Latest news with #TourdeFrance
Independent Singapore
15 minutes ago
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
'It was best to take a break' — Tadej Pogacar to skip Vuelta a España after Tour de France victory
Photo: After an impressive performance at the Tour de France, top cyclist Tadej Pogacar announced that he will not compete in the Vuelta a Espana. This race is the only Grand Tour that Pogacar has not won yet, but the athlete decided to skip it this year, after a tough three weeks of racing in France. Pogacar said: 'After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break. The Vuelta is of course a race I would dearly love to return to. I have fantastic memories there from 2019, but now the body is telling me to rest.' Moreover, Pogacar admitted that he would like to focus on the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec and the Grand Prix Cyclist de Montreal this September. He also aims to defend his title at the World Road Championships in Rwanda. 'I'm excited to go back to Canada; the races are tough but beautiful, and they fit my style well… I'll be aiming to be back racing well again for that part of the season and for the World Championships especially,' Pogacar declared. With his absence, Pogacar's awaited Vuelta meeting with Jonas Vingegaard from Visma-Lease a Bike won't happen this year. Vingegaard finished in second place at the Tour and also fought intensely for the yellow jersey. Furthermore, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG will now support Joao Almeida and Juan Ayuso as their main leaders for this last big race of the season. On social media, Pogacar said after the Tour de France: '🇫🇷💛 What. A. Journey. Three weeks, one dream. Every kind of pain. Every kind of joy. That's the Tour. Huge respect to the peloton — no easy wins out here. Proud to wear yellow again, and even prouder of the people who made it possible. You know who you are 🙏 @ you were missed in Paris yesterday, but Vuelta is calling 🔥. Merci, hvala, thank you ❤️' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar) Netizens expressed their support in the comments by saying: 'Thanks for an amazing 21 days! Enjoy your vacation, champ!! 💛👑', 'You make cycling worth watching .. The Best Ever .. I hope stay motivated and keep on entertaining us for another decade atleast .. 😎❤️😎', and 'Thank you for all the emotions you gave us (as always)! Wish you to get some well deserved rest and to enjoy your time surrounded by your loved ones, doing the things you love! 🥹🫶🏻' This year's Vuelta will run from August 23 to September 14. It will have 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,151 kilometres. There will be four flat stages, six medium mountain stages, five mountain stages, one individual time trial, and three hilly stages with high-altitude finales. All racers will also have two rest days for recovery during the three weeks of competition. Know more about the upcoming race here. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pro-cyclist ‘car-doored' on London road sues for £1m over ruined Tour de France dreams
A Tour de France hopeful who says his pro cycling career was wrecked when he was 'car-doored' on a suburban road is suing for over £1m in compensation. James McLaughlin smashed his shoulder and right elbow when a car passenger opened her door directly into his path as he biked down a cycle lane in West Wickham, south east London, in May 2020. "Supremely fit" Mr McLaughlin, who rode for a series of pro teams, raced for Guernsey in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and dreamed of competing in the Tour de France, says the accident also left him brain damaged, leading to depression, memory loss, fatigue and PTSD which have wrecked his chances of returning to pro cycling. The 34-year-old road racer, who relies on an emotional support dog, is suing the insurers of the car driver and passenger for over £1m in compensation. Car dooring accidents occur when a driver or passenger of a vehicle opens its door into the path of a cyclist, giving them little or no opportunity to stop. According to Cycling UK, at least 500 cyclists in Britain are known to be injured every year in dooring incidents, although the true number is thought to be much greater. Central London County Court heard Mr McLaughlin was taking a short break from his professional cycling career and working as a courier when he was injured in May 2020. As he was cycling along, "a car door was opened across a bicycle lane in front of him," the court heard, resulting in him coming off his bike, hitting the ground and being badly injured. Liability for the accident has been admitted by motor insurers, but they are disputing whether he did in fact suffer a brain injury, and also the amount in compensation he is claiming. Mr McLaughlin's barrister Winston Hunter KC said he is plagued by problems with poor concentration and memory, as well as anxiety and distress, while a neuropsychologist who examined him considered he had suffered concussion due to his head being 'shaken around' in the crash. The veteran rider had suffered other road falls in his career before the 2020 spill, conceded his barrister, but said there was no evidence that any of these accidents caused him lasting problems at the time. At the time of his crash, Mr McLaughlin was taking a pause from the pro circuit, but was "supremely fit" and had clocked up a number of recent successes, including coming sixth in the time trial at the 2018 Commonwealth Games despite injury. But for the accident, he would have slotted back into the world of top cycling, the barrister said, adding, 'He has lost that cycling career." However, Lionel Stride - for the insurers - challenging the existence of a 'mild traumatic brain injury' said there was no mention of Mr McLaughlin suffering a blow to the head at the time of the 2020 accident. 'He came into contact with a car door at speed and was subsequently thrown off and hit the ground, with an orthopaedic injury to his right shoulder," he told Judge Jane Evans-Gordon. "There was no mention of a blow to his head." The cyclist's case reached court for a pre-trial hearing over whether Mr McLaughlin should be allowed to rely on further medical evidence from neurologists focusing on whether concussion and a 'minor traumatic brain injury' could be the root cause of his current problems. But when Mr McLaughlin arrived with his support dog Barley on a lead, he was told by Judge Evans-Gordon that she had no choice but to exclude his pet as the rules normally only allow guide dogs inside. 'If it's an emotional support animal, they're not normally allowed into court, not least because they're not properly trained like guide dogs,' she explained to the cyclist's KC. 'At least it's a dog and not an exotic animal." Allowing in the new evidence, the judge said Mr McLaughlin came to grief 'when a car door was opened across a bicycle lane in front of him'. 'Apart from physical injuries primarily to his shoulder and elbow, the claimant has suffered with psychological problems following the accident," she said. "The psychological problems include PTSD, phobic anxiety and depression. Although he has undergone psychiatric treatment with an eminent psychiatrist, his symptoms have not improved as much as might have been hoped." She added that Mr McLaughlin is convinced he suffered a brain injury in the collision and 'that this has an impact on his long-term employment prospects'. On top of medical evidence, lawyers have also obtained reports from sports scientists about Mr McLaughlin's cycling career prospects but for the accident, the court heard. 'It appears to be common ground that the claimant was an elite cyclist and had the potential to be a high achiever in the event that he returned to the world of elite cycling," noted the judge. 'If his psychological symptoms have a non-organic cause, then they are likely to resolve in due course. If, however, the cause is organic, namely a mild traumatic brain injury, they will not improve and are likely to have a significant impact on his future earning potential." After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge agreed to admit the neurological evidence, which she said concerned a 'very significant issue for him'. 'It could make a difference of approaching £400,000 to his loss of earnings claim,' she said. A full trial of the claim was originally due to take place later this year, but that may now have to be delayed due to the new neurological reports.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Pro-cyclist ‘car-doored' on London road sues for £1m over ruined Tour de France dreams
A Tour de France hopeful who says his pro cycling career was wrecked when he was 'car-doored' on a suburban road is suing for over £1m in compensation. James McLaughlin smashed his shoulder and right elbow when a car passenger opened her door directly into his path as he biked down a cycle lane in West Wickham, south east London, in May 2020. "Supremely fit" Mr McLaughlin, who rode for a series of pro teams, raced for Guernsey in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and dreamed of competing in the Tour de France, says the accident also left him brain damaged, leading to depression, memory loss, fatigue and PTSD which have wrecked his chances of returning to pro cycling. The 34-year-old road racer, who relies on an emotional support dog, is suing the insurers of the car driver and passenger for over £1m in compensation. Car dooring accidents occur when a driver or passenger of a vehicle opens its door into the path of a cyclist, giving them little or no opportunity to stop. According to Cycling UK, at least 500 cyclists in Britain are known to be injured every year in dooring incidents, although the true number is thought to be much greater. Central London County Court heard Mr McLaughlin was taking a short break from his professional cycling career and working as a courier when he was injured in May 2020. As he was cycling along, "a car door was opened across a bicycle lane in front of him," the court heard, resulting in him coming off his bike, hitting the ground and being badly injured. Liability for the accident has been admitted by motor insurers, but they are disputing whether he did in fact suffer a brain injury, and also the amount in compensation he is claiming. Mr McLaughlin's barrister Winston Hunter KC said he is plagued by problems with poor concentration and memory, as well as anxiety and distress, while a neuropsychologist who examined him considered he had suffered concussion due to his head being 'shaken around' in the crash. The veteran rider had suffered other road falls in his career before the 2020 spill, conceded his barrister, but said there was no evidence that any of these accidents caused him lasting problems at the time. At the time of his crash, Mr McLaughlin was taking a pause from the pro circuit, but was "supremely fit" and had clocked up a number of recent successes, including coming sixth in the time trial at the 2018 Commonwealth Games despite injury. But for the accident, he would have slotted back into the world of top cycling, the barrister said, adding, 'He has lost that cycling career." However, Lionel Stride - for the insurers - challenging the existence of a 'mild traumatic brain injury' said there was no mention of Mr McLaughlin suffering a blow to the head at the time of the 2020 accident. 'He came into contact with a car door at speed and was subsequently thrown off and hit the ground, with an orthopaedic injury to his right shoulder," he told Judge Jane Evans-Gordon. "There was no mention of a blow to his head." The cyclist 's case reached court for a pre-trial hearing over whether Mr McLaughlin should be allowed to rely on further medical evidence from neurologists focusing on whether concussion and a 'minor traumatic brain injury' could be the root cause of his current problems. But when Mr McLaughlin arrived with his support dog Barley on a lead, he was told by Judge Evans-Gordon that she had no choice but to exclude his pet as the rules normally only allow guide dogs inside. 'If it's an emotional support animal, they're not normally allowed into court, not least because they're not properly trained like guide dogs,' she explained to the cyclist's KC. 'At least it's a dog and not an exotic animal." Allowing in the new evidence, the judge said Mr McLaughlin came to grief 'when a car door was opened across a bicycle lane in front of him'. 'Apart from physical injuries primarily to his shoulder and elbow, the claimant has suffered with psychological problems following the accident," she said. "The psychological problems include PTSD, phobic anxiety and depression. Although he has undergone psychiatric treatment with an eminent psychiatrist, his symptoms have not improved as much as might have been hoped." She added that Mr McLaughlin is convinced he suffered a brain injury in the collision and 'that this has an impact on his long-term employment prospects'. On top of medical evidence, lawyers have also obtained reports from sports scientists about Mr McLaughlin's cycling career prospects but for the accident, the court heard. 'It appears to be common ground that the claimant was an elite cyclist and had the potential to be a high achiever in the event that he returned to the world of elite cycling," noted the judge. 'If his psychological symptoms have a non-organic cause, then they are likely to resolve in due course. If, however, the cause is organic, namely a mild traumatic brain injury, they will not improve and are likely to have a significant impact on his future earning potential." After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge agreed to admit the neurological evidence, which she said concerned a 'very significant issue for him'. 'It could make a difference of approaching £400,000 to his loss of earnings claim,' she said. A full trial of the claim was originally due to take place later this year, but that may now have to be delayed due to the new neurological reports.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Tour de France hopeful left 'brain damaged' in crash when car passenger opened door into his path sues for £1m over claim accident wrecked pro-cycling career
A Tour de France hopeful, who says his pro cycling career dreams were dashed when a car passenger opened her door as he rode past, is suing her for £1million. 'Supremely fit' James McLaughlin smashed his shoulder and right elbow when a door was opened as he rode in a cycle lane in West Wickham, southeast London, in May 2020. The 34-year-old, who rode for a series of professional teams, represented Guernsey in the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2018, with aspirations of competing in the Tour de France. He says the accident has left him with brain damage, which in turn has led to depression, memory loss, fatigue, and PTSD, leaving him reliant on an emotional support dog and wrecking his pro-cycling dreams. The racer, who is suing both the motorist and the passenger for over £1million in compensation, was taking a short break from his cycling career and working as a courier at the time of the incident, Central London County Court heard. And although motor insurers have admitted liability for the incident, they are disputing if Mr McLaughlin did in fact suffer a brain injury, as well as his compensation claim amount. Representing the veteran rider, barrister Winston Hunter KC, conceded Mr McLaughlin had suffered other road falls in his career before the 2020 incident, but said there was no evidence that any of these accidents caused him lasting problems. At the time of his crash, Mr McLaughlin was taking a pause from the pro circuit, but was 'supremely fit' and had clocked up a number of recent successes, including coming sixth in the time trial at the 2018 Commonwealth Games despite injury. The rider would have slotted back into the world of top cycling if it weren't for the accident, his barrister said, detailing how it has plagued Mr McLaughlin with poor concentration, memory, anxiety and distress. It was also heard a neuropsychologist who examined him considered he had suffered concussion due to his head being 'shaken around' in the crash. However, Lionel Stride - representing the insurers - challenged the existence of a 'mild traumatic brain injury', saying there was no mention of Mr McLaughlin suffering a blow to the head at the time of the accident. 'He came into contact with a car door at speed and was subsequently thrown off and hit the ground, with an orthopaedic injury to his right shoulder,' he told Judge Jane Evans-Gordon. 'There was no mention of a blow to his head.' A pre-trial hearing was held over whether Mr McLaughlin should be allowed to rely on further medical evidence from neurologists focusing on whether concussion and a 'minor traumatic brain injury' could be the root cause of his current problems. However when Mr McLaughlin arrived with his support dog Barley on a lead, he was told by the judge that his pet would have to be excluded as the rules normally only allow guide dogs inside. 'If it's an emotional support animal, they're not normally allowed into court, not least because they're not properly trained like guide dogs,' she explained to the cyclist's KC. 'At least it's a dog and not an exotic animal.' Allowing in the new evidence, the judge said Mr McLaughlin came to grief 'when a car door was opened across a bicycle lane in front of him'. 'Apart from physical injuries primarily to his shoulder and elbow, the claimant has suffered with psychological problems following the accident,' she said. 'The psychological problems include PTSD, phobic anxiety and depression. Although he has undergone psychiatric treatment with an eminent psychiatrist, his symptoms have not improved as much as might have been hoped.' She added that Mr McLaughlin is convinced he suffered a brain injury in the collision and 'that this has an impact on his long-term employment prospects'. On top of medical evidence, lawyers have also obtained reports from sports scientists about how Mr McLaughlin's cycling career prospects were impacted by the incident, the court heard. 'It appears to be common ground that the claimant was an elite cyclist and had the potential to be a high achiever in the event that he returned to the world of elite cycling,' the judge noted. 'If his psychological symptoms have a non-organic cause, then they are likely to resolve in due course,' she said. However if the injuries were 'organic' such as a mild traumatic brain injury, they would not improve and 'are likely to have a significant impact on his future earning potential.' After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge agreed to admit the neurological evidence, which she said concerned a 'very significant issue for him'. 'It could make a difference of approaching £400,000 to his loss of earnings claim,' she said. A full trial of the claim was originally due to take place later this year, but that may now have to be delayed due to the new neurological reports. 'Car dooring' accidents occur when a driver or passenger of a vehicle opens its door into the path of a cyclist, giving them little or no opportunity to stop. According to Cycling UK, at least 500 cyclists in Britain are known to be injured every year in dooring incidents, although the true number is thought to be much greater.
Gulf Today
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
L'Étape Dubai by Tour de France returns for second edition in January
Following its successful debut in February this year, L'Étape Dubai by Tour de France will return for its second edition on Jan. 25 2026. Organised with the support of official partner Skoda and government partner Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the world-class cycling event is set to attract even more participants, while offering an expanded weekend program of activities for all of the family. The inaugural edition of L'Étape Dubai welcomed over 1,000 participants, including 243 international riders and 266 Emiratis, making it the largest first-edition amateur cycling event of its kind in the UAE. The race featured 101 km and 50 km competitive courses, a 20 km family-friendly ride and kids' races, passing key landmarks across the city. Reinforcing its status as the premier platform for amateur cyclists to experience the spirit of the Tour de France in the Middle East, the 2026 edition of L'Étape Dubai aims to build on this momentum by increasing participation to a total 2,000 cyclists across the various categories. Pre-registration opens on 27 July 2025, offering a 15% early-bird discount ahead of the official registration launch in September. In addition to the main race, the 2026 weekend program will expand its community and family engagement elements. The (Jan.24) will once again host the popular, non-competitive Family Ride and Kids' Races, with new initiatives and family-oriented activities led by Skoda, welcoming even greater participation of families and first-time riders. The weekend will also feature an enhanced fan village and broader race village activations, with community cycling activities being planned after the summer in the lead-up to the race. The 2026 edition of L'Étape Dubai is also set to welcome legendary former Tour de France riders to the UAE, building on the participation of three former Tour de France riders in 2025. Essa Sharif, Director of the Sports Events Department at the Dubai Sports Council, said: 'We are delighted to welcome this truly world-famous race back to Dubai, following the huge success of the inaugural edition held in 2024, that witnessed the participation of more than 1,000 amateur cyclists of various nationalities from within and outside the country. 'I am confident that the next edition will be even more successful, thanks to the heightened stature of cycling in Dubai and the availability of tracks extending hundreds of kilometers across the city. This is in addition to the increasing number of people practicing this wonderful sport, and the extensive experience of the Dubai Sports Council and the organising committee in hosting cycling races.' He further added: 'The race will be held in January, at a time when we enjoy wonderful weather, and I feel this will be the perfect opening to a busy season of international cycling races in Dubai. The race routes will be carefully selected to allow thousands of participants to enjoy cycling in the most beautiful areas and destinations in Dubai, which boasts a variety of unique cultural, tourist and residential landmarks. Participating in this race will be an unforgettable experience that will remain in the participants' memories and in their records of achievements.' Antoine Quiers of A.S.O, organisers of the Tour de France, said: 'After this successful first year, we are very proud to announce that L'Étape Dubai by Tour de France will come back to the UAE for a second edition. At A.S.O. we are already looking forward to the next edition. Thanks to the priceless support of the key stakeholders, including Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Police, Škoda Middle East, and all the event sponsors we are certain that L'Étape Dubai will be even more successful in 2026. Together, we will once again bring the magic of the Tour de France to Dubai!' Fairouz Al Qazi, race director of L'Étape Dubai by Tour de France powered by Skoda, commented: 'The first year of the event confirmed that road cycling is booming in Dubai and throughout the Emirates and I am extremely happy and proud that today we can announce the date for 2026 as well as the launch of the pre-registration period for the second edition. We would like to thank Škoda Middle East, Dubai Sport Council and Dubai Police, as well as our other partners for their support and we look forward to another cycling adventure.
