High-stakes sprint finishes heighten tension at the 2025 Tour de France
Yet for the key figures in this high-tension finish, the main concern lay elsewhere. The first words of the other runner-up, Milan, at the press conference, were for Philipsen: "I am really sorry for" him.
This 178.3-kilometer stage, designed for sprinters, had begun at a leisurely pace, with a few fruitless breakaway attempts. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement among the sprinters' teams after two lively opening days of racing.
But as the race approached the intermediate sprint at Isbergues, about 60 kilometers from the finish, the fastest riders − eager to collect points for the green jersey − raised the tension within what had been a relatively calm peloton. Attempting to make his way to the front, the Belgian Philipsen, winner of the first stage in Lille and the first yellow jersey of this 2025 Tour, was sideswiped by Frenchman Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), who accidentally hit him after veering off his line and brushing against Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
8 hours ago
- France 24
PSG smash Real Madrid, qualify for Club world cup final
At Women's Euro, France continue their perfect record by beating Wales (4-1). Remco Evenepoel won stage 5 of the Tour de France, while Tadej Pogacar took yellow jersey. Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner will meet in Wimbledon semi-final.
LeMonde
16 hours ago
- LeMonde
Paris Saint-Germain crush Real Madrid 4–0 to reach Club World Cup Final against Chelsea
Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappé on Wednesday, July 9, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea. Ruiz and Ousmane Dembélé scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York. The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time and Gonçalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique's side moved one game away from glory at FIFA's new tournament. Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May. After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real here was striking. PSG's fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile Mbappé struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club a year ago. The France captain was hoping for a different outcome against the team for whom he scored a club record 256 goals, and the defeat is a real blow to Real as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups. But PSG have improved without Mbappé and are now such a well-oiled machine that they appear unstoppable – it would be a big surprise if they failed to beat Chelsea. Luis Enrique was without imposing center-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter. Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defense with ease, and the rest of PSG's first-choice line-up was there. Day to forget for Mbappé Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow. The return to the starting XI of Mbappé, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo García from keeping his place. But the Spanish giants' front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG's domination. Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range. Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembélé pounced on slack defending by Raúl Asencio. The Real keeper saved at the forward's feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball. Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembélé to run through before finishing low into the corner. Like his friend Mbappé, Dembélé was starting for the first time at the competition having been injured. That was a 34th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d'Or. It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half. A deflected shot by Mbappé was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their own net a minute later. Dembélé released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desiré Doué had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half. But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender. PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.
Euronews
16 hours ago
- Euronews
Ex Real Madrid boss sentenced to one year in prison for tax evasion
A Spanish court has sentenced current Brazil national team and former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti to one year in prison for tax fraud. The Madrid Provincial Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday for the offence committed in 2014 and fined him just over €386,000 which he must pay to the tax authorities. The court has also acquitted him of similar charges relating to the 2015 tax year, due to a lack of evidence of his residence in Spain during that period. Despite the conviction, Spanish law stipulates that sentences of less than two years for non-violent offences and provided the person possesses no criminal record, serving time in prison is not mandatory. It is therefore likely that Ancelotti will settle his dues and avoid his prison term. The court ruling however establishes that, for a period of three consecutive years, the football coaching icon, whose career has seen him take the helm of top European sides including AC Milan, Bayern Munich, PSG and Chelsea, will not be able to obtain or claim public aid, subsidies, tax benefits or social security incentives in Spain. Ancelotti claims he followed Real Madrid's advice During the trial in April, Ancelotti claimed he has always acted on the legal advice of Real Madrid and its tax consultants, denying that he had any intention of defrauding the tax authorities. He added that he settled the outstanding debt with the tax office in December 2021 and asked that the mitigating factors of damages and procedural delays be taken into account. Carlo Ancelotti was in charge of Real Madrid across two stints, the first between June 2013 and May 2015, and the second from June 2021 until May 2025, when he ended his tenure at the club to take over a new challenge: leading the Brazilian national team to its record extending 6th World Cup title, scheduled to take place in the summer of 2026.
