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The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Tour de France 2025 live: Stage 15 route and updates with breakaway specialists and sprinters set to do battle
The second week of the Tour de France concludes with a hilly, lumpy stage as the race travels away from the Pyrenees and sets up an Alpine showdown in the final, decisive week. Tadej Pogacar takes a commanding lead of almost four and a half minutes over Jonas Vingegaard into today's hilly stage 15 after eking out a few more seconds on the finish line, after Thymen Arensman took the victory on stage 14 for Ineos with a long solo attack. The route features three categorised climbs on a 169km run from Muret to the medieval city of Carcassonne, and those categorised climbs could put paid to the chances of any sprinters desperate for something to cheer about after a grim sojourn in the Pyrenees. The breakaway specialists likewise will have their eyes on the prize on the flat city-centre finish - but can they hold off the sprinter trains? Stage 15 preview Today's stage is a 169km run from Muret to Carcassonne covering some bumpy terrain, so this will be a real test of recovery after the previous three days. There are three categorised climbs to get over in a lumpy middle of the stage: the cat-three Cote de Saint-Ferreol, the cat-three Cote de Soreze, and the cat-two Pas de Sant. Saint-Ferreol sets the tone, short but sharp at 7% for 1.7km kilometres. The Soreze is longer at 6.2km, averaging 5.5%, but it's the Pas de Sant that might spell doom for the sprinters: 2.9km at an average of 10.2%. And there's plenty more uncategorised climbing too - including the late climb up the Col de Fontbruno, which isn't marked but follows immediately on from the categorised Pas du Sant. It sees the riders climb to 880m above sea level, before a long, broken-up, 40km into Carcassonne and a flat finish. If the sprinters' teams have their lead-out trains organised they could gather up any stragglers and make a late chase on that final descent and flat approach - but the likes of Mathieu van der Poel could foil them, with attacks likely to come all day and especially on the last categorised climb. Either way it should make for a fascinating day of racing. Flo Clifford20 July 2025 11:04 Good morning Bonjour and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of stage 15 of the Tour de France! After a trio of exciting stages in the Pyrenees, the GC favourites get a bit of respite - and the sprinters will hope for glory in Carcassonne. Flo Clifford20 July 2025 11:00
Arab News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Arensman climbs to misty Tour de France win as Pogacar extends lead
LUCHON-SUPERBAGNERES, France: Dutch rider Thymen Arensman climbed to victory on the gruelling stage 14 of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees on Saturday as defending champion Tadej Pogacar extended his overall race lead. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, who had been third overall, pulled out of the race on the day's first climb, the daunting 2180m altitude Tourmalet. As the disappointed Belgian Soudal Quick-Step rider left the race Arensman attacked on the third of four mountains on a colossal climb day while Slovenian Pogacar outsprinted Jonas Vingegaard for second just over a minute behind the winner. Crossing the line in the mist at 1840m altitude, Arensman flung himself to the ground exhausted after taking a first win on this Tour for British team Ineos. 'After all that effort it was beautiful to win. 'I was focussed on trying to get in the breakaway and luckily I had good legs today,' Arensman said. The 25-year-old produced a virtuoso climb amidst suffocating packs of near hysterical fans who had waited all day for the peloton to pass. Behind him Pogacar fought off a string of attacks from his arch rival Vingegaard on a day the Slovenian never looked like attacking for the win. Winner of the past two stages Pogacar pounced for the line from 50 meters with his trademark kick gaining another six seconds on the Dane. Pogacar, overall race winner in 2020, 2021 and 2024, now leads Vingegaard by 4min 13sec with Florian Lipowitz moving into third place at 7min 53sec. Pogacar praised Arensman as 'the strongest of the breakaway and strongest of the race.' 'That was one hell of a ride from him. You could only see 20m ahead,' said the race leader. 'I was quite scared racing down the Tourmalet, I was behind Arensman and he just disappeared into the fog,' said Pogacar. Lipovitz rode on Pogacar's wheel until Dane Vingegaard, who won Tour titles in 2022 and 2023, had attacked late on. The 25-year-old Red Bull rider Lipowitz took the best young rider's white jersey and is a rising force in cycling, which he came to late after switching from the winter sport biathlon, a mixture of shooting and cross-country skiing. 'When I came here I had no pretensions of taking the white jersey, so I'm really happy,' said the quietly spoken 6ft 4in (1.93m) German. 'The crowds were so encouraging, it makes you want to ride faster.' Evenepoel's premature exit meanwhile came following Friday's stamina-sapping uphill time trial. 'Today in the morning I could feel I was empty and on the climb the legs just weren't there,' said Evenepoel, a fan favorite. 'It's a pity, but you need to be 110 percent to win this race.' Evenepoel had won the stage five time trial and but for a blunder on day 1 would likely have at least worn the yellow jersey at some stage of the first week. 'It really sucks for the Tour to lose someone like him,' Pogacar said. Ireland's Ben Healy, who did wear yellow for two days, climbed back up to ninth as the EF rider who arrived in the Pyrenees in the lead but suffered badly on the first climb, rode all day on stage 14 with the Pogacar clique. Frenchman Lenny Martinez led over the first three mountains and has the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey. After three days in the Pyrenees the riders next have a hilly stage 15 over 169.3km from Muret to the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Arensman soloes to Tour stage victory
Dutch rider Thymen Arensman climbed to victory on the gruelling stage 14 of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees on Saturday as defending champion Tadej Pogacar extended his overall race lead. Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, who had been third overall, pulled out of the race on the day's first climb of the daunting 2180m altitude Tourmalet. The Belgian Soudal Quick-Step rider appeared exhausted after Friday's uphill time trial. Arensman attacked on the third of four mountains on a colossal climb day while Slovenian Pogacar outsprinted Jonas Vingegaard for second just over a minute behind the winner. Crossing the line in the mist at 1840m altitude, Arensman flung himself to the ground exhausted after taking a first win on this Tour for British team Ineos. The 25-year-old produced a virtuoso climb amidst suffocating packs of near hysterical fans who had waited all day for the peloton to pass. Behind him Pogacar fought off a string of attacks from his arch rival Vingegaard on a day the Slovenian never looked like attacking for the win. Winner of the past two stages Pogacar pounced for the line from 50 metres with his trademark kick gaining another six seconds on the Dane. Pogacar, overall race winner in 2020, 2021 and 2024, now leads Vingegaard by 4min 13sec with Florian Lipowitz moving into third place at 7min 53sec. German Lipovitz of Red Bull rode on Pogacar's wheel until Dane Vingegaard, who won back-to-back Tour titles in 2022 and 2023, had attacked late on. After three days in the Pyrenees the riders next have a hilly stage 15 over 169.3km from Muret to the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne. Spectator hit by Ineos-Grenadiers team car An Ineos-Grenadiers team car hit and knocked down a spectator during the 14th stage of the Tour de France cycle race, TV footage showed on Saturday. The team car was in the middle of the road to the Col de Peyresourde, about 200 metres from the top of the ascent, when it struck the spectator, who was cheering the riders on. Organisers told Reuters they were not aware of the accident while Ineos-Grenadiers were not immediately available for comment. Olympic champion Evenepoel pulls out of Tour de France Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel pulled out of the Tour de France during Saturday's stage 14, a gruelling climb of the Tourmalet mountain in the Pyrenees. The double Olympic champion was third in the overall standings and had won stage five in the 21-stage race, but appeared exhausted after Friday's uphill time trial. The Soudal Quick-Step rider won both the Olympic road race and time trial gold in Paris, shortly after finishing third at the 2024 Tour de France and claimed the best young rider's white jersey. But an accident in Brussels in December involving a postal delivery van scuppered the 25-year-old's preparation for this year's Tour. The opening stages were contested near the Belgian border, but Evenepoel lost a minute of the first day after being caught in a cross wind split. This tactical error deprived him of a golden chance of taking the leader's yellow jersey in the first week, where he would pulverise the field on a 33km time trial. The team will now base its attention around fellow Belgian rider Tim Merlier, who has already won two sprint stages on this Tour.
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Tadej Pogacar stretches advantage as Thymen Arensman lifts Ineos Grenadiers
Arensman went solo from a breakaway still with 36 kilometres to go on this punishing queen stage from Pau to a summit finish at Superbagneres and held off the main favourites to win by 68 seconds, a first Tour stage win for his team in two years. Behind, Pogacar marked moves from main rival Jonas Vingegaard before narrowly beating him to second, adding another six seconds to an overall lead that now stands at four minutes 13 seconds, but the main news in the general classification was Evenepoel abandoning from third place. That saw 22-year-old Scot Oscar Onley rise to fourth, although he was distanced at the top of the final climb by Florian Lipowitz, who inherited third place and the best young rider's white jersey. The final episode of the Tour's Pyrenean trilogy followed the path of the famous stage won by Greg LeMond in 1986, with the Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and the Peyresourde coming before a first visit to Superbagneres since Robert Millar, now Pippa York, won here in 1989. It took until the Tourmalet for a break to get clear as Lenny Martinez went in search of the king of the mountains points he needed to make the polka dot jersey he wearing on behalf of Pogacar his own, with Arensman among those trying to chase down the young Frenchman. Evenepoel, who suffered in the heat on the previous two days, fared no better on a damper, cooler day, and climbed off early on the Tourmalet, with his team saying the Belgian 'did not feel himself'. Arensman was among three riders to catch Martinez before the Peyresourde, where he launched his own move and opened up a gap on the main group of favourites who until that point has been closing in. The Dutchman's gap grew to three and a half minutes before the the final climb and he fought hard on punishing gradients to keep the chasing pack at bay. 'I can't really believe it,' said the 25-year-old. 'I had to be really patient the first week and I had to wait until the mountains and then the first opportunity I got to I was already second (on the Puy-de-Sancy). 'That was already an amazing experience in my first Tour, but this is unbelievable now.' TV footage showed that an Ineos team car hit and knocked down a spectator amid the crowds on the Peyresourde. The PA news agency understands the Ineos car stopped to check on the spectator who was said to be okay. A team spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts and sincere apologies go out to the fan who was accidentally and regretfully hit by one of our race cars while supporting the riders during today's stage. 'Like all teams we take great care to maintain a safe race environment for everyone – including the passionate fans who make our sport so special.' Pogacar had been backed by many to chase a third consecutive stage win, but he was happy just to mark Vingegaard. 'I didn't have the firepower in me to counter-attack and give it all to the finish, so I committed just to control the stage until the last 200 metres and then do the sprint for second place,' he said. 'It's all good, I'm happy to be in yellow.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Tadej Pogacar stretches advantage as Thymen Arensman lifts Ineos Grenadiers
Arensman went solo from a breakaway still with 36 kilometres to go on this punishing queen stage from Pau to a summit finish at Superbagneres and held off the main favourites to win by 68 seconds, a first Tour stage win for his team in two years. Behind, Pogacar marked moves from main rival Jonas Vingegaard before narrowly beating him to second, adding another six seconds to an overall lead that now stands at four minutes 13 seconds, but the main news in the general classification was Evenepoel abandoning from third place. That saw 22-year-old Scot Oscar Onley rise to fourth, although he was distanced at the top of the final climb by Florian Lipowitz, who inherited third place and the best young rider's white jersey. The final episode of the Tour's Pyrenean trilogy followed the path of the famous stage won by Greg LeMond in 1986, with the Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and the Peyresourde coming before a first visit to Superbagneres since Robert Millar, now Pippa York, won here in 1989. It took until the Tourmalet for a break to get clear as Lenny Martinez went in search of the king of the mountains points he needed to make the polka dot jersey he wearing on behalf of Pogacar his own, with Arensman among those trying to chase down the young Frenchman. Evenepoel, who suffered in the heat on the previous two days, fared no better on a damper, cooler day, and climbed off early on the Tourmalet, with his team saying the Belgian 'did not feel himself'. Arensman was among three riders to catch Martinez before the Peyresourde, where he launched his own move and opened up a gap on the main group of favourites who until that point has been closing in. The Dutchman's gap grew to three and a half minutes before the the final climb and he fought hard on punishing gradients to keep the chasing pack at bay. 'I can't really believe it,' said the 25-year-old. 'I had to be really patient the first week and I had to wait until the mountains and then the first opportunity I got to I was already second (on the Puy-de-Sancy). 'That was already an amazing experience in my first Tour, but this is unbelievable now.' TV footage showed that an Ineos team car hit and knocked down a spectator amid the crowds on the Peyresourde. The PA news agency understands the Ineos car stopped to check on the spectator who was said to be okay. A team spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts and sincere apologies go out to the fan who was accidentally and regretfully hit by one of our race cars while supporting the riders during today's stage. 'Like all teams we take great care to maintain a safe race environment for everyone – including the passionate fans who make our sport so special.' Pogacar had been backed by many to chase a third consecutive stage win, but he was happy just to mark Vingegaard. 'I didn't have the firepower in me to counter-attack and give it all to the finish, so I committed just to control the stage until the last 200 metres and then do the sprint for second place,' he said. 'It's all good, I'm happy to be in yellow.'
