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Al-Ahram Weekly
10 minutes ago
- Climate
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Cycling: Van der Poel drops out of Tour de France with pneumonia - Omni sports
The Tour de France lost one of the 2025 edition's leading riders Tuesday when Mathieu van der Poel pulled out with pneumonia, his team Alpecin confirmed. Van der Poel is the top one-day rider in cycling and 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 30-year-old Dutchman won stage two in Boulogne to claim the overall leader's yellow jersey and kept it until stage five. But his heroic failure against massive odds-on stage nine 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. The 2023 world champion was taken to hospital on Monday, after cold symptoms worsened. "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. Race leader Tadej Pogacar said on Sunday 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," Pogacar said of the nasty cold that has dogged Tour de France riders throughout the race. Stage 16 is a 171.5km ride starting in southern city Montpellier before a culmination atop the iconic Mont Ventoux at 1,910m altitude. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The 42
5 hours ago
- Health
- The 42
Van der Poel drops out of Tour de France due to pneumonia
DUTCH RIDER MATHIEU van der Poel has pulled out of the Tour de France six days before the end of the race, because he is suffering from pneumonia, his team Alpecin said on Tuesday. The 2023 world champion was taken to hospital on Monday after cold symptoms worsened. '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.' Advertisement Van der Poel, 30, won the second stage of this year's Tour but had fallen one hour and 40 minutes behind overall leader Tadej Pogacar by the end of Sunday's 15th stage. – © AFP 2025
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Tour de France stage 11 preview: How Ireland's Ben Healy can retain yellow jersey in Toulouse
Not many predicted Ireland's breakaway artist Ben Healy would own the famous yellow jersey on the first rest day of this Tour, but that's exactly what has unfolded after some tactical brilliance on Monday's stage 10 helped him gain more than three minutes on Tadej Pogacar to depose the reigning champion at the top of the GC standings, while Simon Yates won the stage itself. Not that Pogacar – who enjoyed coffees and a giant burger on Tuesday's rest day – plans on lending Healy the maillot jaune for long. 'We will see if Ben can hold on to the yellow jersey for a couple of stages,' Pogacar said. 'I think that he spent a lot of time in the breakaway already, so I hope he feels tired and we can fight again for the yellow in the next coming stages, maybe not [ stage 11 around Toulouse] but Hautacam and then the time trial [at Peyragudes] and Superbagneres – it's going to be three really nice climbing days.' That's all to come later in the week but Ireland's Healy has a strong chance to still be wearing yellow by the end of the day, as the Tour resumes in Toulouse with a 154km route to and from the city. The stage is officially categorised as 'flat' by race organisers, but it is hilly enough to scupper some of the sprinters' hopes if the pace is high, which it may well be – stage 9 was the second fastest stage ever recorded, and stage 10 never let up either. Each had their own unique set of circumstances driving the peloton's high pace, but there's every reason to suspect another breakaway will form early here on stage 11, with the sprinters' teams forced to give chase if they want to set up their rider. Tim Merlier (Soudal–Quick-Step), Kaden Groves (Alpecin–Deceuninck), Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Biniam Girmay (Intermarche–Wanty) and Arnaud de Lie (Lotto) will all be hoping for a bunch sprint to the line. But that is no foregone conclusion, with five categorised climbs to clear including four in the 50km, and power riders might be put off by the finale: a loop around the city with a few short, sharp climbs such as the Cote de Pech David (800m at 12.4%) with 9km to go. The final 6km is flat, so will we see the sprinters there for a showdown or will it be a puncheur breaking clear over the hills who steals the stage? Start time Stage 11 starts at 12.45pm BST with an expected finish time of around 4.10pm. Prediction This is a tricky stage to predict, with the sprinters' teams desperate for a calm day followed by a dash to the line, but facing the prospect of having to chase down a determined breakaway looking for the stage win themselves. It could even be a day for a solo artist to escape clear, just as Ben Healy so expertly triumphed on stage 6. I would like to go for something of a romantic option – Julian Alaphilippe is one of the greatest one-day riders of his generation but has not triumphed at the Tour de France since 2021. If he gets into a strong breakaway then he has the racing nous to time a decisive launch to the line. But more realistic is a rider with the legs to crest the hills and a sprint to outgun their rivals down the home straight. Jonathan Milan and Kaden Groves both have the firepower to do just that, but I fancy Wout van Aert to take an opportunistic win, either by getting himself in the breakaway or by taking a messy sprint.
Boston Globe
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
No changes atop Tour de France as peloton, defending champion Tadej Pogačar take it easy in Stage 8
After Friday's tough grind, the peloton set off at a slower pace on a sun-baked Stage 8, starting from the Brittany commune of Saint-Méen-le-Grand and taking riders 106 miles to Laval in western France. The main teams had no will to set a high pace, so the peloton trundled along through country roads until two riders — French teammates Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Vercher — broke away with about 80 kilometers left. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The peloton did not respond, continuing to roll at a lethargic pace for a long time with no team deciding to lead the chase. Advertisement 'It was a much more relaxing stage than the previous ones,' Pogačar said. 'It has been a good day out in order to recover from the many efforts we have already done.' 🗣️"You come to this race with some expectations, some dreams to bring home, and then to bring them home - they're two different things but I was confident with the team. We really deserve it." - 🇮🇹 Jonathan Milan Interview with Jonathan Milan on his first — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) Pogačar even had time to check how his girlfriend Urška Žigart was doing on the women's Giro. She finished seventh on Stage 7. 'I'm always nervous on the bike when she is racing, and it's great to hear about her,' he said. 'When she does well, I feel super happy.' Advertisement The pack was taking it a bit too easy in his race, though. When sprinters realized they were in danger of missing out on a stage win, the peloton's speed had to increase eventually, and the two riders were finally caught with nine kilometers left. After a sinewy route near the finish, Stage 2 winner Mathieu van der Poel accelerated to put his Alpecin–Deceuninck teammate Groves into a good position, but they attacked a little too soon. Milan anticipated this, made his own move, and withstood Van Aert's late attack behind him. The trio clocked 3 hours, 50 minutes. 'It was a tough finale. I was in the front positions and I waited for the right moment to launch my sprint,' Milan said. 'I gave it all and it worked out.' In the overall standings, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel remained 54 seconds behind Pogačar in second place. Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin was third at 1 minutes, 11 seconds, and two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard sat 1:17 behind in fourth spot. Stage 9 of the three-week race on Sunday heads into central France on a 158-kilometer flat stage for sprinters finishing in Châteauroux.
Boston Globe
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Leading contender Tadej Pogacar takes over yellow jersey with second stage win of 2025 Tour de France
Pogačar launched the sprint some 200 meters from the finish; Vingegaard jumped on his wheel, but was unable to overtake his rival. Pogačar had time to raise his right arm in triumph as he crossed. Behind Vingegaard, Oscar Onley completed the stage podium. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We did an amazing job, all the teammates were perfect,' Pogačar said. 'We had a plan, we stuck to it, and we won. Tim [Wellens] led me out to the bottom of the final climb. And then [Jhonatan] Narvaez did a superb job to keep things under control until the sprint.' Advertisement Pogačar is the overwhelming favorite to win a fourth Tour title. He has been in supreme form since the start of the season and has been the best rider since the start of the Tour last weekend. His latest win marked his 19th Tour stage victory overall. This week, the defending champion claimed Advertisement Pogačar was also impressive during the first time trial of the race and is expected to dominate even more when the Tour reaches the mountains. This is the 42nd time Pogacar leads the overall standings. Overall, Pogačar has a 54-second lead over Evenepoel, with Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin in third place, 1:11 off the pace. Jonas Vingegaard was fourth, 1:17 behind, followed by Van der Poel, the overnight leader who was dropped early in the final climb. 🎙️ "I've just talked with Alpecin and UAE, they go for the stage." News travels fast in a peloton! 🎙️ "Je viens de parler à Alpecin et UAE, ils vont jouer la victoire." Les infos remontent vite dans un peloton ! — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) A five-man break including former Tour champion Geraint Thomas formed soon after the start, gaining an early lead of 1 minute, 40 seconds. Frenchman Ewen Costiou, a Tour debutant, attacked from that group and tried to go solo, leading the race over the first ascent of the Mûr-de-Bretagne. But with the chase raging behind him, the task was way too big and he was caught by the group including all of the main contenders with 12 kilometers left. As riders scrambled for position at the front, a dozen of them were caught in a high-speed crash on a downhill some six kilometers from the finish line. Pogačar's teammate Joao Almeida was among those involved. 'I'm super happy with the win today. But not everything is perfect, Joao is going for X-rays after his crash,' Pogačar said. 'He's in great shape so I really hope it's nothing broken and he can continue.' Almeida escaped without a concussion but has 'an uncomplicated left-sided rib fracture, as well as some profound abrasions to his body,' UAE Team Emirates-XRG said. He is expected to start Saturday's stage. Advertisement The peloton exits Brittany during Stage 8, a 106.5-mile, mainly flat trek from Saint-Méen-le-Grand to Laval on roads sheltered from the wind. Expect a bunch sprint.
