Tour de France 2025: stage 20 from Nantua to Pontarlier
Date: 2025-07-26T11:19:56.000Z
Title: 140 km to go:
Content: Updates from 184.2km penultimate stage
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John Brewin
Sat 26 Jul 2025 12.19 BST
First published on Sat 26 Jul 2025 10.30 BST
12.16pm BST
12:16
Some casualties, including Quinn Simmons and Fred Wright, two names mentioned as possibles for the stage win, as the peloton goes on another, oh so cruel climb, the fourth category Cote de Valfin. It's a grim day out there, sodden wet. And, oh no, Onley is losing time, as is Felix Gall, two riders high on the GC. Onley has looked shattered, and he's likely to get back on, but the tank must be near empty. Warning signs abound.
12.07pm BST
12:07
150 km to go: Louis Barre and Ivan Romeo taking the points at the top of the hill means that Tadej Pogacar is officially the King of the Mountains, and now the descent begins, and quickly the clicks being eaten up, with Davide Ballerini of Astana hurtling down, and dangerously so, to go off the front as the pack splits.
Les Rowley gets in touch: 'Yesterday's stage to La Plagne suggested that Pogacar is too tired to attack, he can't wait for the finish line to appear, and Onley is too afraid to attack. Another stalement day.'
Updated
at 12.12pm BST
11.53am BST
11:53
160km to go: The trio didn't last long. Tim Wellens does what Tim Wellens does and hauls the peloton back, with Van Aert joining him. The breakaways will have to keep until later in the day. A few keep having a look at going away. Pavel Sivakov, who has given his all as a domestique in the last three weeks, is labouring down the field. Fred Wright really fancies this as his chance.
Updated
at 12.19pm BST
11.43am BST
11:43
165 km to go: This third-category climb, the Col de la Croix, isn't easy. The weather overnight has caused some debris on the road. And the rain is pouring down now. Jonathan Milan has dropped off, saving his powder for Paris, no doubt. Asgreen is caught, and Thibau Nys of Lidl and Harry Sweeny go off the front. This is grim for all concerned. Raul Garcia Pierna of Arkea-B&B Hotels makes it a breakaway trio in the pouring rain.
Updated
at 11.47am BST
11.35am BST
11:35
170km to go: Fred Wright leads the pack up the climb as Asgreen forges on. Dropping back, and rather worryingly, Arnaud De Lie is way off the back of the peloton.
11.29am BST
11:29
175km to go: This really looks unforgiving for a penultimate stage. No mercy. The gap is 25 seconds. Many will feel they have chances. The first climb beckons and Van Aert leads the peloton up with licence to go for the breakaway.
11.23am BST
11:23
And away go the breakaway contenders. Healy, Arahamsen and Schmid are the chasers as Kasper Asgreen decides to take up the cudgels and go for it. His EasyPost team roar him on from the team car.
11.14am BST
11:14
Wout van Aert on TNT Sports: 'Obviously, I feel tired. It's been tough mountain stages, the weather, long transfers. We're looking forward to getting to Paris. For sure, I'll try to be in the breakaway today. Tomorrow is a chance, but you can't miss an opportunity here in the Tour de France. But breakaway days have climbers in the moves and that will make it difficult.'
Fred Wright: 'First part of the plan is to get both of us in the breakaway. That would be a nice start. There's a 12km climb at the start but it's nice and steady and I think we could both get in the break.'
11.13am BST
11:13
There are 14 teams without a stage win in Le Tour 2025. 'I'm gonna try' is how Alaphilippe is quoted. A win for France would be welcome.
10.30am BST
10:30
Here's the offical map of today's lumpy, bumpy stage.
10.30am BST
10:30
Friday saw the last of the mountains, and a second win for Ineos's Arensman. Bad news for this year's plucky Brit.
it was a disappointing stage for Scotland's Oscar Onley, who after surviving almost everything that the Tour could throw at him, fell away from the podium positions in the closing moments, after third-placed Florian Lipowitz attacked to move clear with Pogacar and second-placed Vingegaard.
Onley has given so much, ridden so well but he looked done in after Thursday's stage; his post-ride interview was not much fun to watch. Full credit for him hanging on so long in the high mountains. So much more to come from him. The difficulty of staying with Pogacar and Arensman is shown by the state of Arensman when he crossed the line on Friday.
10.30am BST
10:30
William Fotheringham previewed this stage thus:
The puncheurs and breakaway specialists will have been waiting for five days with this one on their minds. The battle for the early break will be intense and the fight for the stage could be epic. As well as our old friends Cort and Healy, this will appeal to about half the peloton, wily one-day specialists such as the Dane Mattias Skjelmose.
NB: Mattias Skjelmose abandoned after a crash last weekend. Ben Healy, over to you?
10.30am BST
10:30
After the mountains, a stage of Classic length and dimensions. It's been a true test, this year, thin gruel for sprinters and this looks a day for the puncheurs. Who's the best of them? With Van der Poel gone, Evenepoel gone, there's perhaps a day for an old dog like Julian Alaphilippe, should he keep his radio. Or, perhaps the best of all, as he is at everything bar the sprinting – and a dig in Paris on Sunday can't be ruled out – is Tadej Pogacar, all but assured of his fourth maillot jaune to keep. We're already talking about the Vuelta, in truth and a fifth tour.
The neutralised start is 11.05 UK time. One last dig before Paris.
Updated
at 12.09pm BST
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