Latest news with #Tourmalet
France 24
a day ago
- Sport
- France 24
Tour de France breakout talent Lipowitz shooting for the stars
The 24-year-old from the Red Bull Bora team is not only the new face of cycling in his homeland, but also the new face standing alongside the likes of reigning Tour champion Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard on the big-race podiums. Lipowitz climbed to third in the rankings on Saturday, the day when double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel pulled out during the gruelling Tourmalet stage. Having made the podium at both Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine this year, he was described by Pogacar, who met him in a lift at a team hotel, as "a nice guy, very cool, and really strong on a bike." The shy rider from southern German had an unusual route into cycling, coming to the sport from biathlon, a sport in which his brother Philipp was junior world champion. After nagging knee injuries he took up cycling, crossing the Pyrenees and Alps with his parents as a teenager. "I realised after a ride from Geneva to Nice that I had no ill effects whatsoever in my body," Lipowitz said this week. The year he gave up biathlon, he took it upon himself to seek out Red Bull team manager Ralph Denk, who was deeply impressed that the plucky youngster had cycled 100km each way to knock on his door. "I asked him if his mum was coming to pick him up, it was freezing. I was impressed when he told me he lived so far away," Denk said. 'Not a single weakness' His team's sports director Rolf Aldag also heaps praise on Lipowitz, describing him as unbreakable. "He's a very calm, down-to-earth person, and very reserved. It comes from his upbringing. He's not a loudmouth, but a hard worker, a true German," Aldag told AFP. "He has a big motor, and is incredibly powerful. The longer it is, the better for him. "I haven't found a single weakness in him yet. He's very agile on a bike which is rare for someone who came to cycling so late." On the Tour so far Lipowitz has placed in the top five in the three Pyrenean stages, and sixth in the major time trial. He also has the highly experienced Primoz Roglic as team leader, which would help given the Slovenian is also shy and softly spoken and started life in winter sports before winning five Grand Tours. "I'm happy, I'm really happy, and I hope that he keeps the level, and that he keeps it up until the finish," Roglic said this week. Roglic has never won the Tour de France, but perhaps his protege, given time, can go on to land cycling's ultimate prize. © 2025 AFP
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Bizarre moment Tour de France rider snatches cardboard sign off stunned fan… but had brilliant reason for doing it
THIS is the baffling moment a cyclist snatched a cardboard sign off a stunned fan during the Tour de France. In one of the highlights of an unremarkable Stage 14, 4 Four time stage winner Julian Alaphillippe stole a sign from a fan as he rode past on Saturday Credit: X/ LeTour 4 But the French home hero did it for a brilliant reason Credit: X/ LeTour 4 Alaphilippe began stuffing the cardboard inside his cycling suit Credit: X/ LeTour But Alaphilippe, 33, had a brilliant reason for grabbing it. The home hero nicked it to keep himself warm in the brutal conditions on the savage slopes of the Col du Tourmalet. The spectator, who had scribbled of encouragement to his rival Wout van Aret, had reached for a cheeky handshake. But it was the sign that Alaphilippe was after, with the cardboard tearing in half as the Frenchman disappeared up the rainy road. READ MORE CYCLING NEWS He calmly placed the placard across his handlebars, ripped it into two smaller pieces, while tossing the scraps away. cycling trisuit, before stuffing the sign inside, in a last ditch attempt to preserve body heat. Former stage winner Zdenek Stybar said: "Julian is really suffering from the cold". The Tourmalet, the first of four brutal climbs, was living up to its fearsome reputation. Most read in Cycling CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS And around 30km later, after the worst of the conditions had passed, Alaphilippe flagged down the camera motorbike. He appeared to issue a roadside apology, before handing over the soggy remains of the sign. Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos team car CRASHES into fan and sends them flying in air in shocking scenes at Tour de France It has since been revealed that The two-time world champion Frenchman said: "In the end the story ended well, I apologised to the woman whom I took it from. "I gave her a bib, and she took a picture with Wout. In the end, thanks to this, she had a better time compared to what she would have experienced at the top of the Tourmalet." 4 Alaphilippe apologised to the fan later while meeting her and offering her a gift Credit: Shutterstock Editorial It was a rare moment of drama on an otherwise savage day in the mountains, where Remco Evenepoel abandoned the race on the first climb. Alaphilippe ultimately finished in 50th place, way behind maiden stage winner Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), who held off Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike). who finished the stage second, marginally extended his commanding overall lead over Jonas Vingegaard. Meanwhile, Alaphilippe was among a group of riders to receive medical attention after being caught up in a big crash on Stage 15 on Sunday. General classification after Stage 14 of 21 Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Emirates-XRG) 50hrs 40mins 28secs Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) +4mins 23secs Florian Lipowitz (Ger/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +7mins 53secs Oscar Onley (GB/Picnic PostNL) +9mins 18secs Kevin Vauquelin (Fra/Arkea-B&B Hotels) +10mins 21secs Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +10mins 34secs Felix Gall (Aut/Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) +12mins Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Uno-X Mobility) +12mins 33secs Ben Healy (Ire/EF Education-EasyPost) +18mins 41secs Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +22mins 57secs
Express Tribune
3 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
3 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
3 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.'
