Latest news with #MathieuVanderPoel
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
The Scot rubbing shoulders with greats at Tour de France
Oscar Onley set himself the lofty ambition of winning a stage at just his second Tour de five stages in to the three-week epic, and the 22-year-old Scot has come sixth and fourth, rubbing shoulders with not just the world's best cyclists but some of the greatest ever to race."Some of my team-mates and staff say to me you are one of these guys," Onley told ITV before stage four. "I don't really see it like that yet."By the end of the 174km run into Rouen on Tuesday, he had come in just behind defending Tour king Tadej Pogacar, former world champion Mathieu van der Poel, and two-time yellow jersey winner Jonas be involved in such company was a magnificent achievement, particularly given the toughness of the racing across lumpy fact it followed a similar performance on stage two on the ramp up to the line in Boulogne-sur-Mer made it even more there has been no victory yet, Onley has competed with the best in an unexpected way."It's pretty cool - it doesn't get much bigger in terms of races and competitors," Onley said. "It's nice to prove to myself I can be there right at the top." Onley's rise to top Those who follow cycling closely will know of Onley's steady progress since taking to the senior ranks in 2023 with his Dutch team, Picnic his journey started in the Scottish Borders, when local club Kelso Wheelers' time trial route passed right by his front door and he got juggled lots of sports as a kid, particularly cross-country running, before committing to the described himself as "never the best" as a youngster, but as he grew physically his results picked big breakthrough came at the Tour Down Under in 2024 when he won on the finish up Willunga Hill for his first professional Scot then managed second at the Tour of Britain. Amid all that he had to deal with two broken collarbones due to year he has bounced back, and last month climbed on to the podium at the Tour de Suisse, winning stage five in the in the rolling hills of the south of Scotland, Onley is most at home when the road gradient makes the legs strain and is based in the high mountains of the big behemoth mountain ranges, the Alps and Pyrenees, still to come there is opportunity to make a bright start to the Tour de France truly memorable. How far can Onley go? Onley, a calm and unflustered character when interviewed, and his team say they have not changed the goal for the race. The main target is to win a stage, rather than go for a top-10 finish as an end in itself. Feet remain firmly on the ground, or rather the over three weeks in the biggest race of them all is a different beast from the one-week races in which Onley has shown he can compete at the top of the general he has form in his legs and a fearlessness needed amidst the madness of the long-term goal is to be a serious contender to win the Grand Tours, whether in France, Italy or Spain."That's the pinnacle, really," Onley said. "It's a plan we have as a team. "Just now, it's difficult to say how far I can take that, because I've never tried it before. That's the goal, though."In the short term, Onley will aim to keep making a name for himself on the biggest stage in cycling.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tour de France riders set for Stage 5 time trial
Cyclists at the Tour de France are taking part in their first time trial of the 2025 event as Stage 5 is underway Wednesday, July 9, in Caen. The 33-kilometer route starts and finishes in the historic city over a largely flat course that is tailor-made for time trial specialists. That means reigning Olympic time trial champion Remco Evenepoel should be a major factor in this stage. Advertisement Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel are dueling for the overall lead after a thrilling finish to Stage 4 a day earlier. Van der Poel continues to wear the yellow jersey, though both riders are equal on time. Meanwhile Pogacar will have the polka dot jersey after gaining the most climbing points in Stage 4. Tour de France 2025 standings Through Stage 4 Mathieu van der Poel, Netherlands: 16h 46' 00'' Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia: 16h 46' 00'' Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark: 16h 46' 08'' (8 seconds behind) Matteo Jorgenson, USA: 16h 46' 19'' (19 seconds) Kevin Vauquelin, France: 16h 46' 26'' (26 seconds) Enric Mas, Spain: 16h 46' 48'' (48 seconds) Oscar Onley, Great Britain: 16h 46' 55'' (55 seconds) Joao Almeida, Portugal: 16h 46' 55'' (55 seconds) Remco Evenepoel, Belgium: 16h 46' 58'' (58 seconds) Mattias Skjelmose, Denmark: 16h 47' 02'' (1 minute, 2 seconds) New Zealand's Laurence Pithie rides alone through the fields of Caen on July 9 during the Stage 5 time trial at the 2025 Tour de France. 2025 Tour de France jersey leaders Yellow (overall race leader): Mathieu Van der Poel, Netherlands Green (points): Jonathan Milan, Italy Polka dot (mountains): Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia White (young rider): Kevin Vauquelin, France This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tour de France Stage 5: Race's first time trial underway
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mathieu van der Poel claims Tour de France lead after Stage 2 win
Mathieu Van der Poel of the Netherlands won a sprint to the finish to claim Stage 2 of the Tour de France on Sunday, July 6, just ahead of Slovenian Tadej Pogacar. As the peloton stayed together for much of the 209-kilometer route from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer, Van der Poel won the mass sprint to the finish line, edging out Pogacar in a photo finish with Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard taking third. Advertisement Van der Poel also claimed the race leader's yellow jersey after winning the longest stage of the Tour. "It was super difficult, the final was actually harder than I thought," he said. Stage 2 results Finals results of the 209-kilometer Stage 2 from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer at the 2025 Tour de France from Sunday, July 6. Pos. Rider Team Time Gap B 1 Mathieu Van der Poel Alpecin-Deceuninck 04h 45' 41'' - B : 10'' 2 Tadej Pogacar UAE Team Emirates XRG 04h 45' 41'' - B : 6'' 3 Jonas Vingegaard Team Visma | Lease A Bike 04h 45' 41'' - B : 4'' 4 Romain Gregoire Groupama-FDJ 04h 45' 41'' - - 5 Julian Alaphilippe Tudor Pro Cycling Team 04h 45' 41'' - - 6 Oscar Onley Team Picnic Postnl 04h 45' 41'' - - 7 Aurelein Paret Peintre Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 04h 45' 41'' - - 8 Kevin Vauquelin Arkea-B&B Hotels 04h 45' 41'' - - 9 Simone Velasco XDS Astana Team 04h 45' 41'' - - 10 Jenno Berckmoes Lotto 04h 45' 41'' - - Tour de France 2025 standings Mathieu Van der Poel, Netherlands: 08h 38' 42'' Tadej Pogacar, Solvenia: 08h 38' 46'' (4 seconds behind) Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark: 08h 38' 48'' (6 seconds) Kevin Vauquelin, France: 08h 38' 52'' (10 seconds) Matteo Jorgenson, USA: 08h 38' 52'' (10 seconds) Enric Mas, Spain: 08h 38' 52'' (10 seconds) Jasper Philipsen, Belgium: 08h 39' 13'' (31 seconds) Joseph Blackmore, Great Britain: 08h 39' 23'' (41 seconds) Tobias Johannessen, Norway: 08h 39' 23'' (41 seconds) Ben O'Connor: Australia: 08h 39' 23'' (41 seconds) Alpecin-Deceuninck team rider Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win Stage 2 of the 2025 Tour de France, just ahead of Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia. 2025 Tour de France jersey leaders Yellow (overall race leader): Mathieu Van der Poel, Netherlands Green (points): Jasper Philipsen, Belgium Polka dot (mountains): Tadej Pogacar, Solvenia White (young rider): Kevin Vauquelin, France Advertisement Who's wearing the rainbow jersey at 2025 Tour de France? In addition to the four traditional colored jerseys at the Tour de France, the reigning world road race champion wears a rainbow-colored jersey. It's white with five colored stripes – blue, red, black, yellow and green (same as the colors of the Olympic rings) – and is currently worn by Tadej Pogacar of Solvenia. 2025 Tour de France next stage Stage 3 is a 178.3-kilometer route over flat terrain from Valenciennes to Dunkirk on Monday. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tour de France Stage 2: Mathieu Van der Poel claims yellow jersey
The National
4 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Tadej Pogacar: Cycling superstar makes more history with century of victories
Just four days into the 2025 Tour de France and three-time champion Tadej Pogacar is making history once again. When he edged out Mathieu van der Poel and great rival Jonas Vingegaard in a thrilling sprint finish on Tuesday to claim stage four of this year's race, it was the UAE team Emirates-XRG rider's 100th victory in an already remarkable career. In less than a decade, Pogacar has become a new sporting superstar. From a young boy in Komenda with dreams of greatness, to one of the most decorated riders of all time – and showing no signs of slowing down. It was victory at the Tour de l'Avenir in 2018 that brought him to the attention of the cycling worked and UAE Team Emirates moved quickly to sign up the young Slovenian. With that, a dream partnership was forged. On his La Vuelta a Espana debut in 2019, Pogacar delivered a breakout performance that saw him claim three stage wins and a place on podium with third place overall. But it was a solo victory on Stage 20 that made him a true Grand Tour contender – a thrilling performance of fearlessness and aggression that would become a trademark. 'Pogi' style had arrived. A year later, and on cycling's biggest stage for the first time, a new marker was to be laid down. Considered too soon to be a real challenger at the 2020 Tour de France by many, Pogacar set out to prove doubters wrong Having stayed in touch with race favourite Primoz Roglic and helped by two stage wins in the mountains, the fight for the yellow jersey came down to the wire. In the Stage 20 time trial, Pogacar produced one of the Tour's great performances as he overturned a 57-second deficit on Roglic to snatch the overall lead in dramatic fashion. At 21 years of age, he had become Slovenia's first Tour de France winner and the youngest champion in more than a century. In 2021, he returned not as an underdog, but as the man to beat. Pogacar dominated the race from start to finish. He claimed another three stage wins and a second Tour de France title, this time with the authority of a now double champion. He followed it up with a monument win at Il Lombardia - the first rider since French great Bernard Hinault in 1979 to win that race along with the Tour in the same year. By 2022, the battles with Jonas Vingegaard had become cycling's main storyline. Pogacar would finish second behind the Dane in two successive Tour de France races as a new great sporting rivalry emerged. 2023 marked a new evolution: Pogacar the one-day specialist. No longer just a Grand Tour operator, he turned his attention to the Spring Classics – and took them by storm. At Ronde van Vlaanderen, he dropped the best cobble riders in the world on their own terrain, becoming only the third man in history to win both the Tour of Flanders and the Tour de France. He followed it up with a masterclass at Amstel Gold and a searing uphill sprint to win La Fleche Wallonne. Each win came with control, each attack with intent. He blurred the lines between stage racer and classics specialist, which was was once thought impossible. For Pogacar, it was just another challenge accepted. It was 2024 that elevated him from generational talent to all-time great. Pogacar had his sights set on cycling's rarest feat - the triple crown. He began by conquering the Giro d'Italia on debut, winning six stages and finishing nine minutes clear of his nearest rival in a show of absolute dominance. Then came the Tour, where UAE Team Emirates once again took command of the race, and Pogacar delivered. Another six stage wins, another yellow jersey. His third in five years. But the true masterpiece came in Zurich. At the World Championships, he launched a blistering solo attack with over 100km to go. No one could follow and the triple crown was his. He rode alone into the history books, claiming the rainbow bands and becoming only the third rider ever to win the Giro, Tour and World Championship in the same season. A once in a generation dream, completed. And the wins just keep coming in 2025. The 26-year-old has already won six races this year, including the UAE Tour and Liege-Bastogne-Liege – both for a third time – while also lifting his first Criterium du Dauphine crown in June. All eyes are now on the Tour de France and whether the Slovenian superstar can make it title number four with the record five wins of Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain in his sights.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Tour de France stage five preview: Remco Evenepoel and time-trial specialists hunt win against the clock
Most observers of the Tour de France route for 2025 thought the general classification battle royale would commence today with the first of two time trials. In fact it truly kicked off yesterday, with Tadej Pogacar putting a handful more seconds into his rivals to move level on time with race leader Mathieu van der Poel by claiming his 18th Tour stage win and the 100th of his frankly ludicrously brilliant career. Pogacar won't be riding today's time-trial in yellow, but he may well end the day in it, with Jonas Vingegaard eight seconds back and Remco Evenepoel 58 seconds off his pace. But today is likely to be a day for Evenepoel and his fellow specialists against the clock: an almost entirely flat 33km route starting and finishing in Caen, never rising more than 65m above sea level. There are time checks at the 8.2km mark (Cambes-en-Plaine), 16.4km mark (Thaon) and 24.8km mark (Gruchy) to keep track of where the contenders are, and we're set for a thrilling run-in to the finish with Evenepoel, Vingegaard and Pogacar all in the final ten riders to set off. Route map and profile Start time The first rider will roll down the ramp at 1.10pm local time, 12.10pm BST, with the final arrival into Caen scheduled for 5.42pm local time (4.42pm BST). Yevgeniy Fedorov, the 181st of 181 remaining riders, will be the first to set off, with Mathieu van der Poel starting his race against the clock last. Prediction It's hard not to back Remco Evenepoel for this one. The Soudal Quick-Step leader will have bookmarked this stage from the minute the route was published as a golden opportunity to take the stage win, and amass such a margin of victory as to take the yellow jersey, too. The world and Olympic time-trial champion is the fastest man in the world against the clock, and he didn't look troubled yesterday by a minor crash on stage three, so should be in prime position to take the win today. Yellow might be a steeper ask as he has 58 seconds to make up on Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, but the Belgian is an absolute demon on a flat course like this one. His task has also been made easier by Filippo Ganna's untimely exit from the race after a crash on stage one. Of the other TT specialists still in the race, European champ Edoardo Affini could do well - if he's let off the leash by team Visma-Lease a Bike to secure a result for himself. Joao Almeida, Evenepoel's teammate Mattia Cattaneo, and Wout van Aert are all fine TT riders too.
