Latest news with #GeraintThomas
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Who is Oscar Onley? The talented Scot breaking through at the Tour de France
Viewers scanning the Tour de France general classification will see a mix of wholly expected names and some comparative unknowns. Tadej Pogacar leads the standings as his era-defining dominance continues; Jonas Vingegaard sits second behind his longtime rival. But accompanying the rider sitting fourth in the overall standings is a British flag: not former Tour de France winner and veteran Geraint Thomas, but the up-and-coming youngster Oscar Onley. The 22-year-old has been enjoying a breakout season and is in action in just his second Tour de France. He and his team came in targeting a stage win but are on course for a top-five finish, and very possibly a podium place, at the sport's biggest race. With every passing stage he has surpassed both his own expectations and that of all observers. So who is Onley, and what's behind his meteoric rise? Onley grew up in the Scottish Borders town of Kelso and was inspired to start cycling by the fact that the time-trial route for his local club, Kelso Wheelers, went right past his house. The youngster was soon hooked, and while he could have had a future as an elite cross-country runner, he eventually opted for two wheels instead. He raced in Europe as a junior before joining the development team of his current squad, Picnic PostNL, in 2021. His breakthrough win came in 2022 at the Giro Valle d'Aosta, an Italian stage race, before he finished third at the CRO Race - a stage race in Croatia - and he made the step up to WorldTour racing in 2023. He finished third at the Tour de Suisse, behind Joao Almeida and Kevin Vauquelin (AP) Onley picked up a few top-10s in his debut WorldTour season, including at major stage races the Tour de Romandie and the Criterium du Dauphine, but his Grand Tour debut didn't go to plan. The youngster was part of DSM-Firmenich's win in the team time trial on stage one of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana, but he crashed and broke his collarbone on stage two and was forced to abandon the race. But 2024 was to prove a standout year. He kicked it off in style with his first professional win at the Tour Down Under, the season-opening stage race in Australia, on the famous Willunga Hill climb, and finished fourth overall. He was 39th in his first full Grand Tour - last year's Tour de France - with his best result a fifth place on stage 17 to Superdevoluy, a tough mountain stage won by Richard Carapaz. He finished second overall at the Tour of Britain, winning the best young rider classification, and was the highest-placed British rider in the gruelling World Championships road race in Zurich. This year he has built on those experiences: he was fifth overall at the UAE Tour - won by Pogacar - then ninth at Itzulia Basque Country and third overall at the Tour de Suisse, a phenomenal race for the 22-year-old. Onley was seventh in stage 13's mountainous time trial (AFP via Getty Images) He took a stage win on Stage 5, beating overall winner Joao Almeida on a stage featuring four category-one climbs, and clearly rode into his best form at the perfect time with the Tour de France on the horizon. Having moved from the rolling Scottish hills to the mountains of Andorra, the 22-year-old is most at home when the gradient kicks up. So far in this Tour he has finished third, fourth twice, fifth, seventh, and sixth twice, with three of those fine results coming on gruelling back-to-back Pyrenean stages. While Onley is a pure climber, his seventh place on stage 13's mountainous time trial indicated that that sort of terrain against the clock also suits him well, which bodes well for a future as a serious GC contender. He was distanced by the likes of Vingegaard and Pogacar at the toughest gradients on the road stages to Hautacam and Superbagneres, but has shown he can ride his own pace to limit his losses, and has ridden a very mature race to rise to fourth overall. Onley follows Vingegaard and Pogacar on the toughest slopes of Col de la Loze (AP) Nowhere was that more on show than on the queen stage of the Tour: stage 18 from Vif to Courchevel, with the summit finish 2,304m above sea level on the mythical Col de la Loze. Onley was distanced on the day's second HC climb, the Col de la Madeleine, but paced himself well and was rejoined by his teammates on the valley road to Col de la Loze. With their support he conserved his energy and ultimately was the final GC rider to stick with Vingegaard and Pogacar on the steepest upper slopes of the formidable climb, only dropping in the closing few hundred metres. After stage 16's race to Mont Ventoux he was 2'01' behind Florian Lipowitz, the current third-placed rider and leader in the best young rider classification, but the queen stage saw him shave that deficit down to just 22 seconds, meaning Onley has a fine chance of both taking the white jersey in Paris and third spot on the podium. At the same time he built his advantage to 1'26' over five-time Grand Tour winner Primoz Roglic, Lipowitz's Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate, who currently sits fifth. The Scot has consistently stuck with the yellow jersey group and finished third behind Pogacar and Vingegaard on stage seven (AFP via Getty Images) By the end of the second week, it looked as though the Scot himself was starting to believe he is real deal. He told ITV4 on Monday, 'It's something I wasn't expecting. It's really been a successful week, the Hautacam stage gave me a lot of confidence on the first climb, when I saw Remco [Evenepoel] being dropped and [Matteo] Jorgenson in trouble and I still felt really good. That was my first real test in the mountains with multiple climbs. 'The last day in the Pyrenees [stage 14 to Superbagneres] was the hardest stage for sure. I didn't feel super good that day but looking around, no one felt that good. Each stage that passes I'm gaining more confidence. 'The team have a lot of confidence in me, and maybe sometimes I need to have a little bit more confidence in myself. But that's starting to come now and I'm starting to see my place in the peloton and finding my way.' The team have insisted throughout this Tour that Onley is riding a 'relaxed GC', without any pressure on his shoulders, and that voyage of discovery of what exactly he's capable of continues this week, with one major day of climbing in the Alps left on Friday. Onley was fifth on stage 12 to Hautacam, behind only his GC rivals (AFP via Getty Images) And with the retirement of Romain Bardet, Picnic PostNL's veteran climber and GC rider, Onley is coming of age at just the right time - along with fellow 22-year-old British talent Max Poole, who represent a bright future for British GC hopefuls. Picnic PostNL's sports director Matt Winston told Velo this week, 'I think he's an incredible talent. He works hard, he's a quiet guy. But he is very thoughtful, very reflective. And he's doing a really good job.' Onley's ambitions of winning a stage at this Tour have been somewhat thwarted by his lofty position in the general classification, meaning that Pogacar and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG outfit will never let him go in a breakaway. That means that in order to win a stage the Scot will have to stick with Pogacar, Vingegaard, and the GC group in the high mountains and overhaul them. It's a daunting task for anyone, but he has already demonstrated he can stick with them. And regardless of the final outcome in Paris, Onley has marked himself out as a huge name to watch for the future.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wales to host final stages of prestigious Tour of Britain
Wales will host the final two stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men in September 2025. The prestigious event will see the world's best cyclists battling it out, with the rugged climbs of south Wales providing a stern test. The stages, on September 6, and 7, will feature routes through Pontypool, Newport, and Cardiff, with the notable ascent of The Tumble, near Abergavenny. This is expected to be the final race for INEOS Grenadiers rider, Geraint Thomas. For the first time, Pontypool will see the start of stage five on September 6. The route will navigate through Monmouthshire, concluding with a double climb of The Tumble. The final stage on September 7 kicks off at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport. It will cut across the undulating landscapes of south Wales, passing Maindy Velodrome, before finishing in the heart of Cardiff city centre. This follows the successful hosting of the Lloyds National Road Championships in Aberaeron and Aberystwyth in June, under a three-year agreement between the Welsh Government and British Cycling. Jack Sargeant, Welsh government minister responsible for sport, said: "We're excited to welcome the Men's Tour of Britain back to Wales once again, an event we have proudly supported over a number of years. "The Tour has found a successful home in Wales, and each time it returns it showcases our cities, towns, communities and landscapes to an international audience, as well as attracting athletes from all over the world." A double climb of The Tumble will prove a stern test (Image: Zac Williams/ September will mark the second time that Cardiff has hosted the overall finish of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, having done so in 2017, and only the third time in the modern race's 21-year history that the event has finished in Wales. Jonathan Day, managing director of British Cycling Events, said: "Wales has provided some of the most iconic moments in Lloyds Tour of Britain history over the years, and this September will be no different. "The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men never fails to draw a crowd in south Wales, and with the four fantastic locations and two stages falling across a weekend we are confident that this will make for a really special atmosphere and a fantastic way to round out the race, and crown our 2025 champion." The weekend will also include an amateur event, the official Lloyds Tour of Britain Ride the Route on September 6, starting and finishing at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport. The full routes of both Welsh stages will be revealed later in July. The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men begins in East Suffolk on September 2, with stages also in Suffolk, Milton Keynes, Central Bedfordshire and Warwickshire before the race arrives in Wales. Further announcements about the participating teams and all six stage routes will be made in the coming weeks.
Business News Wales
2 days ago
- Sport
- Business News Wales
South Wales to Host Latter Stages of Lloyds Tour of Britain Men 2025
This September, Torfaen will play host to the latter stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men – Britain's biggest professional cycle race. On Saturday September 6 and Sunday September 7, the UK's largest free-to-spectate live sporting event will see the world's top cyclists racing two arduous stages across South Wales. Pontypool Park will host the start of Stage Five on Saturday September 6, as the British national tour visits the borough for the first time. The route will continue through Monmouthshire – culminating in a double ascent of The Tumble, near Abergavenny, which averages 8.2 per cent gradient for five kilometres, and will loop back through Torfaen later that day. Torfaen Council Leader Cllr Anthony Hunt said: 'It's exciting to have a stage of the Tour of Britain starting here in Pontypool, travelling through Torfaen and Monmouthshire. What a great opportunity to show off beautiful Pontypool Park and Blaenavon too. 'It will also give local people a great chance to come and see the race, and pay tribute to Welsh legend, Tour de France winner and Olympic champion Geraint Thomas in his last professional race.' To mark Geraint Thomas' last competitive race, the final stage on Sunday September 7, will start from the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales, in Newport, and pass Maindy Velodrome – home of Geriant's former club, the Maindy Flyers Cycling Club. As part of Wales' weekend of racing, amateur cyclists can also tackle the final stage of the race on Saturday 6 September, starting and finishing at Newport's Geraint Thomas Velodrome – one day before the professional competitors. Further details and the exact routes of both Welsh stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will be published later this month. Jonathan Day, Managing Director of British Cycling Events, said: 'The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men never fails to draw a crowd in South Wales, and with the four fantastic locations and two stages falling across a weekend, we are confident that this will make for a really special atmosphere and a fantastic way to round out the race, and crown our 2025 champion.' The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men begins in East Suffolk on Tuesday September 2, with legs between Woodbridge and Southwold, Suffolk at Stowmarket, Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire, and Warwickshire before the race arrives in Wales. Welsh Government Minister with responsibility for Sport, Jack Sargeant, said: 'We're excited to welcome the Men's Tour of Britain back to Wales once again, an event we have proudly supported over a number of years.' 'The Tour has found a successful home in Wales, and each time it returns it showcases our cities, towns, communities and landscapes to an international audience, as well as attracting athletes from all over the world.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Geraint Thomas to be given Welsh farewell at final race as full Tour of Britain route revealed
Geraint Thomas ' final race as a professional cyclist will be on home soil, with the Tour of Britain set to conclude in Wales this September. The former Tour de France champion has previously said he will call time on his 19-year career at his home race, which begins on 2 September. The Tour of Britain is set to begin in Suffolk before taking in Warwickshire, Bedfordshire, and Milton Keynes en route to the final two stages in Thomas' native Wales. Stage five will begin in Pontypool on 6 September, travelling through Monmouthshire with two climbs of The Tumble - a 5km climb averaging 8.2% in gradient - to finish. The final stage, stage six, will start outside the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport, crossing through south Wales via the Maindy Velodrome, home of Thomas' original club, the Maindy Flyers Cycling Club. The race will finish in Cardiff city centre. Cardiff has previously hosted the Tour of Britain, with the race last finishing there in 2017. 39-year-old Thomas, who rides for Ineos Grenadiers, is currently in action at his final Tour de France as a rider before an expected transition into a management or team leadership role at the squad. He has raced with Ineos - formerly known as Team Sky - since 2010, winning the 2018 Tour de France and three stages at cycling's biggest race, along with a second-place overall at the 2019 edition and the 2023 Giro d'Italia, to go with wins at Paris-Nice, the Tour de Suisse, Criterium du Dauphine, and two Olympic golds and three World Championship titles on the track.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Tour de France 2025: Valentin Paret-Peintre conquers Mont Ventoux to win stage 16
Update: Date: 2025-07-22T15:32:45.000Z Title: Here's the report on a French victory on the most fearsome climb of all. Content: The first French stage win of Le Tour came on the legendary peak as Tadej Pogacar stayed in full race control John Brewin Tue 22 Jul 2025 16.32 BST First published on Tue 22 Jul 2025 10.30 BST 4.30pm BST 16:30 Updated at 4.32pm BST 4.16pm BST 16:16 Vingegaard on that prang with a snapper: 'Some photographer just ran out in front of me straight after the finish line. I don't know what he was doing. I went down. People in the finish area should use their eyes a bit more.' 4.13pm BST 16:13 Geraint Thomas, the 2018 winner, was relieved to ride Ventoux for the last time: 'Super loud. Yeah, enjoyed it, yeah. Yeah, can't wait. No, I just keep trying, like, I just feeling in my age a bit, to be honest with the old jumping around. It's it's hard work. Lucky, I don't feel it at the minute. But no. Yeah, we just got to keep trying. We got a time in there at the end. And yeah, just stay active, like obviously tomorrow, sprint stage on paper, but I think other teams are going to try again. Every day has been full gas, so I don't see it being any different, really. think just the whole peloton is just better condition, you know, it's just so many more guys can keep riding out and keep attacking and just keep going. It's just the depth, the depth of the peloton is just that's the biggest, like difference.' 4.04pm BST 16:04 Ominously, Tadej Pogacar leads the polka on countback and in the green jersey standings, he's in with a big chance. King of the Mountains 1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - XRG 60 2. Lenny Martinez (FRA) Bahrain Victorious 3. Thymen Arensman (NED) INEOS Grenadiers 48 4. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Visma - Lease a Bike 45 5. Michael Woods (CAN) Israel - Premier Tech 38 Points leaders 1. Jonathan Milan (ITA) Lidl - Trek 251 2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - XRG 240 3. Biniam Girmay (ERI) Intermarché - Wanty 169 4. Tim Merlier (BEL) Soudal Quick-Step 150 5. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Visma - Lease a Bike ' 4.02pm BST 16:02 1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - XRG 58:24:46 2. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Visma - Lease a Bike +4:15 3. Florian Lipowitz (GER) Red Bull - BORA - +9:03 4. Oscar Onley (GBR) Team Picnic PostNL +11:04 5. Primo* Roglic (SLO) Red Bull - BORA - +11:42 6. Kévin Vauquelin (FRA) Arkéa - B&B Hotels +13:20 7. Felix Gall (AUT) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale +14:50 8. Tobias Johannessen (NOR) Uno-X Mobility +17:01 9. Ben Healy (IRL) EF Education - EasyPost +17:52 10. Carlos Rodríguez (ESP) INEOS Grenadiers +20:45 4.00pm BST 16:00 Martin Lowe gets in touch: 'When was the last time two hirsute faces went one two in any cycling race? Marginal gains? Leading from the front?' My colleague Beau Dure: 'Congratulations to Paret-Peintre for brilliantly .... letting Healy do all the work and then passing him at the end as if he actually did something. (Yeah, I know -- easy for me to say. I probably couldn't walk up Mont Ventoux, let alone drag a bike up it.)' Alistair in Lyon: 'I holidayed at Bédouin last summer, and contemplated doing the Ventoux. I have done it once, twenty years ago, with a mountain biking group. We took an unusual route, on forest tracks, which bring you to the road a bit above Chalet Renard. Most of the group took a right, to get a beer at the Chalet, and only three of us made it to the year, we drove up in the end...' 3.58pm BST 15:58 Adam Yates, teammate of Tadej Pogacar, speaks: 'Yeah, it's always a big mess. I think after the rest day everyone wants to try and win, so it was hard going from the beginning. 'You know how, he is, he wants to win every stage. He's, TT whatever, so that's his character, that's his personality. And that's why we work towards, you know, we work hard all year to try and win, so. Yeah, it didn't work out today but after tonight we got two more good days in the mountains and we'll give it a charge. 3.55pm BST 15:55 1. Valentin Paret-Peintre Soudal Quick-Step 4:03:19 (FRA) 2. Ben Healy (IRL) EF Education - EasyPost ' 3. Santiago Buitrago (COL) Bahrain Victorious +4 4. Ilan Van Wilder (BEL) Soudal Quick-Step +14 5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - XRG +43 6. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Visma - Lease a Bike +45 7. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar Team +53 8. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Tudor Pro Cycling Team +1:17 9. Primoz Roglic (SLO) Red Bull - BORA - +1:51 10. Florian Lipowitz (GER) Red Bull - BORA - +1:53 3.53pm BST 15:53 Jonas Vingegaard speaks: 'I didn't gain any time today, but I take a lot of motivation today today Yeah, we wanted to have somebody in the break and the team did really amazing today. Everybody worked with everything they had. So, I couldn't. Yeah, it was really commitment from everyone, and everyone was doing super great, so thank you to all my team. 'I mean, he followed me every time I attacked, and I followed him when he attacked, so yeah, I don't know if I could see any weaknesses today now, but at least, yeah, it gives me some motivation, how good I saw today and as I said earlier, I will keep trying.' He was not happy there, having crashed into a photographer who had got in the way after he cleared the finishing line. 3.46pm BST 15:46 Ireland's Healy denied, France and Soudal Quick-Step rider victorious. Roglic comes over the top, and he will displace Oscar Onley's in the GC. Updated at 3.47pm BST 3.43pm BST 15:43 And Pogacar comes over the line, leading Vingegaard home. Vismas tried their best to crack Pogacar, but a tad off form, they can cannot break him. 3.42pm BST 15:42 Pogacar and Vingegaard are within 45 seconds, and up at the front, Van Wilder, thought to be lost in the broken breakaway, joins a quartet who want this famous stage. Healy goes, and leads round the hairpin but Paret-Peintre captures it for France. Healy had no answer. Updated at 3.45pm BST 3.38pm BST 15:38 1km to go: The terrain is desert-like, like Alderaan, as Healy and Paret-Peintre attempt to be tactical. Mas comes back, and now Buitrago is back, like a thief in the night. He couldn't, could he? Four men have their chance. Pogacar meanwhile, goes away, only for Vingegaard to catch him and then counter. Updated at 4.00pm BST 3.33pm BST 15:33 2km to go: Paret-Peintre and Healy realise they must race. Mas' great effort is lost. Both the leading duo have had a go at the shaking the other off. 3.32pm BST 15:32 3km to go: Healy and Paret-Peintre pass Mas with ease. No Mas, as Roberto Duran had it. The gap to the yellow jersey is two minutes and it's between the Irishman and the Frenchman. But no, Mas gets back up as the other two quarrel. Vingegaard takes on Pogacar, who stays in his saddle. The champion is asked to take his turn at the front. 3.28pm BST 15:28 4km to go: The gap between Mas and Healy, followed by Paret-Peintre, has now closed to nine seconds. Mas is surely done. They can see him up the road. Updated at 3.28pm BST 3.26pm BST 15:26 5km to go: Chalet Reynard, and no shelter from the sun. Nowhere to hide for Vingegaard and Pogacar. Mas' chasers are arguing over whose turn it is. The gap to Mas tumbles to three minutes. Victor Campenaerts is up the hill, and waiting, and is here to help Vingegaard and Visma. 3.23pm BST 15:23 6km to go: Visma try their best to crash Pogacar as Oscar Onley has to fight off contenders for GC. Vingegaard goes again, but cannot shake off Pogacar. 3.21pm BST 15:21 7km to go: Here goes Vingegaard, and this is it. This is the moment when Vingegaard looks to crack Pogacar. Roglic is able to stay with them. It took 30 seconds from group in front. Tiesj Benoot, up the hill, is there to lead Vingo. Pogacar's lieutenant, Soler, was up the hill but burned up. Updated at 4.00pm BST 3.17pm BST 15:17 8km to go: We approach the section where the hills no longer provide shade. Simon Yates has been dropped from the group to support Vingegaard. Le Chalet Reynard awaits. 3.15pm BST 15:15 9km to go: Sivakov, a vital domestique for Pogacar, has dropped off as soon as he is asked to carry Pogacar. Arensman drops Alaphilippe and the Healy group catches them. 3.10pm BST 15:10 10km to go: Mas has a great victory within his grasp, as his chasers are 30 seconds down, gap that goes to almost 50 seconds. The real quiz is now down the hill. Pogacar has Yates and Wellens for company. Kuss is leading Vingegaard along though Visma have lost Simon Yates, who doesn't look at his best. Updated at 3.59pm BST 3.04pm BST 15:04 12km to go: Back in the peloton, UAE and Visma – the teams of Pogacar and Vingegaard – are cooking something, plotting against each other. Both have riders up ahead. Oscar Onley is up there, too, with Warren Barguil, a great lost talent, as his domestique. 3.01pm BST 15:01 13km to go: Uh oh, the peloton is motoring up this hill like Hells Angels in the Peaks. They are gobbling up time. Can Mas et al hold them off? Mas has won a stage at the Vuelta. Arensman and Alaphilippe are dropped. Movistar are looking to end their drought. Their last winner was Nairo Quintana in 2019. 2.57pm BST 14:57 14km to go: How will the peloton fit on these crowded roads? Geraint Thomas is one of those being spat out the back. The yellow jersey group is way behind but that doesn't preclude fireworks between them towards the summit. Enric Mas has a dig for victory, trying to shell Alaphilippe and Arsensman. 2.54pm BST 14:54 15km to go: The crowds are huge as the climb begins. Mas, Arensman and Alaphilippe are the leaders. The peloton starts to kick on and the field in thinning out on the 'Bald Mountain'. Incredible scenes, shades of Froome in 2016. 2.50pm BST 14:50 16km to go: Arensman, Alaphilippe, Mas, Velasco and Abrahamsen, a group splintered, with Trentin's big haul coming to its end. Martinez has been kicked down the field, with a mechanical fault not helping. His polka is in danger should Pogacar actually attack. 2.48pm BST 14:48 18km to go: Alaphilippe – radio on – decides he's having a go. No French stage winner this day. Arensman, a winner in the Pyrenees, is struggling. Abrahamsen wants to have a go, too. 2.46pm BST 14:46 21km to go: Here is Bédoin, and that means we are now climbing climbing climbing until the end of the day. The gap is 6' 50', does this mean UAE and Pogacar have decided the break is clear? Will the winner come from the two lead groups? Alaphilippe, Martinez and Healy all with chances. 2.37pm BST 14:37 25km to go: The breakaway brotherhood are beginning to climb out of their saddles. The Ventoux climb begins around 21km out, with 4.5km of relatively gentle climbing followed by 16.5km of sheer hell. Time to take on food and water, and hope the legs are working well. Behind, Team UAE loom, ready to go when the moment comes. Neil Broderick is here: 'Michael Forbes: 'Just wondering about your thoughts on Vingegaard this year: is he physically finished, or is all the drama with his wife and the team responsible for his poor showing? ' 'This is a sad commentary on modern sport when being the second best cyclist in the world is equivalent to being 'physically finished'. Vingegaard is still minutes ahead of everyone else which is a major achievement.' He's still just 28, which used to be the time when riders were considered ripe to win the race. Updated at 2.39pm BST 2.28pm BST 14:28 30km to go: The foothills are here. Pogacar is 6' 30' back. He's given himself plenty to do. Though it still feels as if UAE are in control. The renegades at the front will surely be gobbled up. 2.22pm BST 14:22 35km to go: John Westwell gets in touch: 'Although Gary Naylor makes a valid point about Pogacar being a true patron and allowing a break to contest today's stage, I don't think he's that sort of rider. 'As someone who encourages the comparison with Eddy Merckxx, Pogacar is only too aware that Merckxx won atop Ventoux in 1970. I'd be amazed if he doesn't want to do the same today. And his team seems to be riding to keep three riders out front with a small gap which can be pulled back on or before the final climb.' William Preston: 'Although I mainly agree with Gary Naylor: Pogacar could refrain from getting a stomp on and leave the thrilling heroics to others; a philosopher once said 'there are no gifts on the Ventoux'. I genuinely look forward to seeing some brilliant climbing across the peloton, and a super party atmosphere.' Nick Wayne: 'As Pog said he's paid (handsomely) to race. Wouldn't put it past UAE to give him a humongous bonus for all three jerseys. But I'm hoping Lenny det polka and Milan stays in green.' David Alderton: 'Campenaerts has had a stellar two weeks. A workhorse of a man. Ventoux is probably my favourite mountain after the Armstrong and Pantani duel many years ago. Such epic days have been witnessed here.' Michael Forbes: 'Just wondering about your thoughts on Vingegaard this year: is he physically finished, or is all the drama with his wife and the team responsible for his poor showing? ' Yes, shades of Mrs Froome's involvement a few years back though I'd say Vingo is a) against a peaking Pog and b) still hungover from last year's amazing effort after his Basque crash. 2.18pm BST 14:18 40km to go: Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), Julian Alaphilippe and Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Enric Mas (Movistar), Simone Velasco (Astana) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) are the group leading Healy but nobody is really busting a gut. Bedoin, not so far up the road, awaits. And that's when it begins. 2.08pm BST 14:08 50km to go: The games continue, and a crosswind approaches. Ben Healy is in a group a minute off the leaders. It's time to work out who has a chance can stay away on Ventoux. The answer, most probably, is nobody. 1.57pm BST 13:57 59km to go: Here comes that sprint, and the points do not go to Milan. His team have dropped the ball here. Girmay is nowhere near, either. Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X Mobility takes it, with few interested chasers. Simone Velasco of Astana has a half-hearted go. Updated at 2.06pm BST 1.46pm BST 13:46 65 km to go: Apologies for the use of X, but here's the personnel in the breakaway. It's splitting in half now, too. 🏁 80 km 3️⃣5️⃣ 🚴♂️ < 42"2️⃣🚴♂️ < 2'47" < 🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚗 Breakaway of the day / L'échappée du jour ⬇️ 🇮🇪 Ben Healy 🇳🇱 @ThymenArensman 🇪🇸 @EnricMasNicolau 🇦🇹 Gregor Mühlberger 🇧🇪 Xandro Meurisse 🇧🇪 Ilan Van Wilder 🇧🇪 Victor Campenaerts 🇪🇸 @raul_gass 🇪🇸 @solermarc93 🇳🇱 @PascalEenkhoorn 🇮🇹… 1.42pm BST 13:42 70km to go: The sprint draws clear, as they speed through beautiful countryside and then some more suburban scenery. The sprint is at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, who all you winos will recognise the name. Not cheap, usually. Wiki: 'literally translates to 'The Pope's new castle' and, indeed, the history of this appellation is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1309, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the town of Avignon. Clement V and subsequent 'Avignon Popes' were said to be great lovers of Burgundy wines and did much to promote them during the 70-year Avignon Papacy.' Does this mean they go sur le pont d'Avignon? 1.35pm BST 13:35 80km to go: A downhill section – welcome, no doubt – and Jonathan Milan's team has missed the break, and that could damage his chances of the green jersey. He's 2' 25' off the front of the course. In a group ahead, Biniam Girmay is looking to take points off the green holder. Soler and Sivakov of Team UAE are in the break, to do that police work. 1.24pm BST 13:24 90km to go: Here comes what Jim Davidson would call a big break. But it's too big to stay away in truth. Healy, Ireland's hero, is involved. Here's Alaphilippe, the 'winner' of Sunday's stage. This is chaotic stuff, really. There's 30 riders or so up there, and the gap is a minute or so. Food and bottles are taken on in the peloton. 1.13pm BST 13:13 100 km to go: The sprint is 40km to go, and the break is being closed down. Feels like a phoney war for much of the day then blast off as the Ventoux beckons. Lots of trepidation for a climb that holds such portents of doom. As the 100km clock is reached, the break is closed by mostly Visma riders from Vingegaard's team. Wout van Aert is on manoeuvres. 1.01pm BST 13:01 110 km to go: Comfort breaks are taken, but not in the breakaway who open up the gap. Such a long way to go for them. Anyone winning from that trio would be borderline miraculous. They are 1' 45' clear. But not for long, as Schmid and Plapp set of for Team Jayco. Joseph gets in touch: 'We're following your live commentary sat in Bedoin at the foot of Ventoux. The whole town is buzzing.' Presume not buzzing at my plodding prose, instead the key stage of Le Tour 2025. Updated at 1.47pm BST 12.43pm BST 12:43 120 km to go: Sally Ledger gets in touch: 'Morning John, I'm in exactly the same position as Huw Morgan (without the 3pm board meeting) and am also a Pogacar superfan. I know where Huw's coming from but, unlike John [Huw?], I want Pogacar to absolutely crush it today. I know most want a close fought tussle but I just love watching him take flight. I'm actually quite nervous on his behalf. Go Pogi!' Gary Naylor makes a fine point: 'I believe that Pogacar is growing into an old school patron and, as such, it's his responsibility to ensure that the race bestows its gifts generously. So I hope he just marks Visma today and lets a break go. The race needs a climber and a sprinter in the jerseys on Sunday and only he can ensure that.' The trio breakaway stay away but within easy reach. 12.33pm BST 12:33 125km to go: Much chicanery, though the escapees will be allowed to stay away for now. Nils Pollitt, the domestique for UAE and Pogacar, is doing a policing job on the front, making sure nobody joins the trio 45 seconds clear, though the clock soon reverts to 33 seconds. UAE want this for their man. Milan wants to be up the front for his green jersey point. The sprint isn't until 59km left in the stage. Updated at 12.37pm BST 12.30pm BST 12:30 140 km to go: They're rattling along at 60 km/h and the break loses its advantage. It looks like breaks will come and go until that final fateful climb. 11.59am BST 11:59 155km to go: Here go three men good and true in another attempt to establish a break. The gap is eight seconds but climbs to 25. Meurrise, Haller and Hirschi are those up in the vanguard. Marc Hirschi won on stage 11 in 2020, a hilly stage ending in Sarran. 11.44am BST 11:44 165km to go: Lenny Martinez is up the front, and will fancy another breakaway to land his polka points. The breaks aren't snagging just yet. Montpellier is left behind as the Med coast appears in view. It looks ridiculously beautiful. Huw Morgan gets in touch: 'Work web filtering means I'm on the live updates only. My colleague Libby has wisely chosen to WFH so she can watch it. I'm not so lucky with a board meeting to attend at 3pm. I've been following cycling for 3 years now and I've never seen a stage like this. Flat, flat, flat, BANG. Absolutely buzzing to watch it with my wife when I get home from work! We're Pogacar super fans but hoping for a real tussle on Ventoux with Pog losing some time.' 11.39am BST 11:39 171.2 km to go: Christian Prudhomme waves them away, and off goes an immediate breakaway, with Wout van Aert among them. Ivan Romeo is there, too, as is Jonathan Milan, still fighting off Pogacar. Updated at 11.50am BST 11.38am BST 11:38 Strava's read on the Ventoux climb. Any segment where Tadej Pogačar is No1 on the leaderboard is going to hurt – his time of exactly 1 hour for this 13.4 mile / 21.5km climb during the 2021 Tour is almost unfathomable. But put that time to one side and concentrate on the road in front of you, as this climb is known as the 'Beast of Provence' for a reason: the last 3.7 miles / 6km are painful, and mentally you should prepare yourself. The views up to that point are largely forest-based, but once you exit the trees you're in a dusty, rock-strewn lunar landscape, exposed to potentially strong winds, low temperatures and hovering clouds. Look out for Tom Simpson's memorial, as that means you have just 1km left to the summit where your legs can rest. 11.30am BST 11:30 The Dutchman has been diagnosed with pneumonia and will not start Stage 16 on Tuesday, having been a leading light and worn yellow in Le Tour's opening week. 'Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly.' his Alpecin-Deceuninck team said in a statement. He was third in the points classification for the green jersey at the time of his withdrawal, behind Jonathan Milan and Tadej Pogacar. 11.22am BST 11:22 There's 8km to go until the départ réel, when the attacks are expected from the get-go. 11.19am BST 11:19 11.14am BST 11:14 Nick Wayne gets in touch: 'I suppose it's a sign of maturity if he saves his energy for the Alps. It would also make for a cracking stage win if he blasts out of the pedals a few K before the line. ' Pogacar has sat up the last two stages, allowed the breakaway to go. 10.30am BST 10:30 Is the race for the yellow jersey over? Not according to Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time winner promising to go for broke. 'We have to try to do something,' he said, and insisted that he was willing to risk everything to win. 'There needs to be a weakness somewhere on Tadej's part. For now, we haven't found it, but we'll keep trying. I'm willing to sacrifice second place to go for first.' 10.30am BST 10:30 William Fotheringham on the legend of Ventoux. Tempora mutantur, but not the Ventoux. That, partly, reflects one of the key features of the Tour; the way it constantly revisits and rewrites its past in places that have barely changed since the first visit. Go round the partly banked corner at Saint-Estève and on to the virtually straight haul through the oak-wooded lower slopes, and it's essentially the same brutal experience that the stars of the 50s, 60s and 70s might have undergone, perhaps with better tarmac as you go up with barely a hairpin to break the gradient until the final haul across the scree slopes to the top. 10.30am BST 10:30 Here then, is the Alpine stage that rivals only Alpe d'Huez for its place in folklore of Le Tour. And unlike L'Alpe, visits are far rarer. As the riders head towards the summit finish, they will visit terrain that bears closes resemblance to the surface of the Moon rather than the sweeping greenery of le belle campagne. It was last the finish of a stage in 2016, won by Thomas de Gendt, but memorable for Chris Froome running up that hill. The man in the frame today is Tadej Pogacar, and he seeks to emulate the greats in winning on Ventoux, which he climbed up – and twice – in 2021, smashing the field as he did. Poulidor, Merckx and Pantani all raised their arms in victory in that rarified air so can he? The neutralised start is 11.10 UK time. Join us. Updated at 10.37am BST
