Cycling-Crash and confusion as Alaphilippe celebrates
CARCASSONNE, France (Reuters) -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 Soudal–Quick-Step 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.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Liverpool to sign Hugo Ekitike in £69m deal: Reports
LONDON: Liverpool have agreed to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth an initial £69 million (US$92 million), according to reports on Monday. The Premier League champions switched their focus to Ekitike following Newcastle's refusal to sell Sweden striker Alexander Isak, who is valued at around £150 million by the Magpies. Newcastle and Manchester United were also interested in Ekitike, but Liverpool look set to win the race for one of Europe's hottest young stars. It is believed the Reds have agreed to pay a potential further £10 million in add-ons to sign the 23-year-old Frenchman, whose overall price tag could reach £79 million. Once the transfer is completed, Ekitike will link up with Arne Slot's side on their pre-season tour of Asia. Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 games in all competitions for Frankfurt last season after joining the Bundesliga club from Paris Saint-Germain. He was an unused substitute during his side's pre-season friendly against FSV Frankfurt on Saturday, with Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller admitting Ekitike's impending departure was "a bitter loss." Liverpool have an opening in their forward line after Diogo Jota's recent death in a car crash in Spain. The Reds are also believed to be willing to sell Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, while Colombia forward Luis Diaz has been the target of a rejected bid from Bayern Munich. Liverpool have already splashed out £116 million on Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz, as well as signing defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively. Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also linked up with Arne Slot's side since the end of last season after agreeing his move from Valencia in 2024.--AFP
The Star
40 minutes ago
- The Star
Cricket-Dawson back in England team after eight-year absence for fourth test v India
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup Warm-Up Match - England Press Conference - Hampshire Bowl, Southampton, Britain - May 24, 2019 England's Liam Dawson during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo (Reuters) -England's Liam Dawson has been named in the team to play India in the fourth test of the series at Old Trafford, England's cricket board (ECB) announced on Monday, marking the spinner's first test appearance in eight years. The 35-year-old Hampshire left-armer, who replaces the injured Shoaib Bashir, is the only change to the team for the fourth test which begins on Wednesday. Dawson has not played a test match since earning his third test cap in July 2017. Dawson, an unused member of the 2019 World Cup winning squad, did feature in the Twenty20 series against West Indies in June. Bashir suffered a fracture to his finger during the third test at Lord's, which England won by 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead, leaving them one victory away from clinching their first five-match series win since 2018. England team: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer. (Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Christian Radnedge)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Cricket-Heated exchanges at Lord's were fun, says England's Brook
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - International Test Match Series - Third Test - England v India - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - July 13, 2025 England's Harry Brook fields Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo (Reuters) -England batsman Harry Brook said the tension with Indian players during the third test at Lord's was fun and put the visitors under added pressure as England secured a dramatic 22-run victory and a 2-1 lead in the series. Tension flared between the teams during the match, with India captain Shubman Gill sarcastically clapping England batters over delays, and Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj roaring in the face of England opener Ben Duckett after taking his wicket. Brook said England decided to respond in kind after the visitors' heated verbal exchanges with Duckett and Zak Crawley when England faced a single over from Jasprit Bumrah at the end of the third day. "We had a little chat and we thought, we're a team so we may as well get together and give it back at them," Brook told reporters on Monday. "It put them under a little bit more pressure." "I've had a lot of compliments. Everybody said it was awesome to watch. It looked like it was 11 versus two out there while we were fielding. It was good fun... it was tiring but it made fielding a lot more enjoyable," he said. Brook, who scored a century in the second test after missing out on a ton by one run in the first, said the hardfought series was far from over, with the fourth match starting at Old Trafford on Wednesday. "India are such a good side, they can bounce back at any stage... every game we've played so far has gone into the last hour of the game, which you don't see very often," he said. "I've had a lot of people come up to me and say, this is a great series... and everybody said that the Lord's game was one of the best that they have ever watched." (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
