Tour de France: Wellens wins stage 15 after solo breakaway
Wellens was so far ahead at the finish line he had time to high-five dozens of Belgian, on the eve of the Belgian national holiday. Wellens has also won stages on the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España.
Overall leader Pogacar held on to the overall lead with a 4min 13sec advantage on Jonas Vingegaard, who had to fight to catch up when caught behind an early mass fall.
The remaining 167 riders embarked towards Carcassonne on Sunday on yet another nervy stage. After a mass fall early on with Florian Lipowitz and Vingegaard involved, the Pogacar group raced on, leaving two-time winner Vingegaard and a clique of 30 riders to exhaust themselves catching up.
Pogacar entered the Pyrénées on Thursday tucked in at second to surprise yellow jersey Ben Healy but emerged with two more stage wins and a four-minute advantage atop the overall standings in his bid for a fourth Tour de France title.
Monday is the final rest day before the 2025 edition soars into the Alps on Tuesday's stage 16 with the 15.8km ascent of Mont Ventoux at 7.9% gradient to its 1901m high summit.
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France 24
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Pogacar 'ready to fight Vingegaard' for Tour de France title
Far from resting on his laurels with a four-minute lead in the standings, defending champion Pogacar insisted his thoughts were on closing out the win in the six days of riding left. On the second rest day in the 21-day, 3,400km slog around France, Pogacar appeared much more mature than the 20-year-old who won the first of his three titles in 2020. "You learn every week, every day on this race that you must stay focused," said the 26-year-old Team UAE rider. "This is my sixth Tour. I miss the white jersey (for the best rider under 26), you know, but yes I've grown up, got more mature," said Pogacar. He said he had also grown into this Tour. "Nobody liked those stages at the start of the Tour, it was quite nerve-wracking, but you need to be focused," he said of the first week when he appeared a little annoyed at times. Pogacar headed into the Pyrenees last week second only to surprise leader Ben Healy of Ireland. But he grabbed the lead by winning two of the tough, mountainous triptych of stages, emerging 4min 13sec ahead of second-placed Vingegaard, with promising German rider Florian Lipowitz third. "I'm actually enjoying the Tour now," he said. 'Ready for a fight' Asked about whether he planned to take part in the Vuelta a Espana, which begins on August 23, or if he prefered to take a break after his exertions on the Tour, Pogacar said the only thing he was sure about was giving it everything in the final week in France. "Some riders are planning holidays. Not me. I'm thinking about the six days left. I haven't decided about racing the Vuelta. I'm not planning anything until after this Tour," he said. As the peloton prepares to soar into the Alps on Tuesday Pogacar said he was prepared for an attack from Vingegaard. "It's going to be tough. We are ready for a fight. With everybody, but especially Jonas, we've seen how strong he is. "There are three mountains where he has previously been faster than me, But it is not about names, that was always because of the race situation," he said, recalling how the Dane had come close to denying him the win in 2021, and took the title in 2022 and 2023 when Pogacar was runner-up. "It's not that i'm looking for revenge, I just want to do better," he said. "I'm confident in myself, but I know Jonas can be too. I need to keep eating and sleeping well, and hope the mood persists. "The group we have this year, at breakfast, on the bus, it's good. With the boys and the atmosphere, I'm happy to be part of this group, and I'd come here just to be with them regardless of the race." © 2025 AFP
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France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Wellens wins stage as Pogacar maintains Tour de France stranglehold
Overall leader Tadej Pogacar held on to the overall lead with a 4min 13sec advantage on Jonas Vingegaard, who had to fight to catch up when caught behind an early mass fall. Wellens had been part of an early break which only really got away once the fall sent a shockwave though the race. It was a large and mixed group that was whittled down to five before the Belgian champion suddenly accelerated and caught the others napping. This was a fifth win for Team UAE with Pogacar previously having won four stages on a thoroughly dominant Tour for the team. Wellens was so far ahead at the finish line he had time to high five dozens of Belgian fans on the run in on the eve of Belgium's national holiday. "This makes me happier than winning a stage myself," said Pogacar. "He helps me keep this thing every day," he said pointing to the jersey. Having previously won stages on the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana this triumph completes the set of stage wins on the three big tours for Wellens. Alaphilippe red faced The remaining 167 of 184 riders embarked towards Carcassonne on yet another nervy stage. After a mass fall early on with Florian Lipowitz and Vingegaard involved, the Pogacar group raced on, leaving two-time winner Vingegaard and a pack of 30 riders to exhaust themselves catching up. There was embarrassment for Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, who celebrated at the line thinking he had won when in fact he was third. Sprinting for third place long after Wellens and Victor Campenaerts took the top two spots, Alaphilippe pipped Wout van Aert at the line. Poor Alaphilippe hung his head when his horrified compatriots told him. He had been part of the early fall, losing his race radio, and had no idea the stage had already been won, he explained. 'I don't want to think about it' Pogacar entered the Pyrenees on Thursday trailing in second behind surprise yellow jersey Ben Healy but emerged with two more stage wins and a four-minute advantage at the top of the overall standings in his bid for a fourth Tour de France title. The defending champion said he had been ill. "Half the peloton is coughing. I've got this red nose. It's because of all the ice packs and air conditioning I think, but I'm better now," said Pogacar. Monday is a the final rest day before the 2025 edition soars into the Alps on Tuesday's stage 16 with the 15.8km ascent of Mont Ventoux at 7.9 percent gradient to its 1901m high summit. "Mont Ventoux is for after the day off, so I don't want to talk about it now," Pogacar said after the podium ceremony at Carcassonne.
