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The 42
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
Ben Healy pipped to second by French winner in sensational finish to Mont Ventoux stage
IRELAND'S BEN HEALY was pipped to second by France's Valentin Paret-Peintre in a sensational sprint finish to stage 16 of the Tour de France. After a gruelling four hours from Montpellier, Paret-Peintre beat Healy up the final hill of the Mont Ventoux stage to become the first French stage winner at this year's Tour. Healy, who won the sixth stage and previously wore the overall leader's yellow jersey, made his final charge with 350 metres remaining and led around the hairpin. But it was home hero Paret-Peintre who rounded him on the last slope to win the stage by a couple of bike lengths, sending the French fans atop the 1910m altitude mountain ecstatic. Behind Paret-Peintre and Healy, Jonas Vingegaard attacked overall leader Tadej Pogacar relentlessly but the defending champion tracked the Dane all the way up the 15km ascent to extend his lead by two seconds. Trailing by four minutes and 13 seconds at the start of this stage, Vingegaard attacked with 9 kilometres to climb on Mont Ventoux, whose eery upper reaches resemble a lunar landscape. Advertisement He and Pogacar were eclipsed, however, by a frantic fight for the line and the stage win between EF's Healy and Soudal Quick-Step's Paret-Peintre who relieved home hopes on a Tour raced entirely on French soil. Vingegaard and his Visma team did everything they could to hurt the Team UAE leader Pogacar, but the 26-year-old resisted all they threw at him despite being isolated from his teammates early in the climb which is already etched into Tour folklore after epic past battles. Chris Froome ran part of the way up during a frantic wait for mechanical assistance, while even the great Eddy Merckx once needed oxygen at the summit. Tom Simpson died here in 1967 after collapsing on a baking climb but asking to be helped back onto the saddle. Stage 17 should be one for the sprinters as Tim Merlier hopes to add to his two stage wins and current green jersey Jonathan Milan also targets a second win at the 700m straight run to the finish line at Valence. The weather however could rewrite the script with 50kph winds forecast along the 170km run. – © AFP 2025
France 24
3 hours ago
- Sport
- France 24
Paret-Peintre delivers Tour de France home win in Mont Ventoux thriller
Behind them Jonas Vingegaard attacked overall leader Tadej Pogacar relentlessly but the defending champion tracked the Dane all the way up the 15km ascent to extend his lead by two seconds. Trailing by 4min 13sec at the start of this stage Vingegaard attacked with 9km to climb on Mont Ventoux, whose eery upper reaches resemble a lunar landscape They were eclipsed, however, by a frantic fight for the line and the stage win between EF's Healy and Soudal Quick-Step;s Paret-Peintre who relieved home hopes on a Tour raced entirely on French soil. Vingegaard and his Visma team did everything they could to hurt the Team UAE leader Pogacar, but the 26-year-old resisted all they threw at him despite being isolated from his teammates early in the climb which is already etched into Tour folklore after epic past battles. Chris Froome ran part of the way up during a frantic wait for mechanical assistance, while even the great Eddy Merckx once needed oxygen at the summit. Tom Simpson died here in 1967 after collapsing on a baking climb but asking to be helped back onto the saddle. Stage 17 should be one for the sprinters as Tim Merlier hopes to add to his two stage wins and current green jersey Jonathan Milan also targets a second win at the 700m straight run to the finish line at Valence. The weather however could rewrite the script with 50kph winds forecast along the 170km run.
Dubai Eye
4 days ago
- Sport
- Dubai Eye
Tour de France: Pogacar leaves Vingegaard shattered in first mountain test
Tadej Pogacar unleashed a vintage assault on the unforgiving slopes of Hautacam, crushing the Tour de France 12th stage and leaving chief rival Jonas Vingegaard gasping for air and clinging to fading hopes on a brutal, suffocating Thursday. The world champion took no prisoners in the 13.5-km climb at 7.8% in stifling heat as two-time Tour winner Vingegaard finished two minutes and 10 seconds behind and now trails the defending champion by a massive 3:31 after the first high-mountain stage. It was a sweet revenge for UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader Pogacar, who was humiliated by Vingegaard on that same climb three years ago, when the Dane was on his way to snatching his first title in the world's biggest race. "I had always been looking forward to this climb then came the Tour de France 2022, that year I was trying to get the yellow jersey but Visma were too strong back then," a beaming Pogacar said. "I almost had forgotten about this and then everyone came to me saying this is revenge time and then we approached the bottom of the climb and it was just a reverse story of a few years ago." German Florian Lipowitz took third place after the 180.6 kilometre ride from Auch, 13 seconds behind Vingegaard, whose Visma-Lease a Bike team failed to live up to the hype, three years after a tactical coup had trapped Pogacar. Podium hopeful Remco Evenepoel was dropped early in the Col du Soulor, showing his limits in the first high-mountain stage. Although he fought his way back in the descent, his face a mask of pain, the Olympic champion cracked in the final climb and now sits 4:45 behind Pogacar, still in third place overall. Simon Yates and Matteo Jorgenson, two of Vingegaard's lieutenants for the mountain stages, also struggled and were of no help to their leader when it mattered. Frenchman Bruno Armirail, the last survivor of the morning breakaway, reached the foot of the climb to Hautacam with a two-minute lead over the favourites' group. VINGEGAARD DISTRESS It was never going to be enough of a cushion and Pogacar's teammate Jhonatan Narvaez's brutal acceleration 12.5km from the top was too much to handle for everyone but Vingegaard. However, he could not hold the Slovenian's wheel when he attacked. The world champion took his ear-piece off, cutting communications with his team to focus on his effort as Vingegaard, his face showing his distress, saw his rival disappear in the bends. The Dane managed to stay within 20 seconds for four kilometres before fading as Pogacar cut through the stuffiness. His advantage continued to grow, breaking the two-minute barrier as Vingegaard crumpled on his bike as if crushed by the weight of disappointment. "I think Jonas was feeling well today but on the last climb Tadej was clearly the best and in the end Jonas also suffered a lot," Visma-Lease a Bike sports director Grischa Niermann said. There had been some hope, for Pogacar's rivals, that he would suffer from ill effects from his crash on Wednesday, but the only sign came from the Slovenian's bandaged arm. "For sure you don't know how your body reacts after a crash but it was not too bad. I feel it in my hip but only if I do acrobatics. But I'm just riding a bike," Pogacar said with a smile. Pogacar will now be looking for a fourth stage victory in Friday's mountain time trial, a 10.9km effort up to Peyragudes.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Vintage Pogacar leaves Vingegaard shattered in first mountain test
HAUTACAM, France - Tadej Pogacar unleashed a vintage assault on the unforgiving slopes of Hautacam, crushing the Tour de France 12th stage and leaving chief rival Jonas Vingegaard gasping for air and clinging to fading hopes on a brutal, suffocating Thursday. The world champion took no prisoners in the 13.5-km climb at 7.8% in stifling heat as two-time Tour winner Vingegaard finished two minutes and 10 seconds behind and now trails the defending champion by a massive 3:31 after the first high-mountain stage. It was a sweet revenge for UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader Pogacar, who was humiliated by Vingegaard on that same climb three years ago, when the Dane was on his way to snatching his first title in the world's biggest race. "I had always been looking forward to this climb then came the Tour de France 2022, that year I was trying to get the yellow jersey but Visma were too strong back then," a beaming Pogacar said. "I almost had forgotten about this and then everyone came to me saying this is revenge time and then we approached the bottom of the climb and it was just a reverse story of a few years ago." German Florian Lipowitz took third place after the 180.6 kilometre ride from Auch, 13 seconds behind Vingegaard, whose Visma-Lease a Bike team failed to live up to the hype, three years after a tactical coup had trapped Pogacar. Podium hopeful Remco Evenepoel was dropped early in the Col du Soulor, showing his limits in the first high-mountain stage. Although he fought his way back in the descent, his face a mask of pain, the Olympic champion cracked in the final climb and now sits 4:45 behind Pogacar, still in third place overall. Simon Yates and Matteo Jorgenson, two of Vingegaard's lieutenants for the mountain stages, also struggled and were of no help to their leader when it mattered. Frenchman Bruno Armirail, the last survivor of the morning breakaway, reached the foot of the climb to Hautacam with a two-minute lead over the favourites' group. VINGEGAARD DISTRESS It was never going to be enough of a cushion and Pogacar's teammate Jhonatan Narvaez's brutal acceleration 12.5km from the top was too much to handle for everyone but Vingegaard. However, he could not hold the Slovenian's wheel when he attacked. The world champion took his ear-piece off, cutting communications with his team to focus on his effort as Vingegaard, his face showing his distress, saw his rival disappear in the bends. The Dane managed to stay within 20 seconds for four kilometres before fading as Pogacar cut through the stuffiness. His advantage continued to grow, breaking the two-minute barrier as Vingegaard crumpled on his bike as if crushed by the weight of disappointment. "I think Jonas was feeling well today but on the last climb Tadej was clearly the best and in the end Jonas also suffered a lot," Visma-Lease a Bike sports director Grischa Niermann said. There had been some hope, for Pogacar's rivals, that he would suffer from ill effects from his crash on Wednesday, but the only sign came from the Slovenian's bandaged arm. "For sure you don't know how your body reacts after a crash but it was not too bad. I feel it in my hip but only if I do acrobatics. But I'm just riding a bike," Pogacar said with a smile. Pogacar will now be looking for a fourth stage victory in Friday's mountain time trial, a 10.9km effort up to Peyragudes. "It will be harder tomorrow, and even harder the day after," Pogacar said of the two upcoming stages in the Pyrenees. REUTERS
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Tadej Pogacar wins Tour de France Stage 12, takes yellow jersey
UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar celebrates winning Stage 12 of the Tour de France from Auch to Hautacam on July 17, 2025. – Tadej Pogacar reclaimed the leader's yellow jersey at the Tour de France with an imperious Stage 12 triumph on the Hautacam mountain in the Pyrenees on July 17. Pogacar skipped away on an 11km solo ascent of the fabled climb to finish 2min 10sec ahead of key rival Jonas Vingegaard while overnight leader Ben Healy wilted to a 13min deficit on the day. French president Emmanuel Macron was on hand at the mountaintop finish to congratulate the Slovenian UAE Team Emirates rider. Said Pogacar: 'I knew first time I rode Hautacam, for recon, it's a super nice climb. Then it came in 2022. I was trying with my 'head through the wall to get back the yellow jersey, but Visma were too strong back then. 'I forgot about this, I was just looking forward to today, but then all the people were saying (before this stage): 'It is revenge time, blah blah blah.'' Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel dug deep after being dropped on the first of three climbs to claw back level, before eventually losing 3min 35sec on the day's 180.6km ride from Auch, finishing seventh. In the overall standings, Pogacar now leads the Tour de France by 3min 31sec over Denmark's Vingegaard while Evenepoel is third a daunting 4min 45sec adrift. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho Asia Air India probe into Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment Singapore Two women jailed for submitting fake university certificates to MOM for employment passes Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail Worse for any pretenders hoping to stop the defending champion is that Stage 13 on July 18 comes in the shape of an uphill individual time-trial that the Slovenian said this week he was looking forward to. Overnight leader Healy took a beating on his second day defending the yellow jersey as the EF rider slipped off the pace on the first climb, while doggedly trying to limit his losses. He is now eleventh, over 13 minutes behind Pogacar. Meanwhile, Norwegian cyclist Tobias Johannessen said he was 'terrified' by the online abuse he received after admitting fault over Pogacar's crash near the end of Stage 11 on July 16. Pogacar hit the tarmac late in the 156.8km stage around Toulouse after striking the rear wheel of Johannessen. Pogacar said after Stage 12 on July 17: 'You don't know how the body reacts after the crash. It was not too bad. I feel my hip but only when I do acrobatics. But here I am just riding the bike. I sweat a bit more, but maybe it's good.' Johannessen quickly apologised for the incident but expressed his horror at the 'very scary' messages of hatred directed his way. 'I am terribly sorry for what happened to (Pogacar),' Johannessen wrote on X. 'I was trying to follow a move and I can see that I was to close. I thought everyone would move to the right, but I made a mistake and would like to say sorry again. I hope he is as good as he can be after a crash like that. 'I would of course like to do it again and do it differently, but I can't. 'But I would not wish anyone the amount of threats I get in my inbox. I am terribly sorry but also terrified of the hate from all the people. This feels very scary.' Frenchman Bryan Coquard came in for similar treatment after he was involved in the crash that knocked Belgium's Jasper Philipsen out of the race on Stage 3. Philipsen, who won the opening stage in Lille, was forced to withdraw after suffering a broken collarbone and two fractured ribs, but said he did not blame Coquard. AFP
