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The National
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Tour de France 2025: Tadej Pogacar inches towards title as Ben O'Connor wins stage 18
Australian Ben O'Connor of Jayco AlUla team won the 18th stage of the Tour de France, even as Tadej Pogacar tightened his grip over the yellow jersey. O'Connor won Thursday's monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel as three-time Tour de France champion and UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Pogacar responded to attacks from rival Jonas Vingegaard and dropped him to cement his grip on the yellow jersey. With just three stages left before the race ends in Paris, Pogacar looks poised to retain his title, with a comfortable lead of more than four minutes over Vingegaard, a two-time champion. Starting with the day with a deficit of 4:15s, second-placed Vingegaard attacked a massive 71km out with Pogacar tracking him and eventually dropping the Dane to gain more time near the final summit. Jayco Alula's stage winner O'Connor said he was relieved to win again four years after his triumph in the Alps at Tignes. 'It's amazing to win here and I'm relieved to get a win for the team,' said O'Connor, who rode at a steady pace all the way up the final climb. '(The Tour) is a rough race,' O'Connor said. 'It's the biggest race in the world but for sure it's the cruellest. I've wanted another victory for so many years now, I've had a lot of thirds and fourths, so close. 'I couldn't be more proud of myself and the boys that have backed me every single day this whole race, even in the pretty rough times.' UAE Team Emirates star Pogacar is now on the cusp of a fourth Tour de France title, after reversing the roles and sitting on Vingegaard's wheel and wasting little energy. Vingegaard was subdued atop the Col de La Loze. 'It was brutal, I've never lived anything so hard. The team did well and we had a good plan, but I couldn't take any time off Tadej,' he said. On the mountain where Pogacar famously cracked in 2023 as Vingegaard rode away to his second Tour crown, Pogacar was the one gaining time two years later as a late dig at the summit saw him add 11 seconds to an overall lead that now stands at four minutes and 26 seconds over Vingegaard. Friday's five mountain slog amid the imposing panoramas between Albertville and La Plaigne will be the last chance for a reversal of fortunes with 60km of steep slopes to negotiate. The race ends Sunday in Paris with the finish line at the Champs Elysees after three climbs to the Sacre Coeur Basilica on the cobbled lanes of Montmartre. %3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200 %3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A Key facilities Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes Premier League-standard football pitch 400m Olympic running track NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium 600-seat auditorium Spaces for historical and cultural exploration An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad Specialist robotics and science laboratories AR and VR-enabled learning centres Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills Specs Engine: Duel electric motors Power: 659hp Torque: 1075Nm On sale: Available for pre-order now Price: On request Tips for taking the metro - set out well ahead of time - make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines - enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on - don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers Fast%20X %3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Louis%20Leterrier%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Michelle%20Rodriguez%2C%20Jason%20Statham%2C%20Tyrese%20Gibson%2C%20Ludacris%2C%20Jason%20Momoa%2C%20John%20Cena%2C%20Jordana%20Brewster%2C%20Nathalie%20Emmanuel%2C%20Sung%20Kang%2C%20Brie%20Larson%2C%20Helen%20Mirren%20and%20Charlize%20Theron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A The Details Kabir Singh Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa Rating: 2.5/5 The Penguin Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz Creator: Lauren LeFranc Rating: 4/5

Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Pogačar withstands Vingegaard's attacks to keep yellow jersey after Tour's monster mountain stage
COURCHEVEL, France (AP) — Ben O'Connor won Thursday's monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel as three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar responded to attacks from archrival Jonas Vingegaard and dropped him to cement his grip on the yellow jersey. With just three stages left before the race ends in Paris, Pogačar looks poised to retain his title, with a comfortable lead of more than four minutes over Vingegaard, a two-time champion. Stage 18 featured three extremely difficult ascents, including the 26.4-kilometer (16.5-mile) daunting climb of the Col de La Loze up to the finish. At 2,304 meters of altitude, La Loze is the highest summit in this year's Tour. Two years ago, Vingegaard dropped Pogačar on that mountain on his way to his second Tour title but could not deal a decisive blow this time. Riding behind O'Connor, Vingegaard and Pogačar closely watched each other in the final climb. Vingegaard attacked his Slovenian rival but Pogačar responded with ease. Vingegaard and his teammates had also tried to hurt the defending champion earlier in the day in the Col de La Madeleine, but their effors left Pogačar unfazed. The reigning world champion never panicked and accelerated near the end to drop Vingegaard in the last 500 meters and increase his overall lead. ___ More Tour de France coverage: and


Washington Post
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Pogačar withstands Vingegaard's attacks to keep yellow jersey after Tour's monster mountain stage
COURCHEVEL, France — Ben O'Connor won Thursday's monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel as three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar responded to attacks from archrival Jonas Vingegaard and dropped him to cement his grip on the yellow jersey. With just three stages left before the race ends in Paris, Pogačar looks poised to retain his title, with a comfortable lead of more than four minutes over Vingegaard, a two-time champion.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Carlos Rodriguez pulls out of Tour de France with fractured pelvis
VIF, France (AP) — Ineos-Grenadiers rider Carlos Rodriguez has pulled out of the Tour de France with a fractured pelvis ahead of Thursday's monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel. Rodriguez crashed on Wednesday and hospital scans confirmed the fracture, his team said in a statement a few hours before the start of Stage 18. 'Carlos is in good spirits and remains under the close supervision of our medical team,' Ineos-Grenadiers said. 'He will now return home to focus on recovery and the rehabilitation process.' The Spanish rider was 10th overall in the general classification, more than 20 minutes behind race leader and three-time Tour champion Tadej Pogačar. The three-week race finishes on Sunday in Paris. Tour de France riders will tackle three extremely difficult ascents during Stage 18, including the 26.4-kilometer (16.5-mile) daunting climb of the Col de La Loze up to the finish. At 2,304 meters of altitude, La Loze is the highest summit in this year's Tour. Two years ago, Jonas Vingegaard dropped Pogačar there on his way to his second Tour title. Vingegaard has been second best to Pogačar this year, lagging four minutes and 15 seconds behind his rival overall. ___ More Tour de France coverage: The Associated Press

Associated Press
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Carlos Rodriguez pulls out of Tour de France with fractured pelvis
VIF, France (AP) — Ineos-Grenadiers rider Carlos Rodriguez has pulled out of the Tour de France with a fractured pelvis ahead of Thursday's monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel. Rodriguez crashed on Wednesday and hospital scans confirmed the fracture, his team said in a statement a few hours before the start of Stage 18. 'Carlos is in good spirits and remains under the close supervision of our medical team,' Ineos-Grenadiers said. 'He will now return home to focus on recovery and the rehabilitation process.' The Spanish rider was 10th overall in the general classification, more than 20 minutes behind race leader and three-time Tour champion Tadej Pogačar. The three-week race finishes on Sunday in Paris. Tour de France riders will tackle three extremely difficult ascents during Stage 18, including the 26.4-kilometer (16.5-mile) daunting climb of the Col de La Loze up to the finish. At 2,304 meters of altitude, La Loze is the highest summit in this year's Tour. Two years ago, Jonas Vingegaard dropped Pogačar there on his way to his second Tour title. Vingegaard has been second best to Pogačar this year, lagging four minutes and 15 seconds behind his rival overall. ___ More Tour de France coverage: