Latest news with #TDF2025
TimesLIVE
28-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Predator and puppeteer: Pogacar turns the Tour into his stage
At just 26, Tadej Pogacar has turned the Tour de France into his kingdom, claiming his fourth title on Sunday and cementing a reign that recalls the hunger of Eddy Merckx and the iron grip of Lance Armstrong — yet feels entirely his own. This victory was more than just a triumph — it was a showcase of transformation. Pogacar started the race as a lively, daring rider, delighting fans with audacious attacks and celebrating stage wins with unrestrained exuberance. Yet as the gruelling three-week event wore on, the Slovenian's demeanour shifted. The joy gave way to cold, calculating focus, showcasing his ability to transition from a crowd-pleaser to a commanding leader. Only in the final stage did Pogacar spring back to life in a ride resembling a one-day classic, during which he fought an epic duel with Belgian Wout van Aert. While he did not win, the joy of racing was briefly back as the world champion found a challenge at his measure. 🎙️ The winning speech of a 4 time Tour de France winner! 🤩 🎙️ Le discours d'un quadruple vainqueur du Tour de France ! 🤩 #TDF2025 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025 Through the first two weeks, Pogacar appeared unstoppable, claiming four stage wins, putting the hammer down on the climb to Hautacam and adding a dominant performance in the uphill time trial on Stage 13. That victory stretched his lead over Jonas Vingegaard to more than four minutes, reinforcing his position as the man to beat. His early attacks were bold, his energy seemingly endless. Fans witnessed the Pogacar they adored — smiling at the summit, waving to children on the roadside, and revelling in the pure joy of racing. However, the Alpine stages brought a noticeable change. Pogacar's appetite for stage victories diminished, replaced by a deliberate focus on controlling the race. On the climb to La Plagne, Pogacar allowed Thymen Arensman to claim the stage win, focusing instead on neutralizing Vingegaard's chances of winning the stage. That level of authority brought echoes of Armstrong's dominance in the early 2000s, though the context was vastly different. The psychological command over the race, however, felt familiar. Rivals stopped plotting to beat Pogacar, they plotted to survive. 💚💛🤍⚪🔴 #TDF2025 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025 'It was one of the hardest, if not the hardest, Tours I've been in,' Pogacar told reporters, emphasising the physical and mental challenges of defending his lead over three weeks. The Slovenian's calm demeanour occasionally cracked under pressure. After enduring repeated accelerations from rivals during a mountain stage, he described their tactics as 'a bit annoying.' While Pogacar never appeared physically vulnerable, his transition from carefree to businesslike reflected the immense weight of leadership. Even when Matteo Jorgenson launched an attack, Pogacar personally shut it down despite the American posing no threat to his overall lead — a testament to his meticulous control. Every milestone Pogacar achieves revives comparisons with Merckx, cycling's 'Cannibal,' who devoured everything in his path. The Belgian claimed five Tours, Giro-Tour doubles, and Monument wins during his remarkable career. With four Tour titles, one Giro win, multiple Monuments, and a world championship to his name, Pogacar is the closest to Merckx's level seen in decades. Bernard Hinault, one of four riders with five Tour wins, remarked that Pogacar is 'like me and Merckx,' while Merckx himself admitted that Pogacar's world title ride surpassed his own on that day. The defining question now is whether Pogacar can match Merckx's record of five Tour victories. His 2024 season — winning the Giro, Tour, and World Championships — echoes Merckx's mythical 1974 campaign. The way Pogacar is able to control a race feels organic, driven by raw talent, versatility, and a calm confidence that suggests inevitability rather than fear. Yet the final week of the Tour revealed another layer to Pogacar's character: the strain of expectation. Though his joy faded as the race progressed, replaced by steely determination, it is this duality — exuberance and strain, predator and puppet master — that makes Pogacar a compelling figure in modern cycling. With four Tour wins at 26, Pogacar stands tantalisingly close to the immortal mark of five titles, cementing his place among cycling's greats.
RTÉ News
27-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Ben Healy wins combativity award at Tour de France
Ben Healy has won the Super Combativity award for his performances during the 2025 Tour de France. Ahead of Sunday's final stage, the Irish rider emerged victorious in the shortlist of eight riders decided by a combination of a public vote and the race jury. Jonas Abrahamsen of the Uno-X Mobility came out on top in the public vote via social media but the expert jury ultimately swung it in Healy's favour. The award comes with a a €20,000 prize and a place on the podium in Paris. Healy is the second Irishman to earn the award after Dan Martin in 2018. 💪 🇮🇪 Ben Healy is the #TDF2025 Super Combative! After adding up the votes of the jury and the public, it is the Irishman who is rewarded for his resolutely offensive Tour! 💪 🇮🇪 Ben Healy est le Super combatif @century21fr du #TDF2025! Après addition des votes du jury et… — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025 It has been a memorable three weeks for English-born 24-year-old, Healy, who became just the fourth Irish cyclist to wear the famous Yellow Jersey, following a storming third-place Bastille Day performance, which came in the wake of his victory on stage six - his maiden stage triumph at the Tour de France. He had a second place finish on the legendary Mont Ventoux last Tuesday. This year's Tour is the second of the EF Education-EasyPost rider's career and he is on course for a top ten finish, sitting ninth in the general classification ahead of the race climax.
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Highlights: 2025 Tour de France, Stage 18 finish
Watch the conclusion to Stage 18 of the 2025 Tour de France, where a layer of fog encased the finish line at Col de la Loze as riders capped off a day of climbing through the mountains.
TimesLIVE
24-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
O'Connor takes Tour stage as Vingegaard's plans to unseat Pogacar fizzle
Ben O'Connor stormed to a sensational victory in Stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday, as Jonas Vingegaard's attempt to dethrone Tadej Pogacar imploded in spectacular fashion on the race's most brutal Alpine battleground. The Australian rider, eyes blazing with determination, launched a ferocious solo attack on the fearsome Col de la Loze and never looked back, thundering towards his second career Tour stage win, after his triumph in Tignes in 2021. 'I felt much better today just from the start. I was pretty active, and I think probably the point where you realise you could have a shot was the top of the (Col de la) Madeleine when Jonas and Pogi came across, and we're still with them over the top of the summit,' said O'Connor. Pogacar defended his crown with ice-cold precision, gaining 11 more seconds on Vingegaard and stretching his overall advantage to a commanding 4 minutes 26 seconds after taking second place. 'Today was brutal. Maybe the hardest stage I've ever done in the Tour,' admitted a drained Vingegaard after the finish. "YEEEEEEEESSSS, YEEEEEESSSSS" 🤩 #TDF2025 | @Continental_fr — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 24, 2025 'We had a big plan, you saw it, but I couldn't take a second on Tadej. The Tour isn't over, still.' Visma-Lease a Bike had come to the Alps with an all-in strategy for a stage lined with three monstrous climbs. But what could have been a bold masterstroke unravelled spectacularly. On the slopes of the 19.2km Col de la Madeleine, Sepp Kuss's searing acceleration left the top contenders chasing shadows. With Matteo Jorgenson already up the road in a breakaway, Vingegaard launched his move 5km from the summit, but Pogacar followed him with ease. Then came the puzzling twist. After a blistering descent, Vingegaard, who had said he was ready to risk his second place to try to win the Tour, suddenly eased up on the valley floor, inviting rivals to regroup and stripping his team's earlier aggression of any sting. 🎙 🇸🇮 @TamauPogi: « J'aurais aimé gagner l'étape mais la priorité est bien sûr le Maillot Jaune. » 💛 💛 L'interview du porteur du #MaillotJauneLCL ⤵️ 💛 #TDF2025 — Maillot Jaune LCL (@MaillotjauneLCL) July 24, 2025 Jorgenson, once the sacrificial pawn, dropped from the break and rejoined the group, only to be spat out again almost instantly. Up ahead, O'Connor sensed blood and struck with ruthless precision, leaving Einer Rubio gasping for air and balance with a savage attack 16km from the line on the lung-busting 26.4-km Col de la Loze, soaring to 2,304 metres above sea level. Rubio cracked in his wake, and the general classification favourites' hesitation sealed the Australian's day of glory. Behind him, Visma-Lease a Bike flogged the pace but barely clawed back a second. Then, inside the final 2km, Vingegaard made one last desperate thrust. Pogacar, seated and serene, absorbed it before unleashing a devastating counterpunch in the last 500 metres. In a blur of power, the Slovenian dropped Vingegaard, streaked past Rubio, and snatched a six-second bonus as he continued his march towards a fourth Tour title. German Florian Lipowitz kept his third place despite finishing behind Oscar Onley after his attempt to go solo in the final climb backfired. He still leads the British rider by 22 seconds going into the last mountain stage between Albertville and La Plagne.
The 42
24-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
More misery for Ineos as Rodriguez quits Tour with broken pelvis
INEOS' TOP-RANKED rider Carlos Rodriguez pulled out of the Tour de France on Thursday after suffering a broken pelvis on Stage 17′s late mass pile-up. In 10th position going into the rainy flat stage the Spanish climb specialist became entangled in a spectacular pile-up of flying bikes and bodies on the home straight at Valence on Wednesday. Rodriguez was one place behind Ireland's Ben Healy in the general classification. Advertisement 'Carlos is in good spirits and remains under the close supervision of our medical team. He will now return home to focus on recovery,' Ineos said. 💥 El enganchón en el que se han visto implicados Carlos Rodríguez y Julian Alaphilippe.@TDF2025 — (@Eurosport_ES) July 23, 2025 Rodriguez, 24, would have been an outside contender for a stage win in the Alps over the next two days of daunting climbing to Col de La Loze, and La Plagne. Ineos lost former time trial world champion Filippo Ganna to concussion on stage 1 at Lille. The team did however score a prestige stage win when Dutch rider Thymen Arensman climbed to a solo triumph on the Tourmalet mountain in the Pyrenees on Saturday. The once-mighty British team, formerly known as Team SKY, won the Tour de France seven times between 2012-2019, but have been in a relative lull in recent years. – © AFP 2025
