Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia
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.
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Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Paret-Peintre paints masterpiece on Ventoux as record setter Pogacar stays in control
Find out what's new on ST website and app. MALAUCENE, France - Valentin Paret-Peintre kept his cool in a furnace of pressure and heat, delivering a thunderous victory atop the legendary Mont Ventoux to give France its first win in this year's Tour de France during a breathtaking Stage 16 on Tuesday. The Soudal-Quick Step rider edged out Ireland's Ben Healy in a heart-pounding sprint finale on the Giant of Provence, while Tadej Pogacar remained unshakable in yellow, fending off Jonas Vingegaard on the brutal 21.5km ascent averaging 7.5%. Defending champion Pogacar clawed two more seconds from his Danish rival in a final surge to extend his overall lead to 4:15 after setting the record for the climb, riding up in 54 minutes and 41 seconds -- one minute 10 seconds faster than the previous best mark set by Spain's Iban Mayo in 2004. The Slovenian also beat the fastest time from the Saint-Esteve bend, where the toughest section starts by clocking 44:48. The previous record was held by the late Marco Pantani (46:00). "I had a bad day in 2021 on the Ventoux, today was the opposite, I had good legs, I enjoyed myself," Pogacar, chasing a fourth Tour title, said. "We will try to go for another stage win. He (Vingegaard) attacked a lot of times but I knew that I could follow the wheel." Vingegaard suffered a brief crash after the line but said his performance gave him confidence that he was still in contention for a third title. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking Singapore Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue between leaders Asia Malaysia govt's reform pledge tested as DAP chief bows over unresolved 2009 death of political aide Tech Singapore to increase pool of early adopters in AI to complement data scientists, engineers Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving "How I felt good today gives me motivation, I will keep trying," he said. Germany's Florian Lipowitz held firm in third, 9:03 adrift of Pogacar, pulling further ahead of fourth-placed Briton Oscar Onley, who lags another 2:01 behind. But the day belonged to Paret-Peintre. "I honestly didn't believe it," he said. "I thought Pogacar would go for victory today. But when we built a real gap, I told myself, you can't let a win on Mont Ventoux slip through your fingers." Seven riders surged ahead from an early breakaway, carving out a healthy 6:30 buffer as they reached the base of the climb. The air grew thinner, the crowds louder and the landscape more lunar. SURVIVAL Spanish climber Enric Mas led the charge, attacking solo 14.2 km from the summit. Behind him, Paret-Peintre, Healy and Colombia's Santiago Buitrago gave chase. As they passed Chalet Reynard, pine forest yielded to desolate, white-stone slopes. Mas and Buitrago fought valiantly but were dropped by the Franco-Irish duo, only to courageously claw their way back. Then came Belgian Ilan Van Wilder, who fought his way back to the group and dug deep for teammate Paret-Peintre to keep the Pogacar-Vingegaard threat at bay. Vingegaard had attacked a handful of times, the first attempt coming 9km from the top, but could not shake off Pogacar, whose acceleration was also not strong enough to drop the Visma-Lease a Bike leader. With 400 metres to go and the gradient spiking to a lung-scorching 10%, Healy launched his sprint. But Paret-Peintre, with ice in his veins and fire in his legs, clung to his wheel. In the final, agonising metres, he surged past, claiming not just a stage win, but also a place in French cycling folklore. He was only the fifth Frenchman to conquer the Ventoux, the mountain that claimed the life of Tom Simpson, who died in hospital after collapsing in the finale of the ascent in 1967. There was a big scare for Tobias Johannessen, who was taken to hospital after being given oxygen by a race doctor immediately after the finish. "Tobias suffered some right-sided upper abdominal pain during the final climb today. He made it to the finish where he was seen immediately by the race doctors and given oxygen," the Norwegian's Uno-X team said. "He is feeling much better but will go to the local hospital for further checks." REUTERS
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Valentin Paret-Peintre wins Stage 16 of Tour de France for first home victory
Find out what's new on ST website and app. French rider Valentin Paret-Peintre of Soudal Quick-Step team wins the 16th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 171.5km from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, France, on July 22, 2025. – Frenchman Valentin Paret-Peintre stayed ice-cool in the heat to bag the first home win of the 2025 Tour de France, as he prevailed atop the intimidating Mont Ventoux in an enthralling Stage 16 on July 22. The 24-year-old pipped Ireland's Ben Healy atop the 1,910m-altitude finish line as Jonas Vingegaard attacked overall leader Tadej Pogacar relentlessly behind them. But the defending champion tracked the Dane all the way up the 15km ascent to extend his overall lead by two seconds. Trailing by 4min 13sec at the start of the stage, Vingegaard attacked with 9km to climb on Mont Ventoux, whose upper reaches resemble a lunar landscape. They were eclipsed, however, by a frantic fight for the stage win as Soudal Quick-Step's Paret-Peintre pipped EF Education-EasyPost rider Healy. 'I honestly didn't believe it,' said Paret-Peintre. 'I thought Pogacar would go for victory today. But when we built a real gap, I told myself, you can't let a win on Mont Ventoux slip through your fingers.' Vingegaard and his Visma team did everything they could to hurt the Team UAE leader Pogacar. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking Singapore Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue between leaders Asia Malaysia govt's reform pledge tested as DAP chief bows over unresolved 2009 death of political aide Tech Singapore to increase pool of early adopters in AI to complement data scientists, engineers Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving But the 26-year-old Slovenian resisted all they threw at him despite being isolated from his teammates early in the climb, which is already etched into Tour folklore after epic past battles. Chris Froome ran part of the way up during a frantic wait for mechanical assistance, while even the great Eddy Merckx once needed oxygen at the summit. 'I didn't gain any time today, but I take a lot of motivation,' said Vingegaard. 'He (Pogacar) followed me every time I attacked, and I followed him when he attacked. So I don't know if I could see any weaknesses today.' Vingegaard also revealed that he hit the deck after the finish when he was jostled by a photographer. 'Some photographer just ran straight in front of me straight after the finish line, I don't know what he was doing,' the two-time Tour champion, who did not appear hurt, told reporters. 'People in the finish area should use their eyes a bit more.' Earlier in the day, the Tour de France lost one of the the leading riders when Mathieu van der Poel pulled out with pneumonia, his team Alpecin confirmed. Van der Poel is the top one-day rider in cycling. While he is too large physically to win a mountainous Grand Tour, he lit up the first 10 days of this 21-day slog in the first section in the north. The Dutchman, 30, won Stage 2 in Boulogne to claim the overall leader's yellow jersey and kept it until Stage 5. But his heroic failure against massive odds on Stage 9 wrote a page of cycling folklore as his 'all or nothing at all' attitude pushed him to go for broke over 150km, being caught just 700m from the line in Chateauroux. After cold symptoms worsened on July 21, the 2023 world champion was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. 'Mathieu had been showing symptoms of a cold for several days, but yesterday afternoon his condition deteriorated significantly. In the evening, he developed a fever and was taken to Narbonne hospital for tests,' the Belgian team said. 'Medical tests revealed that Mathieu was suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he cannot continue the race. His health is the priority.' Van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo in 2025 and is a multiple champion at cyclocross and mountain biking. 'This one hurts a lot,' he said on Instagram after his team's announcement. Pogacar said on July 20 he was getting over a cold that had affected half the peloton. 'It's all the ice packs against the heat and the air-conditioning,' he said of the nasty cold that has dogged riders throughout the race. Stage 17 on July 23 should be one for the sprinters, with Tim Merlier hoping to add to his two stage wins and green jersey Jonathan Milan also targeting a second win at the 700m straight run to the finish line at Valence. AFP
CNA
5 hours ago
- CNA
Paret-Peintre paints masterpiece on Ventoux as record setter Pogacar stays in control
MALAUCENE, France :Valentin Paret-Peintre kept his cool in a furnace of pressure and heat, delivering a thunderous victory atop the legendary Mont Ventoux to give France its first win in this year's Tour de France during a breathtaking Stage 16 on Tuesday. The Soudal-Quick Step rider edged out Ireland's Ben Healy in a heart-pounding sprint finale on the Giant of Provence, while Tadej Pogacar remained unshakable in yellow, fending off Jonas Vingegaard on the brutal 21.5km ascent averaging 7.5 per cent. Defending champion Pogacar clawed two more seconds from his Danish rival in a final surge to extend his overall lead to 4:15 after setting the record for the climb, riding up in 54 minutes and 41 seconds - one minute 10 seconds faster than the previous best mark set by Spain's Iban Mayo in 2004. The Slovenian also beat the fastest time from the Saint-Esteve bend, where the toughest section starts by clocking 44:48. The previous record was held by the late Marco Pantani (46:00). "I had a bad day in 2021 on the Ventoux, today was the opposite, I had good legs, I enjoyed myself," Pogacar, chasing a fourth Tour title, said. "We will try to go for another stage win. He (Vingegaard) attacked a lot of times but I knew that I could follow the wheel." Vingegaard suffered a brief crash after the line but said his performance gave him confidence that he was still in contention for a third title. "How I felt good today gives me motivation, I will keep trying," he said. Germany's Florian Lipowitz held firm in third, 9:03 adrift of Pogacar, pulling further ahead of fourth-placed Briton Oscar Onley, who lags another 2:01 behind. But the day belonged to Paret-Peintre. "I honestly didn't believe it," he said. "I thought Pogacar would go for victory today. But when we built a real gap, I told myself, you can't let a win on Mont Ventoux slip through your fingers." Seven riders surged ahead from an early breakaway, carving out a healthy 6:30 buffer as they reached the base of the climb. The air grew thinner, the crowds louder and the landscape more lunar. SURVIVAL Spanish climber Enric Mas led the charge, attacking solo 14.2 km from the summit. Behind him, Paret-Peintre, Healy and Colombia's Santiago Buitrago gave chase. As they passed Chalet Reynard, pine forest yielded to desolate, white-stone slopes. Mas and Buitrago fought valiantly but were dropped by the Franco-Irish duo, only to courageously claw their way back. Then came Belgian Ilan Van Wilder, who fought his way back to the group and dug deep for teammate Paret-Peintre to keep the Pogacar-Vingegaard threat at bay. Vingegaard had attacked a handful of times, the first attempt coming 9km from the top, but could not shake off Pogacar, whose acceleration was also not strong enough to drop the Visma-Lease a Bike leader. With 400 metres to go and the gradient spiking to a lung-scorching 10 per cent, Healy launched his sprint. But Paret-Peintre, with ice in his veins and fire in his legs, clung to his wheel. In the final, agonising metres, he surged past, claiming not just a stage win, but also a place in French cycling folklore. He was only the fifth Frenchman to conquer the Ventoux, the mountain that claimed the life of Tom Simpson, who died in hospital after collapsing in the finale of the ascent in 1967. There was a big scare for Tobias Johannessen, who was taken to hospital after being given oxygen by a race doctor immediately after the finish. "Tobias suffered some right-sided upper abdominal pain during the final climb today. He made it to the finish where he was seen immediately by the race doctors and given oxygen," the Norwegian's Uno-X team said.
