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LeMonde
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- LeMonde
Tour de France: Arensman edges white-knuckle win, Pogacar closes in on title
Dutch rider Thymen Arensman picked up a second stage win at the Tour de France on Friday, July 25, winning stage 19 at La Plagne ski resort in the French Alps as defending champion Tadej Pogacar closed in on a fourth title. Arensman crossed the finish line in the rain two seconds ahead of title contender Jonas Vingegaard and his great rival Pogacar. However, barring a collapse, Team UAE rider Pogacar should claim his fourth Tour de France title aged just 26 years in Paris on Sunday. The attack-minded Pogacar explained how he had played it safe with just two days left until the race finish on the Champs Elysees. "When Arensman attacked I let him go, setting my own rhythm. It was close, I did want to win, but I'm just glad it's over," Pogacar said. "It was a good win from Thymen, he deserved it." The Slovenian exits the Alps with a lead of four minutes and twenty-four seconds on second placed Vingegaard. Pogacar has dominated the 2025 Tour de France winning stages on rolling runs in the north and west at Rouen and the Mur de Bretagne in the first week, then on the mountain slopes of the Pyrenees on the Hautacam and Peyragudes in week two. As the Tour entered its end game, Pogacar unexpectedly protected his lead through the Alps, rather than go on his trademark all-out attacks. The 2022 and 2023 champion Vingegaard had two off days, first on a time trial and secondly at Hautacam, leaving Pogacar to surge into a position of such strength he only needed to follow. German breakout star Florian Lipowitz strengthened his hold on overall third place and top spot in the under-25's section on his debut Tour de France, as he tracked the title rivals all the way to the summit finish for an impressive Tour debut with Red Bull Bora. Shortened stage For Arensman and Ineos, this was a symbolic victory as the British team begin their revival with the return to the helm of Dave Brailsford. Arensman slumped to the ground in tears at La Plagne, as he just held on with a white-knuckle struggle over the final kilometres. He previously won stage 14 at another ski resort, at altitude in the Pyrenees at Superbagneres. Mirroring Ben O'Connor's winning tactic on the thrilling stage 18, climber Arensman attacked at the bottom of the final climb with the title rivals more concerned with tracking each other. But this time, the breakaway stage winner had to sweat out the run in with the top trio closing fast. The 25-year-old Ineos man fell over into the barriers exhausted at the line, and broke into sobs of relief. This final mountain stage was shortened overnight due to an outbreak of a cattle infection along the route, reduced to just 93 km, which ran to a rowdy finish at 2050 m altitude. The stage, however, was largely uncontested in comparison to Thursday's epic cat-and-mouse between Pogacar and Vingegaard, who attacked the champion 71 km from the finish line without ever dislodging him. Stage 20 on Saturday is a hilly run through the Jura, while Sunday's run to the French capital also features a potentially chaotic run up the cobbled lanes of Montmartre.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Dutchman Thymen Arensman wins Stage 19 of Tour de France
Dutch rider Thymen Arensman finishing ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and overall leader Tadej Pogacar to win the 19th stage of the Tour de France on July 25. – Dutchman Thymen Arensman claimed his second victory in the 2025 Tour de France when he benefited from the top guns' waiting game to prevail in the 19th stage, the last mountain trek of the race on July 25. The Ineos Grenadiers rider, whose team have been facing doping questions related to their glorious days as Team Sky, went solo in the final climb to La Plagne. He then crossed the line two seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, who were second and third respectively. An exhasted Arensman collapsed into the roadside barriers after crossing the finish line. The 25-year-old, who had also won Stage 14, said: 'I'm absolutely destroyed. I can't believe it. 'Already to win one stage of the Tour is incredible from a break, but now from the GC (general classification) group and against some of the strongest riders in the world, it feels like I'm dreaming. I don't know what I just did. 'Everyone knows Tadej and Jonas are the strongest in the world, almost aliens… Then just as a human, I still want to try to beat them. I just can't believe I beat them today. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Singapore S'pore could have nuclear energy 'within a few years', if it decides on it: UN nuclear watchdog chief Life 'Do you kill children?': Even before independence, S'pore has always loved its over-the-top campaigns Singapore Lung damage, poor brain development, addiction: What vaping does to the body Singapore Career setbacks among challenges raised by those seeking fertility help in S'pore: Survey Singapore Fine for couple whose catering companies owed $432,000 in salaries to 103 employees Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly 'I tried to not look behind, just go as fast as I could and it was enough.' Slovenian Pogacar retained the overall leader's yellow jersey and leads Vingegaard by 4min 24sec going into the final two stages. He is widely expected to win a fourth title if he avoids a major incident. German Florian Lipowitz took fourth place on the shortened stage to cement his third place overall, stretching his advantage over fourth-placed Oscar Onley of Scotland by 41sec to 1:03. It would have taken a colossal coup from Vingegaard to topple Pogacar on the final mountain test in the Alps, but the Visma-Lease a Bike rider tried only within the last 100 metres to take two seconds off the Slovenian's lead, with Pogacar emerging as the puppet master of the peloton. A leading trio featuring France's Lenny Martinez and Valentin Paret-Peintre as well as former Tour runner-up Primoz Roglic, reached the Col du Pre with a small gap to a chasing group after a brutal 12.2km ascent at 7.7 per cent. The peloton, controlled by Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates, trailed by less than a minute. With two kilometres left in the climb up to the Cormet de Roselend (5.9km at 6.9 per cent), Paret-Peintre and Roglic shook off Martinez, but only briefly as the Bahrain Victorious rider clawed his way back. Roglic went solo in the descent into Bourg-Saint-Maurice, dropping Martinez and Paret-Peintre, who were quickly caught by the bunch. Roglic was then swallowed two kilometres before the final climb and spat out immediately. Austrian Felix Gall, gunning for a top-five finish in Paris, accelerated 14.5km from the line with Arensman, Pogacar and Vingegaard reacting. Pogacar made his own move 14km from the top, with Vingegaard and Arensman the only riders able to get into his slipstream. Pogacar eventually let Arensman go and seemed content with setting a decent tempo to keep the Dutchman within reach, but the Slovenian eventually did not make the effort to go for a fifth stage win of 2025. REUTERS, AFP
STV News
an hour ago
- Sport
- STV News
Scottish cyclist on track for historic Tour De France finish
Scottish cyclist Oscar Onley could be set for a historic Tour De France finish. Another strong stage on Friday means the 22-year-old is on track to finish fourth in the General Classification (overall standings). If he keeps that up over the final two stages across the weekend, he'll match fellow Scot Robert Millar's (now Pippa York) fourth-place finish 41 years ago. York won a stage in 1984- which Onley hasn't yet managed this year. However, he saw his podium dream fade on Friday as Thymen Arensman won the final mountain stage of this punishing race in La Plagne. Tadej Pogacar followed Jonas Vingegaard over the line just behind Arensman, a fourth overall crown now looking safe with his lead at four minutes 24 seconds over Vingegaard, who took back a couple of bonus seconds but nothing more on this final opportunity to make major changes to the standings. Onley, riding his second Tour, started the day 22 seconds behind third-placed Florian Lipowitz, both men fighting for the best young rider's white jersey, but faded towards the summit of La Plagne to concede 41 seconds and stay fourth overall. It was a second stage win of his debut Tour for Arensman, who had scored a much-needed victory for the Ineos Grenadiers on stage 14 on Superbagneres. UAE Team Emirates-XRG had looked determined to set up Pogacar for what would have been an exclamation mark of a fifth stage victory of this race on the final climb, but Arensman tried a number of attacks and when he went clear with 13km of the climb remaining, he managed to open a gap. His advantage over Pogacar, Vingegaard, Onley and Lipowitz hovered at around 30 seconds, the sort of margin a fully-fresh Pogacar would be able to close at will, but the fatigue in everyone's legs perhaps told as the anticipated attack from behind never really materialised. It was only when Onley began to struggle that Lipowitz saw his opportunity to finish off the Scot, moving to the front and upping the pace. But even so, Arensman hung on to win by a couple of seconds. 'I feel absolutely destroyed,' Arensman said. 'I can't believe it. Already to win one stage in the Tour was unbelievable from a breakaway, but now to do it against the GC group, against the strongest riders in the world, it feels like I'm dreaming. I don't know what I just did.' The discovery of a contagious disease amongst cattle in the area had forced changes to the route, which was shortened from 129.9 kilometres to 95km, removing two climbs but leaving the main tests of the Col du Pre and the finish to La Plagne, still with 3,250m of climbing packed in. Primoz Roglic had been immediately on the attack in an all-or-nothing attempt to move up from fifth overall, but he was caught before the final climb and quickly distanced to move well down, not up, the general classification. With a hilly but not mountainous stage from Nantua to Pontarlier on the menu for Saturday before Sunday's run into Paris – which this year includes the Montmartre climb – there could still be some changes at the sharp end of the general classification but it is difficult to see the podium changing. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Int'l Business Times
Pogacar Exits Alps With Tour Stranglehold As Arensman Edges White-knuckle Win
Dutch rider Thymen Arensman picked up a second stage win at the Tour de France on Friday winning stage 19 at La Plagne ski resort as defending champion Tadej Pogacar closed in on a fourth title. Arensman crossed the finish line in the rain two seconds ahead of title contender Jonas Vingegaard and his great rival Pogacar. However, barring a collapse, Team UAE rider Pogacar should claim his fourth Tour de France title aged just 26 years in Paris on Sunday. The attack-minded Pogacar explained how he had played it safe with just two days left until the race finish on the Champs Elysees. "When Arensman attacked I let him go, setting my own rhythm. It was close, I did want to win, but I'm just glad it's over," Pogacar said. "It was a good win from Thymen, he deserved it." The Slovenian exits the Alps with a lead of four minutes and twenty-four seconds on second placed Vingegaard. Pogacar has dominated the 2025 Tour de France winning stages on rolling runs in the north and west at Rouen and the Mur de Bretagne in the first week, then on the mountain slopes of the Pyrenees on the Hautacam and Peyragudes in week two. As the Tour entered its end game Pogacar unexpectedly simply protected his lead through the Alps rather than go on his trademark all out attacks. The 2022 and 2023 champion Vingegaard had two off days, first on a time trial and secondly at Hautacam, leaving Pogacar to surge into a position of such strength he only needed to follow. German breakout star Florian Lipowitz strengthened his hold on overall third place and top spot in the under-25's section on his debut Tour de France as he tracked the title rivals all the way to the summit finish for an impressive Tour debut with Red Bull Bora. For Arensman and Ineos this was a symbolic victory as the British team begin their revival with the return to the helm of Dave Brailsford. Arensman slumped to the ground in tears at La Plagne as he just held on with a white-knuckle struggle over the final kilometres. He previously won stage 14 at another ski resort, at altitude in the Pyrenees at Superbagneres. Mirroring Ben O'Connor's winning tactic on the thrilling stage 18, climber Arensman attacked at the bottom of the final climb with the title rivals more concerned with tracking each other. But this time the breakaway stage winner had to sweat out the run in with the top trio closing fast. The 25-year-old Ineos man fell over into the barriers exhausted at the line and broke into sobs of relief. This final mountain stage was shortened overnight due to an outbreak of a cattle infection along the route, reduced to just 93km, which ran to a rowdy finish at 2050m altitude. The stage however was largely uncontested in comparison to Thursday's epic cat-and-mouse between Pogacar and Vingegaard, who attacked the champion 71km from the finish line without ever dislodging him. Stage 20 on Saturday is a hilly run through the Jura, while Sunday's run to the French capital also features a potentially chaotic run up the cobbled lanes of Montmartre. INEOS Grenadiers team's Dutch rider Thymen Arensman claimed his second stage win of this year's Tour de France AFP
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Arensman wins Tour's 19th stage as Pogacar keeps yellow
Thymen Arensman claimed his second victory in this year's Tour de France when he benefited from the top guns' waiting game to prevail in the 19th stage, the last mountain trek of the race. The Dutch Ineos Grenadiers rider, whose team have been facing doping questions related to their glorious days as Team Sky, went solo in the final climb to La Plagne before crossing the line two seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, who were second and third respectively. "I'm absolutely destroyed. I can't believe it," Aresnman said. "Already one stage on the Tour was unbelievable, from a breakaway, but now from the GC (general classification) group, against the strongest riders in the world, it feels like I'm dreaming." Slovenian Pogacar retained the overall leader's yellow jersey and leads Vingegaard by 4:24 going into the final two stages and is widely expected to win a fourth title if he avoids a major incident. German Florian Lipowitz took fourth place on the shortened stage to cement his third place overall, stretching his advantage over fourth-placed Oscar Onley of Britain by 41 seconds to 1:03. It would have taken a colossal coup from Vingegaard to topple Pogacar on the final mountain test in the Alps, but the Visma-Lease a Bike rider only tried within the last 100 metres to take two seconds off of the Slovenian's lead, with Pogacar emerging as the puppet master of the peloton. A leading trio featuring France's Lenny Martinez and Valentin Paret Peintre as well as former Tour runner-up Primoz Roglic, reached the Col du Pre with a small gap of a chasing group after a brutal 12.2-km ascent at 7.7 per cent. The peloton, controlled by Pogacar's UAE Emirates-XRG, trailed by less than a minute. Australia's Ben O'Connor, who brilliantly won Thursday's 18th stage, was placed 12th, ensuring he kept his overall 10th position in the GC. South Australian Callum Scotson (Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale) was placed 24th. With two kilometres left in the climb up to the Cormet de Roselend (5.9km at 6.9 per cent), Paret Peintre and Roglic shook off Martinez, but only briefly as the Bahrain-Victorious rider clawed his way back. Roglic went solo in the descent into Bourg Saint Maurice, dropping Martinez and Paret Peintre, who were quickly caught by the bunch. Roglic was then swallowed two kilometres before the final climb and spat out immediately. Austrian Felix Gall, gunning for a top five finish in Paris, accelerated 14.5km from the finish with Arensman, Pogacar and Vingegaard reacting. Pogacar made his own move 14km from the top with Vingegaard and Arensman the only riders able to get into his slipstream. Pogacar eventually let Arensman go and seemed content with setting a decent tempo to keep the Dutchman within reach, but the Slovenian eventually did not make the effort to go for a fifth stage win this year.
