Latest news with #TouroftheBasqueCountry
Leader Live
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Pogacar chases quadruple, Thomas bids farewell – 5 Tour de France talking points
Here the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the 112th edition. A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar) Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is the overwhelming favourite to wear yellow in Paris and move level with Chris Froome on four career titles. And why not? The 26-year-old was outstanding last season, completing the Triple Crown of the Giro, Tour and world title, and has continued to pile up the wins this term. But two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard is ready to resume his now familiar rivalry with the Slovenian confident he is much closer to the form that saw him win in 2022 and 2023 than he was last year, when a devastating crash at the Tour of the Basque Country almost ruled him out of the Tour entirely. With Remco Evenepoel continuing to step forward and Primoz Roglic also racing after the early end of his Giro hopes, there are others who cannot be ignored. The Philipsen-van der Poel train is back on the #TDF2025 💚 Le train @JasperPhilipsen–@mathieuvdpoel est de retour sur le #TDF2025 🚄 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2025 Predicting the sprint stages looks a difficult task this year. Tim Merlier arrives with the most wins, 10, of any of the quick men, but only one Tour victory to his name in his only previous appearance back in 2021. Difficult terrain means there are few pure sprints, something that might seem to favour Jasper Philipsen, who won three stages last year to take his Tour career tally to nine, but his Soudal Quick-Step team have split priorities as Evenepoel eyes yellow. Tour debutant Jonathan Milan could profit from the more difficult finishes, but the parcours also suits Biniam Girmay, winner of three stages last year. Geraint Thomas will start cycling's biggest race for the 14th and final time before retirement. His overall victory in 2018 was arguably the finest moment of a career that began with Olympic glory on the track, but his relationship with the Tour is a deeper story. Many fans fondly remember how he rode 20 stages of the 2013 race with a broken pelvis, determined to help Froome to victory at great personal cost. After the retirement of Mark Cavendish last year, the fact Froome has likely ridden his last Tour and the impending retirements of both Thomas and Lizzie Deignan, it feels like the end of an era for British cycling. After last year's Olympics forced the Tour to swerve the French capital for the first time in race history, the now traditional finish on the Champs-Elysees will return in 2025. Before then a race that takes place entirely within the borders of France will challenge the riders with more than 50,000m of elevation, but also an unusually tricky opening week in the north of the country before the Pyrenees and Alps serve up their usual punishment. Tour de France- here we come 😁 — Lewis Askey (@LewisAskey) June 30, 2025 Eleven Brits are due to start the race, including freshly-minted Giro champion Simon Yates, riding in support in Vingegaard, and twin brother Adam, supporting Pogacar. While Thomas waves goodbye, younger riders like Fred Wright, Oscar Onley and Lewis Askey will seek their breakaway opportunities. Jake Stewart lines up for his second Tour, while Sean Flynn and Joe Blackmore make their debuts. Connor Swift and new British champion Sam Watson, another debutant, join Thomas in the Ineos Grenadiers squad.
Rhyl Journal
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Pogacar chases quadruple, Thomas bids farewell – 5 Tour de France talking points
Here the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the 112th edition. A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar) Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is the overwhelming favourite to wear yellow in Paris and move level with Chris Froome on four career titles. And why not? The 26-year-old was outstanding last season, completing the Triple Crown of the Giro, Tour and world title, and has continued to pile up the wins this term. But two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard is ready to resume his now familiar rivalry with the Slovenian confident he is much closer to the form that saw him win in 2022 and 2023 than he was last year, when a devastating crash at the Tour of the Basque Country almost ruled him out of the Tour entirely. With Remco Evenepoel continuing to step forward and Primoz Roglic also racing after the early end of his Giro hopes, there are others who cannot be ignored. The Philipsen-van der Poel train is back on the #TDF2025 💚 Le train @JasperPhilipsen–@mathieuvdpoel est de retour sur le #TDF2025 🚄 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2025 Predicting the sprint stages looks a difficult task this year. Tim Merlier arrives with the most wins, 10, of any of the quick men, but only one Tour victory to his name in his only previous appearance back in 2021. Difficult terrain means there are few pure sprints, something that might seem to favour Jasper Philipsen, who won three stages last year to take his Tour career tally to nine, but his Soudal Quick-Step team have split priorities as Evenepoel eyes yellow. Tour debutant Jonathan Milan could profit from the more difficult finishes, but the parcours also suits Biniam Girmay, winner of three stages last year. Geraint Thomas will start cycling's biggest race for the 14th and final time before retirement. His overall victory in 2018 was arguably the finest moment of a career that began with Olympic glory on the track, but his relationship with the Tour is a deeper story. Many fans fondly remember how he rode 20 stages of the 2013 race with a broken pelvis, determined to help Froome to victory at great personal cost. After the retirement of Mark Cavendish last year, the fact Froome has likely ridden his last Tour and the impending retirements of both Thomas and Lizzie Deignan, it feels like the end of an era for British cycling. After last year's Olympics forced the Tour to swerve the French capital for the first time in race history, the now traditional finish on the Champs-Elysees will return in 2025. Before then a race that takes place entirely within the borders of France will challenge the riders with more than 50,000m of elevation, but also an unusually tricky opening week in the north of the country before the Pyrenees and Alps serve up their usual punishment. Tour de France- here we come 😁 — Lewis Askey (@LewisAskey) June 30, 2025 Eleven Brits are due to start the race, including freshly-minted Giro champion Simon Yates, riding in support in Vingegaard, and twin brother Adam, supporting Pogacar. While Thomas waves goodbye, younger riders like Fred Wright, Oscar Onley and Lewis Askey will seek their breakaway opportunities. Jake Stewart lines up for his second Tour, while Sean Flynn and Joe Blackmore make their debuts. Connor Swift and new British champion Sam Watson, another debutant, join Thomas in the Ineos Grenadiers squad.
North Wales Chronicle
03-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Pogacar chases quadruple, Thomas bids farewell – 5 Tour de France talking points
Here the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the 112th edition. A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar) Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is the overwhelming favourite to wear yellow in Paris and move level with Chris Froome on four career titles. And why not? The 26-year-old was outstanding last season, completing the Triple Crown of the Giro, Tour and world title, and has continued to pile up the wins this term. But two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard is ready to resume his now familiar rivalry with the Slovenian confident he is much closer to the form that saw him win in 2022 and 2023 than he was last year, when a devastating crash at the Tour of the Basque Country almost ruled him out of the Tour entirely. With Remco Evenepoel continuing to step forward and Primoz Roglic also racing after the early end of his Giro hopes, there are others who cannot be ignored. The Philipsen-van der Poel train is back on the #TDF2025 💚 Le train @JasperPhilipsen–@mathieuvdpoel est de retour sur le #TDF2025 🚄 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2025 Predicting the sprint stages looks a difficult task this year. Tim Merlier arrives with the most wins, 10, of any of the quick men, but only one Tour victory to his name in his only previous appearance back in 2021. Difficult terrain means there are few pure sprints, something that might seem to favour Jasper Philipsen, who won three stages last year to take his Tour career tally to nine, but his Soudal Quick-Step team have split priorities as Evenepoel eyes yellow. Tour debutant Jonathan Milan could profit from the more difficult finishes, but the parcours also suits Biniam Girmay, winner of three stages last year. Geraint Thomas will start cycling's biggest race for the 14th and final time before retirement. His overall victory in 2018 was arguably the finest moment of a career that began with Olympic glory on the track, but his relationship with the Tour is a deeper story. Many fans fondly remember how he rode 20 stages of the 2013 race with a broken pelvis, determined to help Froome to victory at great personal cost. After the retirement of Mark Cavendish last year, the fact Froome has likely ridden his last Tour and the impending retirements of both Thomas and Lizzie Deignan, it feels like the end of an era for British cycling. After last year's Olympics forced the Tour to swerve the French capital for the first time in race history, the now traditional finish on the Champs-Elysees will return in 2025. Before then a race that takes place entirely within the borders of France will challenge the riders with more than 50,000m of elevation, but also an unusually tricky opening week in the north of the country before the Pyrenees and Alps serve up their usual punishment. Tour de France- here we come 😁 — Lewis Askey (@LewisAskey) June 30, 2025 Eleven Brits are due to start the race, including freshly-minted Giro champion Simon Yates, riding in support in Vingegaard, and twin brother Adam, supporting Pogacar. While Thomas waves goodbye, younger riders like Fred Wright, Oscar Onley and Lewis Askey will seek their breakaway opportunities. Jake Stewart lines up for his second Tour, while Sean Flynn and Joe Blackmore make their debuts. Connor Swift and new British champion Sam Watson, another debutant, join Thomas in the Ineos Grenadiers squad.
South Wales Guardian
03-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Pogacar chases quadruple, Thomas bids farewell – 5 Tour de France talking points
Here the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the 112th edition. A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar) Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is the overwhelming favourite to wear yellow in Paris and move level with Chris Froome on four career titles. And why not? The 26-year-old was outstanding last season, completing the Triple Crown of the Giro, Tour and world title, and has continued to pile up the wins this term. But two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard is ready to resume his now familiar rivalry with the Slovenian confident he is much closer to the form that saw him win in 2022 and 2023 than he was last year, when a devastating crash at the Tour of the Basque Country almost ruled him out of the Tour entirely. With Remco Evenepoel continuing to step forward and Primoz Roglic also racing after the early end of his Giro hopes, there are others who cannot be ignored. The Philipsen-van der Poel train is back on the #TDF2025 💚 Le train @JasperPhilipsen–@mathieuvdpoel est de retour sur le #TDF2025 🚄 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2025 Predicting the sprint stages looks a difficult task this year. Tim Merlier arrives with the most wins, 10, of any of the quick men, but only one Tour victory to his name in his only previous appearance back in 2021. Difficult terrain means there are few pure sprints, something that might seem to favour Jasper Philipsen, who won three stages last year to take his Tour career tally to nine, but his Soudal Quick-Step team have split priorities as Evenepoel eyes yellow. Tour debutant Jonathan Milan could profit from the more difficult finishes, but the parcours also suits Biniam Girmay, winner of three stages last year. Geraint Thomas will start cycling's biggest race for the 14th and final time before retirement. His overall victory in 2018 was arguably the finest moment of a career that began with Olympic glory on the track, but his relationship with the Tour is a deeper story. Many fans fondly remember how he rode 20 stages of the 2013 race with a broken pelvis, determined to help Froome to victory at great personal cost. After the retirement of Mark Cavendish last year, the fact Froome has likely ridden his last Tour and the impending retirements of both Thomas and Lizzie Deignan, it feels like the end of an era for British cycling. After last year's Olympics forced the Tour to swerve the French capital for the first time in race history, the now traditional finish on the Champs-Elysees will return in 2025. Before then a race that takes place entirely within the borders of France will challenge the riders with more than 50,000m of elevation, but also an unusually tricky opening week in the north of the country before the Pyrenees and Alps serve up their usual punishment. Tour de France- here we come 😁 — Lewis Askey (@LewisAskey) June 30, 2025 Eleven Brits are due to start the race, including freshly-minted Giro champion Simon Yates, riding in support in Vingegaard, and twin brother Adam, supporting Pogacar. While Thomas waves goodbye, younger riders like Fred Wright, Oscar Onley and Lewis Askey will seek their breakaway opportunities. Jake Stewart lines up for his second Tour, while Sean Flynn and Joe Blackmore make their debuts. Connor Swift and new British champion Sam Watson, another debutant, join Thomas in the Ineos Grenadiers squad.
The South African
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Tour de France
A star-studded line-up sets off on the 2025 Tour de France from Lille on Saturday for one of the most keenly awaited editions of the 21-day race in recent times. Below, a look at the key competitors this year: The ever-improving 2024 triple crown winner is once again the man to beat at the Tour de France. The passionate competitor who always races to win is gifted with an unanswerable uphill kick, world-class handling skills and a deep reserve of mental and physical stamina. He has won the Tour de France three times (2020, 2021 and 2024), the Giro d'Italia, the world title and nine of the one-day monument races. A self-described 'good boy from a good family taking no short cuts in life', he has both swagger and modesty to go with his new deal worth €50 million over the next six years. Jonas Vingegaard's hopes of a third straight title in 2024 were shattered by a harrowing crash earlier in the year © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP The softly-spoken and slightly-built Vingegaard is the man with the plan and has beaten Pogacar hands down twice to prove it. After a near-death crash at the Tour of the Basque Country in 2024, he rode beyond expectations at the Tour to come second, due as much to tactical acumen as to force. He grew up in a remote corner of Denmark racing into bleak coastal winds, but is most at home in intense heat in the high mountains. Of the favourites he is the most adept climber and descender and has made a virtue of meticulous tactical planning and patience. Small wonder that 'the little guy' emerged from a big squad packed with climbers as the expansive-thinking Visma's lead man. Olympic and world champion individual time trialist Remco Evenepoel © DAVID PINTENS / Belga/AFP Who could forget Evenepoel's iconic moments at the Paris Olympic Games, posing at the finish line with the Eiffel Tower behind him as he added the road race gold to the time-trial title. He had been tipped to win both at Tokyo, before falling into a ravine and taking two years to get back on form. Evenepoel can now target a Tour de France title, but may need to change teams to a Grand Tour-minded outfit to do so. Long-range stamina and mind-bending acceleration are the skills that mark him out from his rivals. He can certainly expect to defend the best young rider's white jersey and third-place finish he achieved in 2024. Primoz Roglic has failed to finish the Tour de France on each of his last three appearances in the race © Luca Bettini / AFP/File Possibly the strongest athlete in the field, time is running out for the 35-year-old Roglic to bury his 2020 sorrows by winning a Tour de France. His last-day meltdown on the Planche des Belles Filles time trial as Pogacar snatched the title was an excruciating spectacle. Roglic discovered cycling while doing physio for a harrowing ski-jump accident, and perhaps lacks the handling reflexes Pogacar learned as a child. His new team Red Bull have given him carte blanche at the Grande Boucle, assuming he can avoid the rotten luck that has blighted his Tour de France campaigns. He would make a popular winner to crown a career that features four Vuelta a Espana wins and one Giro title. Adam and Simon Yates at the Giro in May © Luca Bettini / AFP Egan Bernal in 2019, Pogacar in 2020 and Vingegaard in 2022 all upset the odds to win unforgettable titles. So who are the riders to watch out for in 2025 with ambitions to upset the established order? Should something happen to either Pogacar or Vingegaard, the pair are backed up by Adam and Simon Yates respectively. The British twins are both noted climbers and descenders, and Simon has already won the Giro and the Vuelta. Beyond the big four teams there is also sleeping giant Ineos with Spanish climber Carlos Rodriguez, Lidl-Trek's Danish all-rounder Mattias Skjelmose and Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious, who would be a first French winner in four decades. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
