Latest news with #Abrahamsen
Daily Tribune
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Abrahamsen wins Tour de France stage as Pogacar survives scare
Norway's Jonas Abrahamsen won stage 11 of the Tour de France at Toulouse yesterday while defending champion Tadej Pogacar crashed 4km from the line. Pogacar fell after hitting the back wheel of another rider but his rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel sportingly waited for the Slovenian to catch up after he got back on his bike. Ireland's Ben Healy retained the leader's jersey. The thrilling stage over 156km from Toulouse and back was unexpectedly won by Abrahamsen as a long range breakaway foiled the ambitions of the sprinters. Abrahamsen contested a two-way cat-and-mouse war of nerves down the home straight with Swiss Mauro Schmid as the cunning Mathieu van der Poel crept up on them and finished third at 7sec. Healy retained the overall lead on his first day in the fabled yellow jersey, while Pogacar remains second and Evenepoel third. Following Tuesday's rest day, yesterday's run was billed as a likely sprint finish with 70 points at stake in the sprint points standings at Toulouse. Stage 11 did however feature five small climbs along a 156.8km route making sure it was constantly fast and nerve-wracking. Pogacar fell after hitting the back wheel of another rider but his rivals two-time winner Vingegaard and Evenepoel sportingly waited for the Slovenian. The UAE rider Pogacar struggled to put his chain on after sliding across several metres of tarmac and had looked as if he would lose 30 to 40 seconds. Healy will lead the peloton into the Pyrenees on Thursday where the first real mountains will test his and everyone's legs on the legendary beyond category Hautacam climb.
New Straits Times
17-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Pogacar crashes before anti-Israel protester disrupts Tour stage finale
TOULOUSE, France: Defending champion Tadej Pogacar suffered a crash on the 11th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday, moments before a protester disrupted the sprint finish where Norway's Jonas Abrahamsen claimed his first Tour stage victory. Slovenian Pogacar went down about five kilometres from the line after touching wheels with another rider but quickly remounted and the peloton eased off to allow the overall race favourite to rejoin. Pogacar thanked the group after crossing the finish line, apparently unhurt and without losing time. "I'm quite okay, a bit beaten up, but we've been through worse days, so it's been a hectic day actually from start to finish," the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader said. "In the end, I had a little bit of a crash, and thanks to the peloton in front, they actually waited, obviously the race was more or less over back there, but still, they could have taken time. "Really big respect to everybody in front. Thanks for your support, guys." Team doctor Adrian Rotunno said Pogacar had been cleared to continue the race. "After a full examination post-stage, fortunately Tadej suffered no serious injury. No concussion or fractures. He has some general bruising, and abrasions to his left forearm and hip, but is otherwise okay," Rotunno said. "We will continue to monitor him, but at this stage he is medically cleared to continue racing." Ireland's Ben Healy, who retained the overall leader's yellow jersey, said he had a brief chat with two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard, seen as Pogacar's main rival for the title, and both agreed they should wait for the Slovenian. OTHER PROTESTS As the stage reached its dramatic conclusion, a protester wearing a T-shirt reading "Israel out of the Tour" and waving a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf ran onto the final straight, less than 25 metres from the line. He was swiftly tackled by a security officer as Abrahamsen edged out Swiss national champion Mauro Schmid in a two-man sprint for the win. "I broke my collarbone four weeks ago. I cried at the hospital because I thought I wouldn't make it to the Tour de France," Abrahamsen said. "I hoped, and every day I did everything I could to come back. To stand here in the Tour de France and have won a stage is amazing." Tour organisers declined to comment on the protest while the Israel-Premier Tech team — which has no Israeli riders in this year's race — told Reuters they would issue a statement later on Wednesday. The protest came amid rising tensions over Israel's military operations in Gaza, where more than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities. Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, by Israeli tallies. Sources with a direct knowledge of the matter have told Reuters that other protests are planned on the Tour route. The day began at a blistering pace, with a five-man breakaway quickly forming ahead of a second group featuring classics specialists Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. The peloton eventually backed off, allowing the front of the race to shape the outcome. On the punishing final climb — an 800-metre ascent averaging 12.4% — Abrahamsen and Schmid emerged at the front. Van der Poel launched a fierce pursuit but fell short. The focus now shifts to Thursday's stage 12, which brings the Tour's first high-mountain showdown with a summit finish on the legendary Hautacam and all eyes will be on Pogacar the day after his crash.
The Sun
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Abrahamsen triumphs in Tour de France stage 11 as Pogacar escapes crash
NORWAY'S Jonas Abrahamsen claimed victory in stage 11 of the Tour de France, delivering a thrilling performance in Toulouse. Meanwhile, defending champion Tadej Pogacar avoided serious injury despite a late crash, keeping his podium hopes alive. Pogacar's fall occurred just 4km from the finish after colliding with another rider's wheel. His rivals, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, displayed sportsmanship by slowing down to allow the Slovenian to rejoin the peloton. Pogacar later joked about the incident, saying, 'I'm a bit beaten up, I've been through worse days, but yeah that was unexpected.' The crash was caused by Norwegian rider Tobias Johannessen, who later apologised on social media. 'I am terribly sorry for what happened,' he wrote. Pogacar admitted the fall could affect his performance in the upcoming mountain stage, stating, 'A day after a fall like that you are never at your best.' Ireland's Ben Healy retained the yellow jersey, maintaining a 29-second lead over Pogacar. Healy narrowly avoided the crash himself, later admitting, 'I didn't see him fall. I was looking somewhere else.' The 24-year-old remains cautious ahead of the Pyrenees, saying, 'I'm not sure I'll still have the lead tomorrow night.' The stage, initially expected to favour sprinters, was instead dominated by Abrahamsen's bold breakaway. The Norwegian, who recently recovered from a collarbone fracture, outmanoeuvred Swiss rider Mauro Schmid in a tense sprint finish. 'I like to have pain in my legs,' Abrahamsen said after his win. With the race now heading into the Pyrenees, all eyes will be on the gruelling Hautacam climb. French climber Lenny Martinez, wearing the polka dot jersey, will be a key attraction for local fans. - AFP
Boston Globe
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Favorite Tadej Pogačar crashes as Jonas Abrahamsen wins Stage 11 of Tour de France after 96-mile breakaway
Three-time champion Tadej Pogačar (center) climbs the Côte de Pech David during the 11th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images Johannessen apologized as he felt responsible. 'I think the whole peloton moved to the right and I just followed the movement of Matteo Jorgenson and some other guys. I think Pogačar was on the radio so we just bumped into each other and I think it's something that happens,' Johannessen said. 'But I really didn't want him to crash and I don't think any other guy in the peloton wants Pogačar to go down. We just stopped and waited in the group straight away and I hope he's fine.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Abrahamsen, who attacked from the start, beat Swiss rider Mauro Schmid in a photo finish. Advertisement A pro-Palestinian protester did not distract either rider as they sprinted for the finish, racing each other at the end after they'd worked together to stay ahead of Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel's late push to catch them. It was Abrahamsen's first stage win at the Tour and the first in this race for his team, Uno-X Mobility. Advertisement The Norwegian rider wasn't sure he'd even be racing at the Tour when he broke his collarbone in a crash at the Tour of Belgium last month. 'I was crying in the hospital because I [thought] I was not riding Tour de France,' the 29-year-old Abrahamsen said. 'But the day after I was on the home trainer and hope I can go to Tour de France and every day I did everything I could to come back and here I'm standing in Tour de France, to win a stage is amazing.' Van der Poel dropped his head and slouched on his bike as he finished 7 seconds behind in third, while the GC group including Pogačar and yellow jersey-holder Ben Healy finished 3:28 back. Healy, only the After the first rest day on Tuesday, Wednesday's stage was a 97.2-mile loop from Toulouse back to the southern 'Pink City' with views of the Pyrenees. It was expected to suit the sprinters, though there was a sting in the tail with a 20 percent incline on the Côte de Pech David before the finish. Abrahamsen struck with 96 miles to go and was joined by Schmid and Davide Ballerini, prompting persistent attacks from the likes of Van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Victor Campenaerts. Ultimately all their efforts were in vain. 'It's a crazy stage, guys,' the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team riders were told over their radios, 'A crazy stage. Stay focused.'
Qatar Tribune
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Abrahamsen holds on for ‘dream' Tour de France stage 11 win
PA Media/DPA London Jonas Abrahamsen held on at the end of stage 11 for his first Tour de France win after edging out Mauro Schmid in a two-up sprint to the line in Toulouse. A late bid to catch the front two by Mathieu van der Poel in the final 5km fell just short by seven seconds, whilst a fall towards the end by Tadej Pogacar in the peloton proved not to be costly as the group allowed the 2024 winner to catch up. Ben Healy, who on Monday rode himself into the yellow jersey with an outstanding display of grit on the Massif Central, held on to pole position by 29 seconds from Pogacar. Third in the overall standings Remco Evenepoel is now a minute and 29 seconds behind, with fourth-placed Jonas Vingegaard another 17 seconds back. But the day belonged to Abrahamsen, who had been unsure whether he would even make the Tour - having broken his collarbone last month - after the Norwegian clung on for an epic finish. 'I broke my collarbone four weeks ago at the Baloise Belgium Tour and I cried in the hospital thinking I wouldn't make the Tour,' said Abrahamsen. 'I was thinking 'I have to win this stage, I have to win this stage'. It was my dream to win a stage of the Tour de France. 'I know I have a pretty good sprint and we had been out for a long time, so I had to be smart and not go over the limit. 'We were working so hard to get the gap all day so it's great to get the victory. I'm so, so happy.' The final finish was almost disrupted by a spectator who ran on to the road before being tackled into the barriers by one of the race organisers. It did not contribute to Pogacar's fall which came when he was cut off from his left as the peloton descended from the climb, and afterwards the Slovenian expressed his gratitude towards the riders who sat up and allowed him back in. 'I'm OK, a bit beaten up but we've been through worse days,' he said. 'It's been a hectic day from start to finish - then I had a crash. 'Thanks to the peloton in front, they actually waited. Big respect to everybody in front, thanks for your support guys. 'We came down from the climb. There was attacks from Mateo and Jonas, they really put everyone on the limit. People want to take any seconds on a final like this and they start to attack and people start to follow. 'Unfortunately one rider decided to follow from left to right side of the road and he didn't see me. He just completely cut me off from my front wheel. Luckily I just have a little bit of skin off.'
