Tour de France stage two: Van der Poel wins frantic finale, more Vingegaard aggression and why was Milan upset?
Overall race favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard finished second and third respectively.
Advertisement
After the wind had played a decisive role in stage one, the race was greeted by torrential rain in the start town of Lauwin-Planque on Sunday, a downpour that delayed the start and made the first hour of racing a pretty miserable affair for the riders.
The day's breakaway consisted of four riders — Bruno Armirail, Yevgeniy Fedorov, Brent Van Moer and Andreas Leknessund — and the peloton was more than happy for them to plug away at the front, eventually catching them shortly after the intermediate sprint, a point of the race that generated some minor drama between the sprinters.
That regrouping ushered in a frantic final 50 kilometres, with the GC leaders moving to the front on the third category Côte du Haut Pichot and then maintaining a furious pace into the foot of the Côte de Saint-Étienne-au-Mont and then again into the Côte d'Outreau.
But it was the final climb to the finish where the real fireworks took place, with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe's Florian Lipowitz going clear, then a popular — if brief — attack from Tudor Cycling's Julian Alaphilippe inside the final kilometre, before Van der Poel went full Van der Poel, outsprinting Tadej Pogacar to take both the win and the yellow jersey.
Jacob Whitehead and Tim Spiers look back at the key moments from Sunday's stage.
Find all of The Athletic's Tour de France coverage here: nytimes.com/athletic/tag/cycling
When Mathieu van der Poel led out Tadej Pogacar with 500 metres to go, it looked as if he was generating the perfect setup for the Slovenian to ride into yellow.
The finish was uphill and draining, plus the final 15 kilometres had been raced at a furious pace which had cracked the peloton into several groups. Surely Van der Poel couldn't hold Pogacar off?
That he did with a wheel to spare confirmed his superhero status. He led out the sprint and then won it, beating Pogacar into second place for the third time this season, after doing so at Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix.
It was only the Dutchman's second Tour stage win. As with his first in 2021, it came on stage two and once again it put him into the yellow jersey.
That means Van der Poel has twice achieved something his grandfather — French cycling legend Raymond Poulidor — never managed.
Despite Poulidor winning seven Tour de France stages and finishing in the top 10 on 11 occasions in the 1960s and 1970s, he was never able to pull on cycling's most prestigious item of clothing.
Mathieu back in yellow 4 years later 💛
Mathieu de retour en Jaune 4 ans après 🫶#TDF2025 l @MaillotjauneLCL pic.twitter.com/aTyIlp8WxE
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 6, 2025
Van der Poel collapsed on the ground at the finish line, having completely drained himself in pushing back the tide of not only Pogacar but Jonas Vingegaard too.
'He's too fast for me,' Pogacar conceded after the race.
The win was made all the more impressive by the fact Van der Poel — who had powered the pack up the final categorized climb of the day three kilometres out — couldn't even see the finish line until late, with a right-hander taking the peloton onto the short final straight, meaning he had to time his effort to perfection.
▶️ Relive the electric last km of stage 2 won by 🇳🇱 @mathieuvdpoel 💪
▶️ Revivez le dernier kilomètre explosif de l'étape 2 remportée par 🇳🇱 @mathieuvdpoel 💪#TDF2025 | @Continental_fr pic.twitter.com/IVCBHL95Ya
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 6, 2025
'It was super difficult, the final was actually harder than I thought,' he said.
'I was really motivated. It's been four years since I won my first stage on the Tour de France so it was about time I won a second one.
'People put me as a favourite (for the stage) but if you see which riders were in front on the climbs, I did a really good job today to be there.
Advertisement
'The climbs were harder than I expected, it was a hard pace as well, you saw the second-to-last climb there were maybe three guys left on top.
'It's a dream for the team, the first two days… everything else that comes now is just a bonus.'
Tim Spiers
The day before the 2025 Tour de France began, Jonas Vingegaard sat in a cramped room and insisted to 100 journalists that this was a new version of the Tour de France champion before them.
'I'm more heavy now than I was last year, but it's muscle and it gives a lot more power. Let's see if that's enough,' he said.
Its purpose? In the past, Vingegaard has been criticised for passivity, for waiting too long to attack. Emerging as a wispy climber, his (relatively) heavier-set rival Pogacar, in contrast, will attack for any bonus seconds, on any stage.
Under the Dane's prior perspective, when you have the strongest team, why open yourself up to unnecessary risk?
Perhaps it is because, strength-wise, UAE Team Emirates' squad now matches Visma Lease a Bike's, but at some stage, Vingegaard's strategy has changed.
On stage one, his effort split the peloton in the crosswinds, causing Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic to lose time.
On Sunday, he attacked on a downhill with five kilometres to go, attempting to gap Pogacar. Though the group eventually came back together, it showed Vingegaard's continued intent — he then finished third in the sprint behind Van der Poel and Pogacar.
Asked what was behind the shift in attitudes, his team boss Grischa Niermann was blunt.
'Yeah I think he's just f***ing good,' he replied. 'I think he can go anywhere.'
'I did it for fun!' Vingegaard shouted over the top of him, from his warm-down bike.
Back at the Visma team bus, there was optimism at their proactive team leader. The plan, originally, had been to ride for Wout van Aert, before his lack of form on the day switched plans towards Vingegaard.
Advertisement
'You're a sprinter now,' joked his American teammate Matteo Jorgensen. 'I like it. You said in the press conference you were huge, so you have to back it up now.'
'You don't grow this for nothing,' Vingegaard replied. The iconic Mur-de-Bretagne on stage seven will be next opportunity to see just how significant that growth has been.
Jacob Whitehead
The Tour de France hates being late. The race derives so much income from television revenue that any shift to the schedule is an abhorrence. On stage two, in the small French village of Lauwin-Planque, they had no choice.
At 12.05pm local time, just ten minutes before the planned start, the Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe bus was still mired in traffic. They were last in the queue, but they were just one team of many — of 23 teams at the race, only Astana and Bahrain-Victorious arrived at anything approaching 'on time'.
Think a few of us might be late to the stage start today 😅 #TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/Ax18Zi2EWu
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) July 6, 2025
The issue? Lauwin-Planque's road system had been overwhelmed by a thunderstorm which had dumped both a foot of rain and a fleet of cars on the town. The Tour is keen to retain stage starts in these villages, a nod to French cycling's rural tradition. But their charm is also the issue — one road in, one road out. The roots of the sport were not watered here, but drowned.
It left the stars of the peloton, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard alike, rushing out their buses to strap on their rain jackets and adjust their bikes.
The Tour's caravan is growing exponentially, and at some point race organisers will have a choice to make. What are they willing to give up? To trim back the size of the race, including money-spinning VIP areas, or its unique pastoral idyll?
Jacob Whitehead
It's been a high-octane, high-pressure opening two days of the race with nervous riders and stressed teams terrified to get caught on the wrong side of splits, or get involved in a crash, or miss their big shot at a stage win.
Still, it was slightly peculiar to see Jonathan Milan completely blow his top after a minor altercation in the dash for, well, fifth place in an intermediate sprint.
Advertisement
Milan even won the sprint to pick up 11 points in the battle for the green jersey, pipping Tim Merlier and Biniam Girmay in a three-pronged dead heat.
However, Milan was apoplectic with Girmay for leaving out a rigid elbow as the pair jostled for position a few yards from the line. Milan then responded by leaning into Girmay's line and even nicking his team-mate's wheel.
After the pair sat up, Milan furiously gesticulated at Girmay, waving his arm and pinching his fingers against his thumb in a manner that can only be described as extremely Italian.
Intermediate sprint drama with Jonathan Milan pushing Biniam Girmay off his teammate's wheel with 500m to go.#TDF2025 📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/mxxheMLUne
— NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) July 6, 2025
It was all a reflection not just on the remarkable intensity of the first couple of days, but also Milan's frustration at having dropped the ball on day one when missing the late split in the peloton.
But it was also a bit daft — and summed up perfectly by Girmay's Intermarche-Wanty team on social media.
Apparently Milan is not happy that Bini eats pizza with pineapples 🤷♂️ https://t.co/Gm23IdBw2y
— Intermarché-Wanty (@IntermarcheW) July 6, 2025
The minor nature of the incident was only underlined further by a swift apology from Milan to Girmay at the end of the stage.
Tim Spiers
In the small hours of Sunday morning, Cofidis' riders were recovering from stage one at their base near Lille.
Their workshop truck, parked nearby, had its door forced open — and 11 bikes stolen from its load.
'The Cofidis team strongly condemns this act of incivility and calls on the perpetrators to be civic-minded and responsible,' the team said in a statement.
The modern peloton is a place of vast disparities — and Cofidis, as one of the poorest teams in the sport, are particularly vulnerable to what amounts to a theft worth well into five figures in euros.
Advertisement
It was only because their team is based in Bondues, just north of Lille, that the team was able to avoid serious difficulties and source bikes for the second stage.
Jacob Whitehead
Another stage for the pure sprinters, but the jeopardy will once again be provided by the possibility of crosswinds. GC teams will need to stay near the front because of this, which will once again make the closing kilometres extremely stressful.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
Tim Weah's agent puts Juventus on blast for holding up Marseille transfer
U.S. men's national team winger Tim Weah remains stuck in a transfer window standoff between Juventus and French club Olympique de Marseille – and the frustration seems to be mounting from the player's side. Weah previously turned down a transfer to English Premier League side Nottingham Forest after Juventus came to terms. Instead, the 25-year-old has made it clear his preference is to move back to Ligue 1, where he previously played for Paris Saint-Germain and Lille. Advertisement So far, however, the teams have not come to an agreement. Multiple reports indicate Marseille will not increase its offer beyond €15 million ($17.6 million), while Juventus is insisting on its €20 million ($23.5 million) valuation. Weah's agent, Badou Sambague, expressed his frustration in a statement to The Athletic. 'Juve is a fantastic club,' Sambague wrote. 'The sporting department is managed by three persons. Two have class, and another is still searching himself [sic]. We cannot blame him. Two are looking for solutions, and one is creating problems. And we can't let that go. Tim Weah, is always professional, was left out during the [Club] World Cup. This person botched his [Club] World Cup, tried to force him to go where he wanted. Today, as revenge, he's demanding a fortune and waiting for a Premier League offer that won't come and will never be approved by us. 'These are old-fashioned methods that won't sit well with me. I'm not used to speaking out, but not doing so today would be accepting the unacceptable and total disrespect. Class can't be bought for a manager, that's for sure, but it has always been part of the history of Juventus. One person is undermining that. Let's see…' Weah played just 45 minutes for Juventus during the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Increasing that frustration is that he missed the Concacaf Gold Cup with the U.S. team in order to stay with Juve for the club competition. At issue from the player's side is the belief that Juventus general manager Damien Comolli initially accepted a €14 million offer ($16.5 million), but now is insisting on the €20 million figure. Weah is keen on the opportunity to play for OM manager Roberto De Zerbi, and Marseille has qualified for the Champions League. Weah has three years remaining on his contract with Juventus. The Athletic has approached Juventus for comment.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Tadej Pogačar 'speechless' after winning fourth Tour de France
Tadej Pogačar blasted his way to a fourth Tour de France victory on Sunday, besting rival Jonas Vingegaard by 4:24 across the famed Champs-Élysées finish line. Billed as a clash between two titans, this year's race was filled with ghosts of Pogačar's past, including the Hautacam, Mont Ventoux and the Col de la Loze climbs where he had lost significant time in previous Tours to Vingegaard. This year, Pogačar, of UAE Team Emirates XRG, conquered them all. 'Just speechless to win the Tour de France, this one feels especially amazing,' he said. 'Just super proud that I can wear this yellow jersey.' Vingegaard, of Denmark, suffered significant time losses early in the race beginning with his botched performance during the Stage 5 time trial. He crossed the finish 1:20 behind Pogačar, who continued to build a steady time gap that eventually became too large for Vingegaard to overcome. Despite launching attack after attack and maintaining an upbeat attitude during interviews, Vingegaard, of Visma–Lease a Bike, proved to be a mere mortal compared to Pogačar's superhuman prowess. 'Battling against Jonas was a tough experience, but I must say to him respect and big, big congratulations to him for his fight and incredible race,' Pogačar said. As of Sunday, two-time Tour winner Vingegaard has finished runner up to Pogačar three times. He will next take on the Vuelta a España, Spain's grand tour, in August. His teammate, Belgian rider Wout van Aert, won Sunday's rainy stage that featured three climbs around Montmartre instead of the traditional ceremonial ride into Paris. Van Aert stunned onlookers in the last kilometer around the hill, known for its artistic history and the Sacré-Cœur basilica, as he dropped Pogačar in a final attack on the steepest section. 'We came to this tour with ambition to also win the yellow jersey but the strongest rider in the race and biggest rider on the road won,' said van Aert. 'I'm proud of how we raced as a team, how we kept trying every day.' German climber Florian Lipowitz, of Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, finished third in the general classification, coming in 11:09 behind Pogačar, and taking home the white jersey for best young rider. His podium finish is all the more impressive considering this was his Tour debut. He was meant to be riding in a supportive role for teammate and Tour veteran Primož Roglič from Slovenia. But in the end, Lipowitz, who is 11 years younger than 35-year-old Roglič emerged as the stronger rider. And Roglič, who has crashed out of several grand tours in recent years, appeared happy to just finish the race. Indeed, this year's Tour was filled with unforgettable performances by the next generation of emerging talent. Few people could have predicted the rise of Irish climber Ben Healy, who wore the yellow jersey for two days early in the race after launching strong attacks based purely on instinct. His team, EF Education-EasyPost, came into the race without its team leader, Richard Carapaz, but Healy quickly stepped into the role. He took the Stage 6 win and was awarded with the Tour's 'Super Combative' prize for what his team described as 'exploits' on the road. 'It is one thing to achieve what you set out to achieve; it is another to do it with a smile,' team sports director Charly Wegelius said in a statement. Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan, of Lidl–Trek, dominated in the green jersey for much of his Tour debut. The contest for points classification appeared to open in Stage 3 when the reigning champion, Jasper Philipsen, of Alpecin–Deceuninck, was thrown over his handlebars during an intermediate sprint. The Belgian fastman was forced to abandon with a fractured collarbone and at least one broken rib. Milan and teammate Quinn Simmons, from Durango, Colorado, soon began a relentless campaign to best the remaining sprinters and succeeded. Simmons, donning his iconic handlebar mustache and American flag road champion's jersey, was seen at the front of the peloton nearly every day for three weeks. He proved to be the perfect lead out man for Milan, who wouldn't let rain or crashes slow him down. In the end, Milan edged out Pogačar in the final points classification and Simmons proposed to his girlfriend — she said yes! — after crossing the finish line.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Tadej Pogacar wins fourth Tour de France with trademark verve, further placing him among cycling's greats
Even though he really did not need to, and risked falling on oil slick-wet roads, Pogačar simply could not help himself. Against all logical opinion, he tried winning Sunday's 21st and final stage with trademark uphill attacks, only to fall short of the stage win itself. Advertisement 'In the end I found myself in the front, even though I didn't have the energy,' said Pogačar, who Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Just speechless to win the Tour de France, this one feels especially amazing,' Pogačar added. 'Just super proud that I can wear this yellow jersey.' Two-time Tour champion Jonas Vinegaard finished the overall race 4 minutes, 24 seconds behind Pogačar in second place. Florian Lipowitz was 11 minutes adrift in third. It was the fifth straight year where Pogačar and Vingegaard finished 1-2 at the Tour. Vingegaard was second in 2021 before beating Pogačar the next Advertisement 'We've raised the level of each other much higher and we push each other to the limit,' Pogačar said. 'I must say to him, big, big respect.' Belgian rider Wout van Aert won the 21st and last stage, which broke with tradition and featured three climbs of Montmartre hill. Because of heavy rain and the risk of crashes, organizers had earlier neutralized the times 31 miles from the end, effectively giving Pogačar the victory — providing he crossed the finish line. He did the opposite of what almost every rider would do with victory a near certainty. As the rain teemed down, he set a tremendous pace in the Montmartre climbs as fans cheered all along the cobbled Rue Lepic, with flags and fans hanging out of windows. Only five riders were left with Pogačar on the third ascension of the 1.1-kilometer Montmartre hill. After fending off American Matteo Jorgenson, he was caught cold near the top as Van Aert launched a stunning attack to drop — yes, drop! — Pogačar, the world's best climber, on the steepest section. 'Hats off to Wout, he was incredibly strong,' Pogačar said. Van Aert rolled back down for a prestigious stage win on the famed Champs-Élysées. Pogačar looked weary as he crossed the line in fourth place, 19 seconds behind, but then it was time to celebrate title No. 4. Don't expect Pogačar to make any headlines on that front. 'Everyone celebrates in their own way, I just want peace and some nice weather, not like here today,' Pogačar said. 'Just to enjoy some quiet days at home.' Advertisement Only four riders have won the showcase race five times: Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Induráin, and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault. Pogačar won four stages this year to take his Tour tally to 21 and 30 at major races, including six at the Giro d'Italia and three at the Spanish Vuelta. The UAE Team Emirates leader praised his teammates. 'I think the second week was the decisive moment,' Pogačar said. 'We took more advantage.' Lipowitz, meanwhile, secured his first career podium at a Grand Tour, the alternative name given to the three major races. His performance, following his third-placed finish last month at the Critérium du Dauphiné, suggests the 24-year-old German rider could challenge in the near future. Traditionally, the last stage is largely processional with riders doing laps around Paris. The Tour broke with tradition after the success of the Paris Olympics road race, which also took in Montmartre, famous for its Sacré-Coeur basilica.
