logo
Crash and confusion as Alaphilippe celebrates

Crash and confusion as Alaphilippe celebrates

CNA2 days ago
(In second paragraph corrects Alaphilippe's team)
By Julien Pretot
CARCASSONNE, France :Julian Alaphilippe endured a chaotic, emotional stage 15 of the Tour de France on Sunday, crashing early, soldiering on with a dislocated shoulder, and then mistakenly celebrating what he thought was a stage win - before discovering he had been beaten by two riders.
The Tudor Pro rider hit the deck in the opening kilometres, suffering pain and a shoulder injury that cast doubt over whether he would even finish the day.
'He had a crash at the beginning of the race,' said team sports director Raphael Meyer. 'He had pain and a dislocated shoulder. He was seen by the doctor and he still has some pain. He's going to do x-rays.'
But the Frenchman fought on, eventually crossing the line — arms raised in triumph, believing he had pulled off an emotional comeback victory.
He hadn't.
Unbeknownst to Alaphilippe, Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) had already powered away from the breakaway group earlier and claimed a convincing solo win.
Victor Campenaerts had also slipped away and crossed the line nine seconds ahead of Alaphilippe.
"He thought he was first on the line — but the radio didn't work,' Meyer said.
For Wellens, the victory marked a brutal show of strength, and another chapter in the dominance of leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates, as they continue to exert near-total control over the race.
For Alaphilippe, it was a bitter-sweet finish - a gritty ride, a brave comeback, and a win that wasn't.
It was not the first time such misfortune happened to Alaphilippe.
In 2020, he raised his arms in celebration before the finish at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Monument classic, only to see Slovenian Primoz Roglic effectively beating him to the line.
The Frenchman was then disqualified for deviating from his sprint line.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia
Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia

Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 15 - Muret to Carcassonne - Muret, France - July 20, 2025 Alpecin-Deceuninck's Mathieu Van Der Poel before the start of Stage 15 REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Mathieu van der Poel has been forced to abandon the Tour de France due to pneumonia, his team Alpecin–Deceuninck said on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Dutchman was 62nd in the Tour standings after stage 15. "Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly ...," Alpecin–Deceuninck said in a statement. "Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he can no longer continue the race. His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential." Stage 16 of the Tour, a 171.5km ride from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, begins later on Tuesday. REUTERS

Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia
Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia

CNA

time2 hours ago

  • CNA

Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia

Mathieu van der Poel has been forced to abandon the Tour de France due to pneumonia, his team Alpecin–Deceuninck said on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Dutchman was 62nd in the Tour standings after stage 15. "Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly ...," Alpecin–Deceuninck said in a statement. "Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he can no longer continue the race. His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential." Stage 16 of the Tour, a 171.5km ride from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, begins later on Tuesday.

Jessica Hull finishes second despite breaking her own Australian mile record at the London Diamond League
Jessica Hull finishes second despite breaking her own Australian mile record at the London Diamond League

Independent Singapore

time4 hours ago

  • Independent Singapore

Jessica Hull finishes second despite breaking her own Australian mile record at the London Diamond League

Photo: LONDON, UK: Jessica Hull recently broke her own Australian and Oceanian records in the mile but finished second at the Diamond League meet in London. The athlete, who won a silver medal in the Olympic mile, was hopeful when Gudaf Tsegay ran very fast at the start, but when Hull got close, Tsegay sped up even more and won the race easily, setting a new national record with a time of 4 minutes 11.88 seconds. Hull admitted, 'I had a lot of distractions, but was just trying to zone into the leader in the second half, but it was a solid run.' Although she finished second, Hull found consolation in lowering her own Oceanian mile record to 4:13.68. The athlete added, 'Coming in, we were thinking I could run a national record, and I did. I would have liked to have been a little closer to 4:10, but I felt very strong for 4:13… A lot of records fell today, so it was a pretty special to be a part of that race.' In front of 60,000 spectators, she and high jumper Eleanor Patterson both took second place, while Rose Davies, who also set new national and Oceanian records in the 5000 m, placed third. Despite not gaining the top spot, it was a strong and memorable event for Australian athletes. On social media, netizens expressed their support for Hull: 'So stoked for her. She gives it her all and is a great competitor', 'Absolutely brilliant!!', 'She shows up every single race', and 'Brilliant! Amazing! Incredible! 🏃🏼‍♀️👏🏻😀.' Tournament highlights Davies finished third with a time of 14:31.45, just behind two Ethiopian runners, Medina Eisa, who finished with a time of 14:30.57, and Fantaye Belayneh, who had a time of 14:30.90. Her time was more than nine seconds faster than her old national record of 14:40.83, which she set in China last April. With this, Davies expressed: 'I was ready for a big race and felt like I responded to the challenge today… My expectations were a PB (personal best), and I have achieved that, so I am really pleased.' Moreover, Georgia Griffith came fifth with a new personal best of 14:32.82, also beating the old record. Former world champion Patterson was also surprised that her 1.93-metre jump was enough to win silver. British athlete Morgan Lake took first place with a jump of 1.96 metres. Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred broke her own record for St. Lucia by running the fastest 200m time in the world this year—21.71 seconds. Australian runner Torrie Lewis wasn't able to keep up and finished last with a time of 23.05 seconds. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store