Latest news with #Alpecin
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Tour de France stage 11 preview: How Ireland's Ben Healy can retain yellow jersey in Toulouse
Not many predicted Ireland's breakaway artist Ben Healy would own the famous yellow jersey on the first rest day of this Tour, but that's exactly what has unfolded after some tactical brilliance on Monday's stage 10 helped him gain more than three minutes on Tadej Pogacar to depose the reigning champion at the top of the GC standings, while Simon Yates won the stage itself. Not that Pogacar – who enjoyed coffees and a giant burger on Tuesday's rest day – plans on lending Healy the maillot jaune for long. 'We will see if Ben can hold on to the yellow jersey for a couple of stages,' Pogacar said. 'I think that he spent a lot of time in the breakaway already, so I hope he feels tired and we can fight again for the yellow in the next coming stages, maybe not [ stage 11 around Toulouse] but Hautacam and then the time trial [at Peyragudes] and Superbagneres – it's going to be three really nice climbing days.' That's all to come later in the week but Ireland's Healy has a strong chance to still be wearing yellow by the end of the day, as the Tour resumes in Toulouse with a 154km route to and from the city. The stage is officially categorised as 'flat' by race organisers, but it is hilly enough to scupper some of the sprinters' hopes if the pace is high, which it may well be – stage 9 was the second fastest stage ever recorded, and stage 10 never let up either. Each had their own unique set of circumstances driving the peloton's high pace, but there's every reason to suspect another breakaway will form early here on stage 11, with the sprinters' teams forced to give chase if they want to set up their rider. Tim Merlier (Soudal–Quick-Step), Kaden Groves (Alpecin–Deceuninck), Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Biniam Girmay (Intermarche–Wanty) and Arnaud de Lie (Lotto) will all be hoping for a bunch sprint to the line. But that is no foregone conclusion, with five categorised climbs to clear including four in the 50km, and power riders might be put off by the finale: a loop around the city with a few short, sharp climbs such as the Cote de Pech David (800m at 12.4%) with 9km to go. The final 6km is flat, so will we see the sprinters there for a showdown or will it be a puncheur breaking clear over the hills who steals the stage? Start time Stage 11 starts at 12.45pm BST with an expected finish time of around 4.10pm. Prediction This is a tricky stage to predict, with the sprinters' teams desperate for a calm day followed by a dash to the line, but facing the prospect of having to chase down a determined breakaway looking for the stage win themselves. It could even be a day for a solo artist to escape clear, just as Ben Healy so expertly triumphed on stage 6. I would like to go for something of a romantic option – Julian Alaphilippe is one of the greatest one-day riders of his generation but has not triumphed at the Tour de France since 2021. If he gets into a strong breakaway then he has the racing nous to time a decisive launch to the line. But more realistic is a rider with the legs to crest the hills and a sprint to outgun their rivals down the home straight. Jonathan Milan and Kaden Groves both have the firepower to do just that, but I fancy Wout van Aert to take an opportunistic win, either by getting himself in the breakaway or by taking a messy sprint.
Boston Globe
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
No changes atop Tour de France as peloton, defending champion Tadej Pogačar take it easy in Stage 8
After Friday's tough grind, the peloton set off at a slower pace on a sun-baked Stage 8, starting from the Brittany commune of Saint-Méen-le-Grand and taking riders 106 miles to Laval in western France. The main teams had no will to set a high pace, so the peloton trundled along through country roads until two riders — French teammates Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Vercher — broke away with about 80 kilometers left. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The peloton did not respond, continuing to roll at a lethargic pace for a long time with no team deciding to lead the chase. Advertisement 'It was a much more relaxing stage than the previous ones,' Pogačar said. 'It has been a good day out in order to recover from the many efforts we have already done.' 🗣️"You come to this race with some expectations, some dreams to bring home, and then to bring them home - they're two different things but I was confident with the team. We really deserve it." - 🇮🇹 Jonathan Milan Interview with Jonathan Milan on his first — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) Pogačar even had time to check how his girlfriend Urška Žigart was doing on the women's Giro. She finished seventh on Stage 7. 'I'm always nervous on the bike when she is racing, and it's great to hear about her,' he said. 'When she does well, I feel super happy.' Advertisement The pack was taking it a bit too easy in his race, though. When sprinters realized they were in danger of missing out on a stage win, the peloton's speed had to increase eventually, and the two riders were finally caught with nine kilometers left. After a sinewy route near the finish, Stage 2 winner Mathieu van der Poel accelerated to put his Alpecin–Deceuninck teammate Groves into a good position, but they attacked a little too soon. Milan anticipated this, made his own move, and withstood Van Aert's late attack behind him. The trio clocked 3 hours, 50 minutes. 'It was a tough finale. I was in the front positions and I waited for the right moment to launch my sprint,' Milan said. 'I gave it all and it worked out.' In the overall standings, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel remained 54 seconds behind Pogačar in second place. Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin was third at 1 minutes, 11 seconds, and two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard sat 1:17 behind in fourth spot. Stage 9 of the three-week race on Sunday heads into central France on a 158-kilometer flat stage for sprinters finishing in Châteauroux.
Boston Globe
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Leading contender Tadej Pogacar takes over yellow jersey with second stage win of 2025 Tour de France
Pogačar launched the sprint some 200 meters from the finish; Vingegaard jumped on his wheel, but was unable to overtake his rival. Pogačar had time to raise his right arm in triumph as he crossed. Behind Vingegaard, Oscar Onley completed the stage podium. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We did an amazing job, all the teammates were perfect,' Pogačar said. 'We had a plan, we stuck to it, and we won. Tim [Wellens] led me out to the bottom of the final climb. And then [Jhonatan] Narvaez did a superb job to keep things under control until the sprint.' Advertisement Pogačar is the overwhelming favorite to win a fourth Tour title. He has been in supreme form since the start of the season and has been the best rider since the start of the Tour last weekend. His latest win marked his 19th Tour stage victory overall. This week, the defending champion claimed Advertisement Pogačar was also impressive during the first time trial of the race and is expected to dominate even more when the Tour reaches the mountains. This is the 42nd time Pogacar leads the overall standings. Overall, Pogačar has a 54-second lead over Evenepoel, with Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin in third place, 1:11 off the pace. Jonas Vingegaard was fourth, 1:17 behind, followed by Van der Poel, the overnight leader who was dropped early in the final climb. 🎙️ "I've just talked with Alpecin and UAE, they go for the stage." News travels fast in a peloton! 🎙️ "Je viens de parler à Alpecin et UAE, ils vont jouer la victoire." Les infos remontent vite dans un peloton ! — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) A five-man break including former Tour champion Geraint Thomas formed soon after the start, gaining an early lead of 1 minute, 40 seconds. Frenchman Ewen Costiou, a Tour debutant, attacked from that group and tried to go solo, leading the race over the first ascent of the Mûr-de-Bretagne. But with the chase raging behind him, the task was way too big and he was caught by the group including all of the main contenders with 12 kilometers left. As riders scrambled for position at the front, a dozen of them were caught in a high-speed crash on a downhill some six kilometers from the finish line. Pogačar's teammate Joao Almeida was among those involved. 'I'm super happy with the win today. But not everything is perfect, Joao is going for X-rays after his crash,' Pogačar said. 'He's in great shape so I really hope it's nothing broken and he can continue.' Almeida escaped without a concussion but has 'an uncomplicated left-sided rib fracture, as well as some profound abrasions to his body,' UAE Team Emirates-XRG said. He is expected to start Saturday's stage. Advertisement The peloton exits Brittany during Stage 8, a 106.5-mile, mainly flat trek from Saint-Méen-le-Grand to Laval on roads sheltered from the wind. Expect a bunch sprint.
New Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Ireland's Healy pulls off solo win at Tour de France
Previous Next VIRE, France: Ireland's Ben Healy won stage six of the Tour de France in Normandy on Wednesday with a long solo break, as Mathieu van der Poel reclaimed the overall leader's yellow jersey by one second. Sixth at the start of the day, Van der Poel climbed above overnight leader Tadej Pogacar. Van der Poel said he was eyeing stage seven to Mur de Bretagne, where he first took the yellow in 2021. "It would be a great finale to a great week," said an exhausted Van der Poel on Thursday. "If I get the win or not it'll be great anyway just to wear the yellow jersey again." Belgian Evenepoel is third at 49 seconds with Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin fourth at 1 minute. Jonas Vingegaard is fifth at 1 minute 14 seconds. The 24-year-old Healy became the first Irish stage winner since sprinter Sam Bennett won on the Champs Elysees in 2020. "That was so enjoyable, and once we had all got away I discussed with the team car and chose that unlikely place to attack," said Healy. "I'm very proud to be presenting Ireland, I'm from an Irish family and though I wasn't born there it was an option I chose as a youngster," he said. Stage six was intense from the off over a series of hills between Bayeux and Vire as temperatures rose above 26.5 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) with the peloton putting the hammer down at 47 kilometres per hour (29mph) average over the first three hours. Healy and Van der Poel were part of a nine-man mid-race escape who set a relentless pace. The Irishman broke solo knowing that if he waited for the hilly finale he had little chance of beating the proven experts in the breakaway. He made his move suddenly on a flat section, 32km out. As he pulled to the left and accelerated, the eight others dithered as the distance widened. For Pogacar, allowing the Dutch powerhouse to sneak into the escape meant he got rid of the overall lead and relieved himself of media duties and the draining hullabaloo that comes with wearing the yellow jersey. Once Healy had broken away, even Van der Poel sat up, saving energy, possibly for Thursday's run up the Mur de Bretagne, scene of his 2020 triumph to seize the Tour lead he kept for eight days. The Dutch Alpecin rider wilted at the end on Thursday. Behind him Pogacar and arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard battled up the final 10 percent slope, but Van der Poel regained the lead by the narrowest margin. After an all-day effort, American champion Quinn Simmons came second, and Michael Storer put Team Tudor on the Tour podium for the first time in third. The day started at Bayeux, renowned for its tapestry of the 1066 Norman conquest of England, but also the birthplace of burgeoning French star Kevin Vauquelin. The 24-year-old Arkea rider was toast of the town as he left in third position on the Tour, just 59 seconds adrift of Pogacar and ended in fourth overall at 1 minute. Ahead of the stage he hailed "the roads where I grew up and learned to love the hills." At the finish line he spoke of "goose bumps" as the fans cheered him along with local media speaking of 'Vauquelin-mania'. After six days of racing in the North of France the Tour heads west on Friday with a 197km run from Saint Malo over rolling hills in Brittany, finishing atop the steep climb called the Mur-de-Bretagne.
Kuwait Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Pogacar takes 100th career win
Van der Poel keeps overall lead in thrilling Tour de France stage ROUEN, France: Tadej Pogacar blew past his rivals in an 'explosive' finish to take Tour de France stage four at Rouen on Tuesday and claim his 100th professional victory. 'That was really pure, classic Tour-de-France-style explosive,' said an elated Pogacar. The win did not quite bring him the overall lead. Dutch powerhouse Mathieu van der Poel finished second to keep the yellow jersey. Pogacar attacked on an incline to the line to finish just ahead of Van der Poel with Jonas Vingegaard third. It was the 26-year-old Slovenian's 18th Tour de France stage win as he seeks a fourth overall triumph on the Tour. 'There was big adrenalin and a big field of contenders,' Pogacar said. Fans were treated to another Pogacar-Vingegaard head-to-head duel as five hills made the final 40km a roller-coaster. Van der Poel also entered the fray and kept the overall lead he took from Alpecin teammate Jasper Philipsen, who quit the Tour injured after a nasty fall on Monday. 'Jasper needs to recover, and I hope he understands how hard I tried to win for him today,' Van der Poel said. On the day's final real climb, Pogacar dropped all his rivals with only Vingegaard offering a real fight. But the big Dutch rider and the slender Dane both came back at Pogacar, making him fight all the way to the line in a thunderous finale. The same trio top the overall standings, with Pogacar second and Vingegaard in third. Van der Poel took the overall lead on stage two but risks losing it on Wednesday's time trial. 'I should be happy to have the jersey again,' said Van der Poel. 'I was surrounded by climbers out there you know.' 'Tadej was stronger and it's as simple as that.' Plenty of falls Unlike the opening three stages, there was hardly a puff of wind and not a drop of rain, but there were still plenty of falls. There was also a knifing incident with a man at Rouen slightly injuring a police officer before himself being shot as he tried to escape. Neither the police officer nor the alleged culprit suffered life-threatening injuries. Stage five will shake up the overall standings with a 33km individual time trial around Caen. The stage is being billed as the day Remco Evenepoel will finally slip into the overall leader's yellow jersey. To do so the 25-year-old Belgian world and Olympic champion in the discipline will need to cover the course 59sec faster than Pogacar and Vingegaard. 'But tomorrow will be the big day, the real test of how good everyone is,' said Pogacar. 'Don't count Remco out,' he added. 'He's the best in the world and he'll be going full gas, like me.' The first mountains come as late as stage 10 over the volcanic landscape of the Puy de Dome, with two more colossal climbing days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps. — AFP
