Le Court secures historic Africa win at women's Tour de France
It was a case of double celebration for the 29-year-old who, on Wednesday took the fifth stage honours in a sprint to reclaim the leader's yellow jersey.
Le Court edged Dutch duo Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen after a hilly 166km ride, the longest of the Tour, from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou Futuroscope to Gueret.
Overnight leader Marianne Vos lost yellow to the AG Insurance-Soudal team leader after finishing eighth, 33 seconds adrift, on the day.
Le Court, who had a brief spell already at the top of the general classification after stage two, now leads France's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot by 18 seconds.
'It's really been a dream start to the Tour. The stage win, the yellow jersey,' said Le Court.
'I wasn't even thinking about it when we started in Brittany.
'As for what happens next, we'll see, since I don't know my limits in the mountains, this Tour being my first major stage race where my team has asked me to compete for the overall classification.'
Vollering, the Tour winner in 2023 and favourite for this edition, is third at 23sec after recovering from a heavy fall on Monday.
Last year's winner, Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma, took fourth in the stage to sit well placed at 24sec off the overall lead.
Thursday's sixth stage is a mountainous 123.7km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert featuring three ascents, including the category one climb up the Col du Beal, with the race finishing on Sunday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Le Court secures historic Africa win at women's Tour de France
Mauritian Kim Le Court became the first African to win a stage on the women's Tour de France.. It was a case of double celebration for the 29-year-old who, on Wednesday took the fifth stage honours in a sprint to reclaim the leader's yellow jersey. Le Court edged Dutch duo Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen after a hilly 166km ride, the longest of the Tour, from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou Futuroscope to Gueret. Overnight leader Marianne Vos lost yellow to the AG Insurance-Soudal team leader after finishing eighth, 33 seconds adrift, on the day. Le Court, who had a brief spell already at the top of the general classification after stage two, now leads France's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot by 18 seconds. 'It's really been a dream start to the Tour. The stage win, the yellow jersey,' said Le Court. 'I wasn't even thinking about it when we started in Brittany. 'As for what happens next, we'll see, since I don't know my limits in the mountains, this Tour being my first major stage race where my team has asked me to compete for the overall classification.' Vollering, the Tour winner in 2023 and favourite for this edition, is third at 23sec after recovering from a heavy fall on Monday. Last year's winner, Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma, took fourth in the stage to sit well placed at 24sec off the overall lead. Thursday's sixth stage is a mountainous 123.7km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert featuring three ascents, including the category one climb up the Col du Beal, with the race finishing on Sunday.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
German rider Lipowitz welcomes a break after Tour de France podium heroics
dpa Paris Florian Lipowitz planned a quiet Monday in Paris after a stunning third-place finish at the Tour de France the previous day. 'I am looking forward to the break,' the Tour debutant said after completing the final podium behind four-time winner Tadej Pogacar and ex-champion Jonas Vingegaard. Lipowitz said he would stay in Paris Monday and enjoy a croissant and a café au lait with his partner as he admitted he still has to come to terms with his biggest career success, which also includes winning the white jersey classification for the best young rider. 'It will take me another day or two to realize what happened over the past three weeks. It was always my dream. I never thought it would become reality. It is very special to ride onto the podium in my first Tour,' the 24-year-old Lipowitz said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was among those to congratulate Lipowitz. 'A sensational German success at the Tour de France. Congratulations, Florian Lipowitz on an outstanding third place,' Merz said on platform X, adding that he had 'thrilled many cycling fans across the country.' Lipowitz is the first German on the final Tour podium since Andreas Klöden in 2006 to make the final Tour podium. The former biathlete had already shown his big talent by coming seventh at last year's Vuelta a Espana, and he finished third behind Pogacar and Vingegaard at the Critérium du Dauphiné last month. Lipowitz admitted that Pogacar and Vingegaard are 'still at another level' but he has now firmly established himself among the best. Lipowitz gave the Red Bull team a first Tour podium after the team celebrated victories at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta in previous years. Team general manager Ralph Denk spoke of 'a milestone' and 'the icing on the cake to achieve it with a rider you became a pro cyclist at your team.' Denk named the development of Lipowitz 'a project of the heart' and said it would be 'a dream' if Lipowitz could win the Tour one day. Lipowitz meanwhile also remained relaxed around speculation that double Olympic gold medallist and time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel could join the team. 'I would be happy as well if he really comes. We could achieve something great together,' he said.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Pogacar wins fourth Tour de France title as Van Aert takes last stage
PA Media/DPA Paris Tadej Pogacar celebrated his fourth Tour de France title in Paris but was denied what would have been a stunning final stage victory as Wout van Aert rode away on the wet cobbles of Montmartre to win on the Champs-Elysees. Pogacar looked keen to take what could prove to be a unique opportunity to win in yellow in Paris as the introduction of three ascents of the climb to Montmartre reshaped the usual final day procession into the capital, but Van Aert broke clear on the last time up to take the glory on Sunday. Although the general classification times had been neutralized in the soggy conditions, Pogacar still had to finish to secure his title yet was willing to risk it all on the greasy cobbles in pursuit of a fifth stage win of this Tour. The Slovenian attacked each time up the narrow climb to whittle down a leading group to just a handful of riders, but had no response when Van Aert made his move 400 metres from the summit of the final ascent, winning solo by 19 seconds from Davide Ballerini. Pogacar, 26, sat up to safely bring home the yellow jersey and beat his rival Jonas Vingegaard by a final margin of four minutes and 24 seconds, moving level with Chris Froome on four titles, one shy of the record jointly held by Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Jacques Anquetil. 'I'm just speechless to win a fourth Tour de France, six years in a row on the podium,' the 26-year-old Pogacar said. 'This one feels especially amazing and I'm super proud I can wear this yellow jersey. 'I found myself in the front even though I didn't really have the energy to motivate myself to race today. I was really happy they neutralized the times in the GC, then it was more relaxed to race. I found myself in the front but hats off to Wout, he was incredibly strong.' German Florian Lipowitz finished third overall, some 11 minutes down on Pogacar and one minute three seconds ahead of 22-year-old Scot Oscar Onley who has enjoyed a breakout Tour. On the 50th anniversary of the first Champs-Elysees finish, the race returned to the French capital after last year's enforced absence due to the Olympic Games. Race organizers had been inspired by incredible scenes in Montmartre during those Games to add the climb to this day and totally shake up the complexion of the usual parade into Paris. The route change left potential for time gaps at the finish, but with heavy rain falling organisers announced general classification times would be taken earlier in the stage to remove the peril. After the usual photoshoots on the approach to the capital, the race was on as soon as they hit the Champs-Elysees for the first time before really exploding on the first time up the climb. Pogacar's attacks splintered the groups but Van Aert had team-mate Matteo Jorgenson to help him and used his relative freshness to power away from Pogacar in the decisive moment.
