more before some of the crowd had a chance to get their bearings and take their seats in a sun-drenched stadium. Portugal's Hugo Camacho takes a box kick during the game against Ireland. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho McCloskey's try was the product of good work by Bolton and Crowley's neatly judged grubber kick. Gavin's try was down to running a good line and a nice flat pass from his outhalf. Jimmy O'Brien was the architect of the third, a lovely break and perfect timing of the pass allowed Tommy O'Brien to outpace the cover. The fourth went to Bolton after he caught a high ball, fobbed off a couple of limp tackles and accelerated over under the posts. Crowley converted all four and also saved his side by winning a race to a kick through inside his 22 and demonstrated lovely poise to pick up and clear in the same fluid movement. Portuguese fullback Nuno Sousa Guedes had a smartly-taken try disallowed for forward pass, and the home side lost their captain Tomás Appleton to a leg injury. Portugal's head coach Simon Mannix asked one of his players to draw the referee Adam Leal's attention to a croc-roll but the comms to the TMO, Matteo Liperini, had stopped working. They did manage to relay a message and confirm that there was no foul play. Tommy O'Brien got his second of the match and fourth on the summer tour, before Clarkson crossed for a first Irish try on his eighth appearance, with Gavin doing the legwork. Crowley continued to be faultless from the tee. Portugal compounded their misery with loose kicking, gifting Ireland possession, but the visitors, too, were guilty of some sloppy moments in their handling, kicking and tackling. Gavin was again prominent with a build-up in the seventh try after Tom Ahern turned over ball. Casey's decision to kick didn't look the right one but Bolton's pace turned it into one as the ball stopped rolling kindly in the in-goal area. Crowley missed for a first time from the touchline but had an altogether easier time when Gavin grabbed a second try, after a maul and powerful surge from hooker Gus McCarthy. Ireland's Shayne Bolton scores his side's seventh try. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho When the dust settled, Ireland led 54-0 at half-time, eight tries, seven conversions. It was brutal for the home side who also lost two players to injury. They'd have to take some culpability for the scoreline, kicking ball away, which was especially clueless given that their back three Nuno Sousa Guedes, Simao Bento and Manuel Pinto were dangerous, even off scraps. The second half started in similar fashion, Bolton's break finished off by Casey and Crowley converted. The points tally like the temperature was soon going to be in the 80s, and the potential for records to tumble. They did before the 60th minute as Ireland eclipsed the 83 points they scored against the USA in 2000. To reach that mark, Nash, Frawley and Prendergast's second, added to Ireland's try tally, Crowley tagging on two conversions. Portugal did break their duck in the midst of the avalanche of green points, with a try from their best player Nicolas Martins, converted by Hugo Aubry. When Kendellen scored, it ensured a record points tally. Ben Murphy and a penalty try brought Ireland's tally to 106 points. SCORING SEQUENCE – 1 min: McCloskey try, Crowley conn, 0-7; 8: Gavin try, Crowley con, 0-14; 9: T O'Brien try, Crowley con, 0-21; 11: Bolton try, Crowley con, 0-28; 22: T O'Brien try, Cowley con, 0-35; 29: Clarkson try, Crowley con, 0-42; 33: Bolton try, 0-47; 38: Gavin try, Crowley con, 0-54. Half-time: 0-54 . 41: Casey try, Crowley con; 0-61; 51: Prendergast try, 0-66; 52: Martins try, Aubry con, 7-66; 55: Nash try, 7-71; 56: Frawley try, Crowley con, 7-78; 58: Prendergast try, Crowley con, 7-85; 70: Kendellen try, Crowley con, 7-92; 76: Murphy try, Crowley con, 7-99; 80 (+1): penalty try 7-106. PORTUGAL: N Sousa Guedes; S Bento; V Pinto, T Appleton, M C Pinto; H Aubry, H Camacho; D Costa, L Begic, D H Ferreira; A R Andrade, P Ferreira; D Wallis, N Martins, D Pinheiro. Replacements: G Aviragnet for Appleton (20 mins); F Almeida for Aviragnet (32); F Almeida for Andrade, A Cunha for Begic, P S Lopes for Costa (all 50 mins); A Campos for Camacho (54); M Souto for Costa (55); G Costa for DH Ferreira (56); Andrade for P Ferreira (59); V Baptista for Pinheiro (62). IRELAND: J O'Brien (Leinster); T O'Brien (Leinster), H Gavin (Connacht), S McCloskey (Bangor), S Bolton (Connacht); J Crowley (Munster), C Casey (Munster, capt); J Boyle (Leinster), G McCarthy (Leinster), T Clarkson (Leinster); T Ahern (Munster), D Murray (Connacht); R Baird (Leinster), A Kendellen (Munster), C Prendergast (Connacht). Replacements: T Stewart (Ulster) for McCarthy, M Milne (Munster) for Boyle, T O'Toole (Ulster) for Clarkson, M Deegan (Leinster) for Baird (all 50 mins); C Frawley (Leinster) for McCloskey, C Nash (Munster) for T O'Brien (both 52); C Izuchukwu (Ulster) for Murray (59); B Murphy (Connacht) for Casey (60). Referee: A Leal (England).
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Very happy': Ireland thrash Portugal 106-7 to break records
Rampant Ireland ran in 16 tries as they crushed tier-2 Portugal 106-7 in Lisbon on Saturday, the biggest victory in their 150-year history and also their first time beyond 100 points. The 99-point winning margin tops their previous best when they thumped the United States 83-3 in 2000, while they had never previously managed 16 tries in a game either. Ireland were missing 16 of their regular players who are on tour in Australia with the British & Irish Lions , and have stand-in coach Paul O'Connell leading the team, but were far too quick and powerful for the Portuguese. 'I feel sorry for Portugal, but we were very clinical and took our chances,' O'Connell told Virgin Sports. 'It is a unique summer tour given the Lions tour is on at the same time, but I am very happy with how our squad applied themselves. READ MORE 'It is great to get some guys capped and scoring tries and training in an international environment.' The visitors fielded three debutants and all crossed for tries – winger Shayne Bolton and centre Hugh Gavin both scored twice, while flanker Alex Kendellen also got on the scoresheet. Ireland had 11 different try-scorers, not including a penalty try, with wing Tommy O'Brien and number eight Cian Prendergast both scoring twice, while backs Stuart McCloskey, Craig Casey, Calvin Nash, Ciaran Frawley and Ben Murphy also scored. Prop Thomas Clarkson was the only other forward to get a try as Ireland kept the ball in hand and bamboozled their hosts with some scintillating running rugby. Flyhalf Jack Crowley kicked 11 conversions to cap an excellent personal performance, though it is hard to know exactly how much they will take out of a game where they were never unduly tested by their hosts. The friendly was the final fixture of the season for Ireland, who defeated Georgia 34-5 last weekend.
