Holland's Thymen Arensman wins Tour de France's toughest stage after grueling solo effort

Boston Globe

6 days ago

He went solo with 37 kilometers (23 miles) left from a breakaway, and quickly opened a comfortable lead. He started the final ascent to Superbagnères, which is more than 12 kilometers long, on his own and resisted the return of the main contenders.
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It was Arensman's second Grand Tour stage win, having previously won a stage at the 2022 Spanish Vuelta.
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As Arensman posed no threat to the overall standings, Pogačar and his teammates controlled the race from the back, with the yellow jersey holder and his main challenger, Jonas Vingegaard, trailing by around three minutes with eight kilometers remaining.
Vingegaard tried a move with four kilometers left and Pogačar responded with ease. The two rivals then watched each other closely and Arensman crossed first at the summit, more than one minute ahead of the duo.
Having won the previous two stages in the Pyrenees, Pogačar settled for second place. He accelerated in the final section to gain more time on Vingegaard, who completed the stage podium.
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'We can be happy and satisfied with the Pyrenees,' Pogačar said. 'Today we did a super stage, riding at our own pace all day long.'
Overall, Pogačar increased his lead over Vingegaard to four minutes, 13 seconds, with Florian Lipowitz in third place, 7:53 off the pace after Remco Evenepoel abandoned.
Evenepoel, who was third overall, struggled early on as the peloton faced another day of suffering on climbs that are part of the Tour's lore such as the Col du Tourmalet, the Col d'Aspin, Col de Peyresourde, and Superbagnères.
The Olympic champion was dropped on the ascent of the Tourmalet. Evenepoel won the opening time trial but suffered in the Pyrenees. After struggling during Friday's uphill race against the clock to Peyragudes, he managed to keep his third place in the general classification, more than seven minutes behind Pogačar.
In Sunday's 15th stage, riders will exit high mountains during a 169-kilometer ride from Muret to the medieval city of Carcassonne. Although the route could favor sprinters, the Côte de Saint-Ferréol and then the Pas du Sant, a 2.9-kilometer climb at 10 percent, could provide opportunities for bold challengers seeking a breakaway.
The race finishes next weekend in Paris.