Tour de France 2025: Evenepoel wins time trial as Pogacar powers into yellow
While Olympic and world time trial champion Evenepoel, riding at an average speed of 54km/h, claimed an expected stage success, Pogacar was the day's real winner, as Vingegaard's challenge wilted in the heat of the Calvados afternoon.
Although Luke Plapp, a Giro d'Italia stage winner, and Vingegaard's teammate Edoardo Affini, had set the earlier pace, by the time the Belgian crossed the finish line in Caen they had both been blown away by Evenepoel's unrelenting speed.
But Pogacar's performance exceeded expectations and will have fuelled despondency on Vingegaard's Visma Lease-a-bike team bus, with the double Tour winner now well over a minute behind his Slovenian rival before the first mountain stage.
Evenepoel, the winner of the 2024 Tour time trial stage to Gevrey-Chambertin, had bullishly predicted he would make up almost a minute on Pogacar and, quickly into his low compact position, set off at breakneck pace. But it was not the dominant display many had predicted.
Pogacar, blindsided by a flying Evenepoel in the Critérium du Dauphiné time trial a month ago, was this time a different prospect. The Slovenian's performance in the roads around Caen was much more competitive than expected and transformed a slim overnight advantage on Vingegaard, of eight seconds, into a significant lead of 1min 13sec.
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Glasgow Times
8 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Dave Brailsford was seen as a messiah. Then came the fall from grace
His methods were lauded as being the gold standard of sports' coaching and management. The term 'marginal gains' seeped into the day-to-day lexicon across the sporting world. Sports teams not just the length-and-breadth of the UK but globally, began trying to mimic the Englishman's approach. Behemoths in the sporting world were knocking down Brailsford's door in an attempt to capture just a little bit of his magic for themselves. Brailsford became Sir Dave. Team Sky, at which Brailsford was at the helm, kick-started a revolution in cycling in this country due, in no small part, by the fact it produced, in Bradley Wiggins, Britain's first-ever winner of the Tour de France. And Team Sky, led by Brailsford, was seen as a major player in changing the face of cycling internationally. No longer was it a drug-fuelled battle of the pharmacists; instead, this was a clean, doping-free era of the sport. Brailsford could, it seemed, do no wrong. It's little wonder he was seen like this - six Tour de France titles in seven years for Team Sky riders (Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas followed Wiggins into the yellow jersey and onto the top step of the podium on the Champs Élysées) and 16 Olympic gold medals over only two Games made British cycling the toast of the sporting world. What a difference, then, a decade can make. Brailsford (l) had great success with Chris Froome (r) at the Tour de France (Image: Bryn Lennon/ Getty Images) When one flies as high as Brailsford did, there's always the risk of falling back to earth with an almighty bang. And this is exactly what's happened. Brailsford, and Team Sky, are no longer seen as 'perfect'. Indeed, the list of negative stories associated with Team Sky as a whole, and specifically surrounding Brailsford, is growing with every passing moment, and it's a list that's becoming impossible to ignore. First there's the 'jiffy bag' story, which dates all the way back to 2011. Apparently, a jiffy bag of substances was delivered from the UK to France, with the contents to be passed to Team Sky's golden boy at the time, Bradley Wiggins. All at Team Sky, including Brailsford himself, claimed the substance inside the jiffy bag was entirely legal but a decade-and-a-half on, we still don't definitively know what was in there. Then came the stories of the use of Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) forms for Team Sky's top riders, which gave them a medical exemption to take substances that would otherwise be prohibited. It seemed, rather than genuine medical issues, Team Sky's medical team was cynically exploiting TUEs for their own gains. It was around this time that a parliamentary select committee accused Team Sky of 'crossing an ethical line'. There's the dishing out of the pain medication Tramadol, which was subsequently banned, and there's the four-year suspension of former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor, Richard Freeman, for violating anti-doping rules. The latest revelation about Team Sky, which was rebranded Team Ineos in 2019 and is now Ineos Grenadiers, is equally unflattering. During this year's Tour de France, at which Ineos Grenadiers finished sixth in the team standings and their best rider, Thymen Arensman, was 12th overall, yet another hugely damaging story about Team Sky emerged. David Rozman, a long-time member of the team in his role as team 'carer' (which means he gives massages and carries out other support duties) was forced to leave France mid-race after allegations were made by German TV station ARD that, in 2012, he exchanged messages with the notorious German doping doctor, Mark Schmidt, who has since been convicted of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers. One of the messages Rozman sent to Schmidt just weeks before the 2012 Tour said: 'Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram [Schmidt's disgraced former team] used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?' Of course, this in itself isn't proof that anything nefarious was going on. But still, it's not a great look. And it's just the latest nail in the reputational coffin of Brailsford and Team Sky. Brailsford had, in recent years, gradually moved away from cycling. After Jim Ratcliffe (the founder of Ineos) invested in Manchester United, he brought Brailsford in as director of sport but the Englishman was less than convincing in that role and after an underwhelming season this year, quietly left that position just weeks ago. Which was, incidentally, just prior to it emerging that the now-disgraced Rozman worked, for a short time, at Manchester United. Brailsford alongside Jim Ratcliffe (l) It's not the departure Brailsford would have envisaged. So how has Brailsford gone from being seen as a cycling messiah to what he is now, a hugely tainted and far from universally admired figure? It seems that although Team Sky achieved many admirable things, they just might not have been quite as squeaky-clean as Brailsford would have had us all believe. We all fell hook, line and sinker for the marginal gains theory when, in fact, taking a step back, it becomes clear that bringing your own pillows to a race isn't going to make quite the difference we were led to believe it would. Brailsford isn't an instantly likeable individual, either. I never quite took to him, although he certainly had an aura. I remember seeing him walking around the Athletes' Village at the London 2012 Olympics - which came just as Brailsford was beginning to achieve superstar status - and the arrogance was almost palpable. Certainly, Brailsford's apparent cockiness was not unfounded. He was widely hailed as one of sport's great thinkers and was being treated as a celebrity in exactly the same manner the athletes were. But he also obviously revelled in being treated as a sporting superstar when it's now widely acknowledged that he is far from a cycling expert. Brailsford is 61 now. Following his departure from Manchester United - he's remains a director but has stepped back from day-to-day duties - he has reportedly returned to his first love, cycling, where he will return to a hands-on role at Ineos Grenadiers. He may well have further success now he's back in cycling, although it's hugely unlikely he ever scales the same heights either results-wise, or reputation-wise, that he managed a decade-or-so ago. Whatever happens, Brailsford's reputation is tarnished, and pretty seriously in many people's eyes. It's always the danger, isn't it, of building yourself up to being perfect. Sooner or later, you'll be found out not to be.
The National
12 hours ago
- The National
Dave Brailsford was seen as a messiah. Then came the fall from grace
His methods were lauded as being the gold standard of sports' coaching and management. The term 'marginal gains' seeped into the day-to-day lexicon across the sporting world. Sports teams not just the length-and-breadth of the UK but globally, began trying to mimic the Englishman's approach. Behemoths in the sporting world were knocking down Brailsford's door in an attempt to capture just a little bit of his magic for themselves. Brailsford became Sir Dave. Team Sky, at which Brailsford was at the helm, kick-started a revolution in cycling in this country due, in no small part, by the fact it produced, in Bradley Wiggins, Britain's first-ever winner of the Tour de France. And Team Sky, led by Brailsford, was seen as a major player in changing the face of cycling internationally. No longer was it a drug-fuelled battle of the pharmacists; instead, this was a clean, doping-free era of the sport. Brailsford could, it seemed, do no wrong. It's little wonder he was seen like this - six Tour de France titles in seven years for Team Sky riders (Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas followed Wiggins into the yellow jersey and onto the top step of the podium on the Champs Élysées) and 16 Olympic gold medals over only two Games made British cycling the toast of the sporting world. What a difference, then, a decade can make. Brailsford (l) had great success with Chris Froome (r) at the Tour de France (Image: Bryn Lennon/ Getty Images) When one flies as high as Brailsford did, there's always the risk of falling back to earth with an almighty bang. And this is exactly what's happened. Brailsford, and Team Sky, are no longer seen as 'perfect'. Indeed, the list of negative stories associated with Team Sky as a whole, and specifically surrounding Brailsford, is growing with every passing moment, and it's a list that's becoming impossible to ignore. First there's the 'jiffy bag' story, which dates all the way back to 2011. Apparently, a jiffy bag of substances was delivered from the UK to France, with the contents to be passed to Team Sky's golden boy at the time, Bradley Wiggins. All at Team Sky, including Brailsford himself, claimed the substance inside the jiffy bag was entirely legal but a decade-and-a-half on, we still don't definitively know what was in there. Then came the stories of the use of Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) forms for Team Sky's top riders, which gave them a medical exemption to take substances that would otherwise be prohibited. It seemed, rather than genuine medical issues, Team Sky's medical team was cynically exploiting TUEs for their own gains. It was around this time that a parliamentary select committee accused Team Sky of 'crossing an ethical line'. There's the dishing out of the pain medication Tramadol, which was subsequently banned, and there's the four-year suspension of former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor, Richard Freeman, for violating anti-doping rules. The latest revelation about Team Sky, which was rebranded Team Ineos in 2019 and is now Ineos Grenadiers, is equally unflattering. During this year's Tour de France, at which Ineos Grenadiers finished sixth in the team standings and their best rider, Thymen Arensman, was 12th overall, yet another hugely damaging story about Team Sky emerged. David Rozman, a long-time member of the team in his role as team 'carer' (which means he gives massages and carries out other support duties) was forced to leave France mid-race after allegations were made by German TV station ARD that, in 2012, he exchanged messages with the notorious German doping doctor, Mark Schmidt, who has since been convicted of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers. One of the messages Rozman sent to Schmidt just weeks before the 2012 Tour said: 'Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram [Schmidt's disgraced former team] used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?' Of course, this in itself isn't proof that anything nefarious was going on. But still, it's not a great look. And it's just the latest nail in the reputational coffin of Brailsford and Team Sky. Brailsford had, in recent years, gradually moved away from cycling. After Jim Ratcliffe (the founder of Ineos) invested in Manchester United, he brought Brailsford in as director of sport but the Englishman was less than convincing in that role and after an underwhelming season this year, quietly left that position just weeks ago. Which was, incidentally, just prior to it emerging that the now-disgraced Rozman worked, for a short time, at Manchester United. Brailsford alongside Jim Ratcliffe (l) It's not the departure Brailsford would have envisaged. So how has Brailsford gone from being seen as a cycling messiah to what he is now, a hugely tainted and far from universally admired figure? It seems that although Team Sky achieved many admirable things, they just might not have been quite as squeaky-clean as Brailsford would have had us all believe. We all fell hook, line and sinker for the marginal gains theory when, in fact, taking a step back, it becomes clear that bringing your own pillows to a race isn't going to make quite the difference we were led to believe it would. Brailsford isn't an instantly likeable individual, either. I never quite took to him, although he certainly had an aura. I remember seeing him walking around the Athletes' Village at the London 2012 Olympics - which came just as Brailsford was beginning to achieve superstar status - and the arrogance was almost palpable. Certainly, Brailsford's apparent cockiness was not unfounded. He was widely hailed as one of sport's great thinkers and was being treated as a celebrity in exactly the same manner the athletes were. But he also obviously revelled in being treated as a sporting superstar when it's now widely acknowledged that he is far from a cycling expert. Brailsford is 61 now. Following his departure from Manchester United - he's remains a director but has stepped back from day-to-day duties - he has reportedly returned to his first love, cycling, where he will return to a hands-on role at Ineos Grenadiers. He may well have further success now he's back in cycling, although it's hugely unlikely he ever scales the same heights either results-wise, or reputation-wise, that he managed a decade-or-so ago. Whatever happens, Brailsford's reputation is tarnished, and pretty seriously in many people's eyes. It's always the danger, isn't it, of building yourself up to being perfect. Sooner or later, you'll be found out not to be.
The Herald Scotland
12 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Dave Brailsford was seen as a messiah. Then came the fall from grace
The term 'marginal gains' seeped into the day-to-day lexicon across the sporting world. Sports teams not just the length-and-breadth of the UK but globally, began trying to mimic the Englishman's approach. Behemoths in the sporting world were knocking down Brailsford's door in an attempt to capture just a little bit of his magic for themselves. Brailsford became Sir Dave. Team Sky, at which Brailsford was at the helm, kick-started a revolution in cycling in this country due, in no small part, by the fact it produced, in Bradley Wiggins, Britain's first-ever winner of the Tour de France. And Team Sky, led by Brailsford, was seen as a major player in changing the face of cycling internationally. No longer was it a drug-fuelled battle of the pharmacists; instead, this was a clean, doping-free era of the sport. Brailsford could, it seemed, do no wrong. It's little wonder he was seen like this - six Tour de France titles in seven years for Team Sky riders (Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas followed Wiggins into the yellow jersey and onto the top step of the podium on the Champs Élysées) and 16 Olympic gold medals over only two Games made British cycling the toast of the sporting world. What a difference, then, a decade can make. Brailsford (l) had great success with Chris Froome (r) at the Tour de France (Image: Bryn Lennon/ Getty Images) When one flies as high as Brailsford did, there's always the risk of falling back to earth with an almighty bang. And this is exactly what's happened. Brailsford, and Team Sky, are no longer seen as 'perfect'. Indeed, the list of negative stories associated with Team Sky as a whole, and specifically surrounding Brailsford, is growing with every passing moment, and it's a list that's becoming impossible to ignore. First there's the 'jiffy bag' story, which dates all the way back to 2011. Apparently, a jiffy bag of substances was delivered from the UK to France, with the contents to be passed to Team Sky's golden boy at the time, Bradley Wiggins. All at Team Sky, including Brailsford himself, claimed the substance inside the jiffy bag was entirely legal but a decade-and-a-half on, we still don't definitively know what was in there. Then came the stories of the use of Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) forms for Team Sky's top riders, which gave them a medical exemption to take substances that would otherwise be prohibited. It seemed, rather than genuine medical issues, Team Sky's medical team was cynically exploiting TUEs for their own gains. It was around this time that a parliamentary select committee accused Team Sky of 'crossing an ethical line'. There's the dishing out of the pain medication Tramadol, which was subsequently banned, and there's the four-year suspension of former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor, Richard Freeman, for violating anti-doping rules. The latest revelation about Team Sky, which was rebranded Team Ineos in 2019 and is now Ineos Grenadiers, is equally unflattering. During this year's Tour de France, at which Ineos Grenadiers finished sixth in the team standings and their best rider, Thymen Arensman, was 12th overall, yet another hugely damaging story about Team Sky emerged. David Rozman, a long-time member of the team in his role as team 'carer' (which means he gives massages and carries out other support duties) was forced to leave France mid-race after allegations were made by German TV station ARD that, in 2012, he exchanged messages with the notorious German doping doctor, Mark Schmidt, who has since been convicted of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers. One of the messages Rozman sent to Schmidt just weeks before the 2012 Tour said: 'Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram [Schmidt's disgraced former team] used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?' Of course, this in itself isn't proof that anything nefarious was going on. But still, it's not a great look. And it's just the latest nail in the reputational coffin of Brailsford and Team Sky. Brailsford had, in recent years, gradually moved away from cycling. After Jim Ratcliffe (the founder of Ineos) invested in Manchester United, he brought Brailsford in as director of sport but the Englishman was less than convincing in that role and after an underwhelming season this year, quietly left that position just weeks ago. Which was, incidentally, just prior to it emerging that the now-disgraced Rozman worked, for a short time, at Manchester United. Brailsford alongside Jim Ratcliffe (l) It's not the departure Brailsford would have envisaged. So how has Brailsford gone from being seen as a cycling messiah to what he is now, a hugely tainted and far from universally admired figure? It seems that although Team Sky achieved many admirable things, they just might not have been quite as squeaky-clean as Brailsford would have had us all believe. We all fell hook, line and sinker for the marginal gains theory when, in fact, taking a step back, it becomes clear that bringing your own pillows to a race isn't going to make quite the difference we were led to believe it would. Brailsford isn't an instantly likeable individual, either. I never quite took to him, although he certainly had an aura. I remember seeing him walking around the Athletes' Village at the London 2012 Olympics - which came just as Brailsford was beginning to achieve superstar status - and the arrogance was almost palpable. Certainly, Brailsford's apparent cockiness was not unfounded. He was widely hailed as one of sport's great thinkers and was being treated as a celebrity in exactly the same manner the athletes were. But he also obviously revelled in being treated as a sporting superstar when it's now widely acknowledged that he is far from a cycling expert. Brailsford is 61 now. Following his departure from Manchester United - he's remains a director but has stepped back from day-to-day duties - he has reportedly returned to his first love, cycling, where he will return to a hands-on role at Ineos Grenadiers. He may well have further success now he's back in cycling, although it's hugely unlikely he ever scales the same heights either results-wise, or reputation-wise, that he managed a decade-or-so ago. Whatever happens, Brailsford's reputation is tarnished, and pretty seriously in many people's eyes. It's always the danger, isn't it, of building yourself up to being perfect. Sooner or later, you'll be found out not to be.
