Highlights: 2025 Tour de France, Stage 2
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Tour de France fans slammed for ‘disrespectful' grave act
Tour de France fans have blasted spectators who appeared to stand on graves to catch a glimpse of riders at the race. Stage two of the world's biggest annual cycling event rounded off in Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the north of the France. The race saw Mathieu van der Poel beat Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish to give the Dutchman the leader's yellow jersey. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. With 8.6km remaining until the finish line, fans gathered on the edge of a cemetery to be as near the action as possible on Sunday. Hundreds of people seemed to trample on graves along the side of the road, behind advertising boards, The Sun reports. You can watch the disturbing footage in the player at the top of the page. That provoked outrage among many cycling fans, who felt the onlookers showed a lack of respect. One fan wrote on X: 'They no longer even see that they're standing on graves. Not out of hatred, but because they no longer know what respect is.' A second said: 'No respect for neither the living nor the dead.' A third added: 'This is so disrespectful. I hope they're standing on ground between the graves and the road.' A local said: 'It's shameful to the people of my town.' Two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard finished third behind reigning champion Pogacar, while Britain's Oscar Onley crossed the line in sixth. Earlier on Sunday, French team Cofidis said that 11 bikes were stolen from their team truck after the opening stage. In a statement, the team said that the door of their equipment truck was forced open, and their Look bikes were taken 'despite the security measures put in place'. Each bike stolen is estimated to be worth around £11,200. All riders at the Tour generally have at least three bikes - their preferred one and two spares.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Jasper Philipsen crashes out of Tour de France as Alpecin-Deceuninck turns to Kaden Groves
Belgian team Alpecin-Deceuninck could turn to Australian Kaden Groves to lead its Tour de France push after stage one winner Jasper Philipsen was forced to abandon his race after breaking his collarbone. Belgian rider Tim Merlier won the crash-marred third stage in a photo finish and Mathieu Van der Poel kept the yellow jersey. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard — the main contenders — finished safely as they rolled in together with the main pack. But stage one winner Philipsen abandoned after he broke a collarbone in one of the early crashes. "Philipsen was the victim of something he had nothing to do with," Alpecin-Deceuninck team manager Philip Roodhooft said. "We can't blame the other two directly, either. It was just a stupid crash, something that unfortunately can happen in cycling. And unfortunately, Jasper is paying the price." Roodhooft said the team may turn to Groves to lead its campaign, with the Australian currently sitting in seventh. "It's still too early to say what we're going to do, but we have other good riders. I'm thinking of Kaden Groves, but now is not the time to talk about that," Roodhooft said. "Jasper is still suffering from burns and has been badly bruised, so how we proceed is not the most important thing right now. We have to keep going, and Jasper will want that too, but I'm putting that discussion on hold for now." Merlier just got the front of his wheel in front of Italian Jonathan Milan as they lunged to the line to finish the stage. German rider Phil Bauhaus was third. It was Merlier's second career stage win on the Tour, four years after his first, which also came on stage three. "It was a big battle and it was difficult to maintain my position, I came from very far back in the last 2 kilometres," he said. "When I found myself next to Milan, I knew it would be complicated to beat him." Van der Poel, who rides for the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, did not contest the sprint the day after narrowly beating Pogacar to win Sunday's rainy and hilly second stage. Riders set off in wet conditions and wore light rain jackets on a 178km flat route from Valenciennes to coastal Dunkerque. The pace was slower than the two first days but the conditions were treacherous and, about 50km from the end, Philipsen was knocked over by Frenchman Bryan Coquard and landed heavily on his side. Coquard was not to blame, however, as he lost balance only after being clipped by a rider overtaking him on the right. Beside his broken right collarbone, Philipsen might have two broken ribs, his Alpecin–Deceuninck team said, adding he needed surgery. Coquard looked remorseful when he spoke to media outside the Cofidis team bus after the stage. "I've seen the images again, I really didn't know what happened in the moment," he said. "I would like to say sorry to Philipsen and Alpecin, even if it was not an intentional act." Another crash with 3 kilometres left felled double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, who was able to continue. Then, with the finish in sight, a few more crashed — including Coquard, who somersaulted off his bike. The 174km fourth stage is another hilly one for all-rounders like Van der Poel and his former cyclo-cross rival Wout van Aert. It starts from Amiens and ends with five consecutive small climbs to the Normandy city of Rouen. This race is entirely in France, with no stages held abroad as in previous years, and ends on July 27 in Paris. AP/ABC
Qatar Tribune
3 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Merlier claims photo finish win in Tour de France crash-strewn stage three
PA Media/DPA London Tim Merlier pipped Jonathan Milan to victory on a crash-strewn stage three of the Tour de France that saw Saturday's stage winner Jasper Philipsen forced to abandon in the green jersey. Soudal-QuickStep's Merlier had the power to come around Milan and take the win in a photo finish in Dunkirk, but it was a reduced sprint as two crashes in the final five kilometres split the peloton - with Merlier's team-mate Remco Evenepoel among those to go down. Philipsen had not even made it that far, forced to abandon after a heavy crash at the intermediate sprint on a day when a calm start to the 178km stage from Valenciennes turned into a frantic, dangerous finish. Mathieu van der Poel retained the leader's yellow jersey, still four seconds clear of Tadej Pogacar, but it was a costly day for his team. Alpecin-Deceuninck had enjoyed a dream start with two victories from two, aiming to become the first team to win the opening three stages of a Tour since the French squad in 1961 - but it came to an abrupt end a little under 60km from the finish. As the pace ramped up on the approach to the intermediate sprint, where Philipsen was looking to extend his advantage in the points classification, Laurenz Rex and Bryan Coquard tangled on the right side of the road, sending Coquard left and into the side of Philipsen. The Belgian hit the deck hard and it was immediately apparent his Tour was over as he was taken to the side of the road for treatment. As the pace dropped again, Tim Wellens rolled off the front of the peloton and claimed the sole king of the mountains point on offer, enough to relieve his team-mate Pogacar of the the polka-dot jersey. But there was more drama to come as the peloton reached Dunkirk. Evenepoel - third overall last year and again targeting a podium finish in Paris - was caught in the first of two big crashes, rolling to the line holding his left side. There was then another violent incident on the final approach to the line, with Alexis Renard and Cees Bol going down hard at high speed. Merlier emerged from the chaos with his second career Tour stage win, four years after the first. 'It was a really hard battle,' the Belgian said. 'It was difficult to be in position in the battle before the last corner and I must say, my team did an incredible job to the last 5km and then the real battle started. 'I was able to get some slipstream next to Milan. It's always difficult to beat him but I'm happy I can take today my second win in the Tour de France. 'At first I was sure (I had won) and put my hands in the air but then I was not sure anymore so I was waiting until I was.' Tour debutant Milan's second place saw him inherit the green jersey from the unfortunate Philipsen. British debutant Joe Blackmore moved up to sixth overall, 41 seconds off yellow, to go second in the young rider's classification.
