
Asgreen solos to Giro stage 14 win, Del Toro strengthens grip on pink jersey
Asgreen was part of an early breakaway trio but, after several riders were brought down in a crash which broke up the peloton, the Dane went for broke in the final kilometres and held off the chasing group.
Australian Kaden Groves (Alpecin–Deceuninck) outsprinted Dutchman Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) to take second place on the 195-km stage from Treviso to Nova Gorica in Slovenia.
Del Toro ((UAE Team Emirates) managed to avoid trouble and was with the chasing group which followed Asgreen over the line to increase his lead at the head of the general classification.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNA
20 hours ago
- CNA
Pogacar eyes fourth Tour crown as rivals scramble to keep pace
PARIS :Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar begins his bid for a fourth Tour de France title on Saturday, seeking to cement his status among cycling's greatest all-rounders, with rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel hoping to find a weakness in his armour. The race's 112th edition begins in Lille, with Slovenia's Pogacar, who previously triumphed in 2020, 2021, and 2024, aiming to join Britain's Chris Froome in the elite club of four-time winners. That would edge him closer to the record five titles held by Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain. The 26-year-old world champion's scintillating spring classics campaign, featuring victories at the Tour of Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Liege plus podiums at Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, showcased his versatility and drew comparisons to Merckx and Hinault. Pogacar's dominance continued at last month's Criterium du Dauphine, where he claimed three stages and overall victory by 59 seconds over two-time Tour winner Vingegaard. "For sure, this helps the morale and motivation for the Tour because it is the biggest goal of the season. I think it is a mental boost for all the team," he said after his commanding performance. His sole vulnerability emerged during the Dauphine's 17.4km time trial, where he conceded 48 seconds to Evenepoel and 28 to Vingegaard - a potential weakness with two time trials totalling 43.9km awaiting in this year's Tour. Denmark's Vingegaard, enjoying smoother preparation than last year when he was recovering from a serious injury, aims to reclaim the crown after finishing over six minutes behind Pogacar in 2024. The 28-year-old, who won the Tour in 2022 and 2023, suffered a concussion during March's Paris-Nice but rebounded to take second at the Dauphine. Vingegaard will be backed by a strong Visma-Lease a Bike team featuring Giro d'Italia winner Simon Yates, 2023 Vuelta a Espana champion Sepp Kuss, two-time Paris-Nice winner Matteo Jorgenson and the versatile Wout van Aert. "With these eight very strong riders, we believe in the plan we made for the Tour de France. From day one we will have to be there as a team to optimally assist Jonas in the general classification," said Grischa Niermann, Visma's head of racing. "We have an optimal preparation behind us and with that, we think we can get the best possible result." Belgium's Evenepoel, who claimed third on his Tour debut last year, underwent surgery after crashing during December training. The double Olympic champion made a remarkable comeback, winning April's Brabantse Pijl before the Soudal Quick-Step rider finished fourth at the Dauphine, over four minutes behind Pogacar. Germany's Florian Lipowitz emerges as a potential dark horse after his Paris-Nice runner-up finish and third place at the Dauphine. The Tour's 3,338.8km route features 52,500 meters of climbing across 21 stages of cycling's ultimate test.


CNA
4 days ago
- CNA
Stomach infection forces Carapaz out of Tour de France
Ecuador's Richard Carapaz, who finished third at the Giro d'Italia earlier this month, will miss the Tour de France, which starts next week, due to a stomach infection, his team EF Education-EasyPost said on Saturday. Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Carapaz, who won the mountains classification at last year's Tour de France, had abdominal pain and a high fever and was advised by doctors to avoid long-haul travel and competition, the team said in a statement. "It's with great sadness that I have to tell you that a gastrointestinal infection is forcing me to miss the Tour de France," Carapaz wrote on Instagram. "Not the best news, but health always comes first. Thank you all for your messages and support." Carapaz, 32, will take a few weeks off to recover before resuming his training with a focus on the Vuelta a Espana, which starts in August, his team added. The Tour de France will begin on July 5 in Lille and conclude on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on July 27.


CNA
25-06-2025
- CNA
From grid to peloton: MotoGP rider Espargaro set for pro cycling debut at 35
Aleix Espargaro thought he had retired from Grand Prix racing last year but the 35-year-old is now leading a hectic double-life as he prepares to race a MotoGP bike this weekend before trading horsepower for pedal power at the Tour of Austria. The Spaniard hung up his leathers after two decades of Grand Prix racing last year but he had no plans of putting his feet up having joined Lidl-Trek earlier this year in an ambassadorial role while joining Honda as a test rider. But Espargaro now has to contend with a whirlwind schedule, set to climb aboard the factory Honda machine for this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix in Assen before swiftly pivoting to professional cycling just 10 days later. "I am really delighted to be able to help Honda and work with the factory team this weekend in Assen. Lots of riders dream of being in the factory Honda team," Espargaro said in a statement. "To be able to do this now is a real surprise and pleasure – even if it is temporary ... I have good memories at Assen and it will be very interesting to see the Honda there." Espargaro's unexpected return to racing comes as he fills in for Luca Marini, who remains sidelined after a testing crash in Japan. The appearance in Assen follows earlier wildcard rides at the Spanish and British Grands Prix. He will then swap his MotoGP leathers for the cycling jersey at the July 9-13 Tour of Austria, where he will be part of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, the team's development squad. Cycling has been Espargaro's passion for years after he hopped on the bike to stay in shape and recover from injury. He also befriended pro cyclists before participating in training camps with Lidl-Trek. "I've grown a lot as a cyclist and learned many things in these six months. I'm feeling good, and I really can't wait to race and test my legs against some of the best cyclists in the world," he said.