Pogacar claims fourth stage win to extend lead as fourth title looms
The defending champion dominated the eight-kilometre climb at 7.9% to clock 23 minutes and beat Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard by a massive 36 seconds, a day after dealing a significant blow to his closest rival in the first major mountain stage in the Pyrenees.
Fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic took third place, 1:40 off the pace, while Belgian Remco Evenepoel hung on to third place overall by the skin of his teeth following a disappointing effort that saw him finish 2:39 behind Pogacar.
After his fourth stage win in this year's race, UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider Pogacar leads Vingegaard by 4:07 and Evenepoel by 7:24.
German Florian Lipowitz showed great form again and trails Evenepoel by six seconds.
Pogacar picked a regular road bike for the solo effort against the clock while Evenepoel and Vingegaard opted for a time trial bike - heavier but with better aerodynamics.
It was quickly clear that regardless of those calculations, Pogacar was again the strongest rider as he posted the best time on the brief flat portion ahead of the main ascent before further extending his advantage.
"I'm super happy. This time trial was a question mark for me back in December. I wanted everything to be perfect, and the team delivered - everything was on point," he told reporters.
"I was targeting to go all out from start to finish. I almost blew up at the end, but when I saw I was going to win at the finish, it gave me an extra push."
The 26-year-old said it had been a close call between the road and the TT bike, but in the end he chose the most comfortable ride.
"The biggest decision was which bike to ride today. Obviously, we ride road bikes all year round, but we did the calculations and the time ended up about the same. So I decided to go with what I felt more confident on."
Pogacar went full gas from the start. "My tactic was simple: go all out from the bottom to the top," he said. "At the first time check, I saw I was five seconds ahead - that gave me confidence. The second split was even better," he explained.
"Basically, I was trying not to blow up in the first part. I almost did in the end - maybe in the last kilometre. From 3 to 2 km to go, I reset a bit because that last kick is super steep."
Pogacar will now go for a hat-trick of stage wins on Saturday, when the 14th stage will take the peloton from Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres with the awe-inspiring climbs of the Col d'Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, Col de Peyresourde before the final ascent, a 12.4-km effort at 7.3%.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Inside Lionesses' Euros triumph over Spain: How one brave call from Sarina Wiegman led to another magical night and cemented her status as England's greatest manager, writes TARA ANSON-WALSH
There was an air of calm around the Movenpick Hotel in Basel on Sunday morning as the Lionesses set out on their matchday walk. They wandered around the block, largely undisturbed, save for a steady procession of fans trailing behind in a Pied Piper-esque march. On their return, the players slipped into their usual routines. Leah Williamson and Chloe Kelly disappeared for their pre-match naps, while Michelle Agyemang found her focus at the piano. The 19-year-old played for two hours – mostly gospel – completely absorbed in the movement of her fingers across the 88 keys. As they have throughout this tournament, England settled naturally into their roles and rhythms. Like everything else in Switzerland, it all ran to time. So why, then, do so many still question Sarina Wiegman – herself a known stickler for punctuality – and her management of a match? She is endlessly criticised for her predictability, yet here she stands with a third trophy in her grasp. Wiegman is the most successful manager in English footballing history, and she clearly deserves every accolade and then some. She's made following this England side a privilege. Where questions of entitlement may have arisen following the 2022 success and 2023 World Cup final qualification, she kept the team grounded – and delivered again. So, bearing all that in mind, if Wiegman wasn't going to change her starting XI before the final, she was hardly going to start experimenting on the biggest night of all. That's simply how the Dutch coach operates. Every player knows their job – and Alessia Russo remains England's first-choice striker. The decision to stick with Russo – who had only scored once all tournament, against Wales – was justified by the tireless off-the-ball work she brings. With the No 23 on the back of her shirt in a nod to basketball legend Michael Jordan, Russo rattled Spain early on when Williamson's dinked ball over the top set her free. She surged into the box and let fly, but was turned away smartly by Spain's No 1, Cata Coll. Russo is perfectly suited to playing against sides like Spain – who typically sit deep and pass with patience. But the world champions sprung a surprise in the final, coming out with greater intent and aggression than in any of their previous knockout games. After that early chance went begging, Russo remained busy – chasing down loose balls, pressing high, disrupting the Spanish build-up. Her selfless, relentless running once again on full display. By half-time, it looked like another industrious shift would go unrewarded – just as it had in the previous two knockout matches. But then the moment came, and Russo seized it. And fittingly, it came from her new permanent Arsenal team-mate, Chloe Kelly. There may not be enough words to capture Kelly's contribution to England this summer. Once again, she stepped up, slicing a ball in from the corner of the 18-yard box that dipped and curled beautifully into Russo's path. Falling backwards, the striker managed to steer a header goalwards. The roar that followed was deafening and the relief was etched across Russo's face. If ever there was a time to break her knockout-stage scoring duck, this was it. Remarkably, the goal also took Russo to the top of England's goal involvement tally at Euro 2025 – adding to the three assists she produced against the Netherlands. Wiegman, so often criticised for her reluctance to make changes, then made the most surprising call of the night, replacing Russo just 14 minutes later with Agyemang. Agyemang has been the ideal impact sub when England have needed a presence in the box. But this wasn't the moment. This was a midfield battle, and Russo had been instrumental in dropping deep to support the defence. With her gone, England lost their outlet. To her credit, the 19-year-old did her job when England needed her to help out at the back – but for the first time in three appearances, she couldn't find the back of the net. A testament to the newfound expectations of this kid to spring a surprise. As it turned out, it didn't matter, because England were soon faced with the brutal tension of a penalty shoot-out. The players with gold medals around their necks certainly think it's time to trust Wiegman Beth Mead, who had had another excellent game off the bench, fell on the wrong side of luck by first scoring despite slipping in the run-up. VAR overruled the initial goal and Mead was forced to take again, going the opposite side. Hannah Hampton saved twice and then Kelly stepped up to make history with this team once again. Kelly was Wiegman's brightest spark on the night in attack, slotting in well after being called upon in the first half to rescue an embattled Lauren James, whose ankle injury had finally caught up with her despite training well on the eve of the match. And then, with an aura of someone who was genuinely enjoying being in that position, kicked England to glory once again. It simply had to be her. So, after all this, is it time to finally trust that Wiegman knows what she's doing? The players with gold medals around their necks certainly think so.
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
Euro 2025: Reaction as England retain title with dramatic shootout win over Spain
Update: Date: 07:20 BST Title: Watch highlights Content: If you missed anything, or simply want to relive it again, here are the highlights from the Euro 2025 final. This video can not be played England beat Spain on penalties to win Euro 2025 Update: Date: 07:15 BST Title: Kelly settles it with helping hand from Hampton Content: England 1-1 Spain (3-1 on pens) England cemented their place in history with a stunning penalty-shootout victory over Spain to retain their European title at Euro 2025. Chloe Kelly, who scored the iconic winner at Wembley in the final of Euro 2022, was the hero again as she converted the decisive spot-kick to seal victory after Spain had missed three in a row, with Hannah Hampton saving two of them. Mariona Caldentey's first-half header had put Spain in control, but Kelly's whipped cross picked out Alessia Russo, who headed the ball into the far corner to make it 1-1. It is the first time an England team has won a major trophy on foreign soil and seals manager Sarina Wiegman's status as one of the world's greatest with her third successive European title - achieved with two countries. Read the report here. Update: Date: 07:09 BST Title: Get Involved - Lionesses champions of Europe Content: Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say We'll bring you all the reaction and analysis to England's triumph this morning. But we also want to hear from you. How are you feeling after the Lionesses' latest European title? How did you celebrate? Maybe you've still not recovered from the penalty shootout nerves... Click 'Get 'Involved' at the top of the page to get in touch! Update: Date: 07:04 BST Title: Post Content: They certainly didn't make it easy for us. But one more dramatic penalty shootout later, England have retained their European title! Update: Date: 07:00 BST Title: It's staying home... Content:
Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Next stop global fame for the unassuming Scot who announced his arrival in this year's Tour de France
It will no doubt take some days yet for the magnitude of what Oscar Onley has achieved at the Tour de France to sink in. The Scottish rider has been the breakout star of this year's race. Onley took to the start line fresh from a strong showing at the Tour de Suisse — yet few could have predicted the dizzying heights he would scale. We're not just talking about his blistering ascents of Mont Ventoux and the Col de la Loze. Onley, 22, has been up there rubbing shoulders with the best in the world, a Who's Who of cycling including contemporary greats Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The man from Kelso has announced his arrival on the global stage, finishing an incredible fourth in the general classification (GC) standings. It's a colossal accomplishment, equalling the previous highest overall finish by a Scot, Philippa York (who competed as Robert Millar) in 1984. Could Onley have imagined being in this position three weeks ago? Possibly not. He came into the Tour with the sole goal of chasing stage wins, supported by his Picnic PostNL team. He has fought tooth and nail across every inch of tarmac and lofty mountain pass. Nor did it take long to make his mark. Onley finished sixth in Boulogne- sur-Mer on stage two as the seeds of a bold dream took root. After that, the top 10 finishes came thick and fast. Onley took third on stage seven from Saint-Malo to Mur-de-Bretagne, crossing the line hot on the heels of Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) who — with a raft of Grand Tour wins and titles between them — were first and second respectively. He finished fourth in Rouen, fifth on the Hautacam, sixth from Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres and fourth up the Col de la Loze, the queen stage of this year's Tour. The tenacity and talent it takes to produce these Herculean efforts day after day should not be underestimated. Onley, who cut his teeth pedalling around the roads of the Scottish Borders, is the cycling equivalent of Clark Kent becoming Superman. Although a coveted stage win eluded him, 'the Kelso Comet' found himself steadily climbing the GC rankings. While the anticipated showdown between Pogacar and Vingegaard has had fans gripped, the fierce battle between Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) and Onley for the third step on the podium also captivated millions. The weight of expectation on Onley's shoulders must have felt immense, but he continued to strive with every sinew. On Thursday evening, just 22 seconds stood between third-placed Lipowitz and Onley in fourth. Friday's summit finish on La Plagne was a tough day at the office, with Onley fading in the last kilometres. He claimed fifth, his eighth top 10 finish of the Tour. Sadly, though, the time gap between the pair had widened to over a minute, an insurmountable chasm as the race reached its final stages. Throughout his storming performances, Onley has retained the air of a young man still pinching himself in disbelief. 'It's not really sunk in yet,' he said after his world-class ride on stage four. As he warmed down outside the team bus, Onley reportedly pulled out his phone to double-check the result online. It read: Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Jonas Vingegaard, Oscar Onley. A star was born. On paper, Onley is the archetypal overnight success. Some commentators have referred to him as the 'surprise sensation' of the Tour. However, the hard graft and sacrifice that have brought him to the upper echelons of the sport should not be downplayed. Having started out as a promising cross-country runner, he joined the Kelso Wheelers Cycling Club aged 10, keen to emulate the riders he saw whizzing around the local time trial route past his house. Watching the Tour de France on TV as a youngster also lit a fire, with Onley citing vivid memories of the epic clash between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck on the Col du Tourmalet in 2010. He would have been seven at the time. Fast forward 15 years and he is duelling with cycling adversaries in the Pyrenees, inspiring a new generation of riders into the bargain. While he raced at youth level, it wasn't until joining the junior and under-23 ranks that he began to take his cycling more seriously. A strong time-trialist and climber on the road, his lack of suitability as a track rider — due to his self- confessed 'tiny' frame — meant he didn't follow the traditional pathway through the British Cycling programme, instead exploring the development team racing scene in Europe. In 2019, after competing in France with Scottish Cycling, he signed with Van Rysel-AG2R La Mondiale and had a promising stint with the feeder squad. Only 16, he began honing his French in preparation. Onley joined Development Team DSM in 2021, where his endeavours included a memorable tussle with two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard at the 2022 CRO Race. Onley stepped up to WorldTour level with Team dsm-firmenich (now Picnic–PostNL) in 2023. He made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana that same year, playing a key role in the team time trial victory on the opening stage. He crashed out on stage two, suffering a broken collarbone and withdrawing. Onley returned to sparkling form at the 2024 Santos Tour Down Under. At Willunga Hill on stage five, he took his first individual World Tour win. Yet Onley's story quickly racked up more twists and turns than a hairpin-bend climb. Barely a week after his maiden professional victory, he fractured his collarbone again while competing at the 2024 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Then came a third collarbone break at the 2024 Amstel Gold Race — making it a trio of injuries within eight months. Onley soon showed his mettle as the comeback kid. The formidable mindset which has served him well this year came to the fore. While Onley later acknowledged that being sidelined for the third time in less than a year was 'pretty tough', he used his recuperation to take a step back and regroup, mentally and physically. Rather than wallow, Onley 'switched off from cycling', buying Lego to keep his 'mind busy' and avoid doomscrolling on his phone. It reaped dividends. After returning at the 2024 Tour de Suisse, he was named in his team's roster for that year's Tour de France. Speaking to Mail Sport ahead of his Tour debut last July, Onley described it as 'a childhood dream'. He finished a credible 39th in the GC standings, with a fifth place on stage 17. Not even Onley could have imagined, though, the riveting head-to-head he would find himself in a year later, catapulting him from future star to podium contender. Over the past 12 months, he has taken second overall at the 2024 Tour of Britain and won the best young rider classification — as well as being the highest-placed British rider — at the 2024 Road World Championships in Zurich. This year has seen Onley garner a series of top 10 GC finishes, including third at last month's Tour de Suisse. Which brings us back to the here and now. There will be much to unpack from his phenomenal Tour de France, and it's important to remember he is still only halfway through a five-year development plan drafted by Picnic PostNL. What has unfolded on the roads of France is merely the beginning. Surely the next stop is superstardom.
