Latest news with #yellowjersey
ABC News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Kimberley Le Court Pienaar becomes first African to win stage at Tour de France Femmes
Mauritian cyclist Kimberley Le Court Pienaar has become the first African to win a stage at the Tour de France Femmes. With a late push during a marathon 165.8 kilometre ride from Jaunay-Marigny to Gueret, Le Court reclaimed the yellow jersey on Wednesday. Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal), 29, who led the general classification after stage two but was overtaken by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), won a breakneck downhill push to the finish of stage five, edging 2023 champion Demi Vollering. The fifth stage, the longest in the Tour this year, covered relatively flat terrain before three climbs in the final 35km. It resulted in several failed breakaway attempts as the peloton covered 46.5km in the first hour despite multiple crashes. Green jersey holder Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) recovered from a crash to rejoin the peloton, but struggled to keep up after the first climb, ultimately finishing 58th. American Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) abandoned the race after her third crash in three days. Maria Giulia Confalonieri, Elisa Balsamo and Monica Trinca Colonel also abandoned the race. Vos, who stayed in the peloton behind a leading group for most of the race, attacked in the final 15km during the mountainous part of the stage, but fell behind during the final uphill push, dropping to sixth in the general classification. Vollering (FDJ-Suez) rose to third overall, while Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) moved up to second, sitting 18 seconds behind Le Court in the general classification. The Tour continues on Thursday with a mountainous 123.7km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert. Reuters
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Kimberley Le Court Pienaar becomes first African to win a stage at the Tour de France Femmes
Mauritian Kimberley Le Court Pienaar became the first African to win a stage at the Tour de France Femmes with a late push on Wednesday, reclaiming the yellow jersey during a marathon 165.8km ride from Jaunay-Marigny to Gueret. Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal), 29, who led the general classification after stage two but was overtaken by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), won a breakneck downhill push to the finish, edging 2023 champion Demi Vollering. 'We came in with a clear plan, first to stay safe ... it was difficult because it was flat and fast, a lot of big crashes ... then try for the victory,' Le Court said. The fifth stage, the longest in the Tour this year, went through a relatively flat terrain before three climbs in the final 35km and saw several failed breakaway attempts as the peloton covered 46.5km in the first hour despite multiple crashes. READ MORE Green jersey holder Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) recovered from a crash to rejoin the peloton, but struggled to keep up after the first climb, ultimately finishing 58th. American Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) abandoned the race after her third crash in three days. Maria Giulia Confalonieri, Elisa Balsamo and Monica Trinca Colonel also quit the race. Vos, who stayed in the peloton behind a leading group for most of the race, attacked in the final 15km during the mountainous part of the stage, but fell behind during the final uphill push, dropping to sixth in the general classification. Vollering (FDJ-Suez) rose to third overall, while Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) moved up to second, sitting 18 seconds behind Le Court in the general classification. Lara Gillespie is 95th in the general classification, with Mia Griffin (96th) and Fiona Mangan (99th) close behind her. The Tour continues on Thursday with a mountainous 123.7km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert.
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Tour de France Femmes: Kim Le Court becomes first African to win a stage
Kim Le Court became the first African to win a stage of the Tour de France Femmes as the Mauritian won the fifth stage to put herself in the leader's yellow jersey. Team Visma Lease-A-Bike's Marianne Vos started the day in Chasseneuil-du-Poitou (Futuroscope) leading the overall classification but crossed the finish line 165.8km later, in Gueret, 33 seconds behind the first group. The day of racing finished with no movement in the green jersey (points) and the polka-dot jersey (mountains) with Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez) holding onto them respectively. 🇲🇺 @KimLeCourt takes it on the line !!! 🇲🇺 @KimLeCourt l'emporte sur la ligne !!!#TDFF2025 | #WatchTheFemmes | @gozwift — Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 30, 2025 'We came in with a clear plan, first to stay safe, it was difficult because it was flat and fast, a lot of big crashes, then the big goal was to take the bonus sprint, which I managed to do, then try for the victory,' Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) said after her win. 'It was difficult in the finish, I went around the corner in front and it was a bit further than I expected, but my kick was the best in the group. Advertisement 'I couldn't have done it without a team-mate. Teamwork is what you need in the sport.' The 29-year-old's team-mate Sarah Gigante was in the leading group that included Demi Vollering (FDJ Suez) and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Team Visma Lease-A-Bike), helping set the pace to ensure Le Court was set up for the win. After two days of dominance from Wiebes, the peloton distanced her and team-mate Lotte Kopecky with just over 20km to go as they chased down the breakaway group. United States champion Kristen Faulkner was one of eight riders to abandon the race on Wednesday, as she was involved in another early crash and her team EF Education-Oatly announced on their X page that she had battled fatigue. The other riders to drop out were Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Uno-X Mobility), Katrine Aalerud (UnoX-Mobility), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Eugenia Bujak (Cofidis), Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) and Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ). Race update: Kristen Faulkner abandoned the #TDFF2025 after battling fatigue since the start of the race. She gave everything to support her teammates but will now return home to focus on rest and recovery. Wishing you all the best, champ 🫶 — EF Education-Oatly (@EF_Oatly) July 30, 2025 Thursday's stage will take the riders into the mountains for the first time, making it the most significant day for those competing in the GC as time gaps are more likely to occur. The peloton will travel 123.7 km from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert.
The National
3 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Tadej Pogacar reveals burnout fears after stunning Tour de France victory
As Tadej Pogacar heads off on a well-earned holiday, the four-time Tour de France winner can look back with pride at his latest achievement. On Sunday, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider secured his latest Tour crown in style on the streets of Paris which brought him level with British rider Chris Froome for all-time Tour de France wins. Wout van Aert won the final-day cliffhanger on the cobbled roads of Montmartre, but Pogacar was spared any late challenge when the weather forced organisers to neutralise times to avoid potential accidents. However, Pogacar more than played his part in the finale in a six-man breakaway during a thrilling climax before Belgian Van Aert pulled away on the last climb. And the 26-year-old admitted defending his four-minute plus lead in the final week was a real challenge for his tired body. 'Winning four Tours, six years in a row on the Tour podium – I'm just speechless,' he said. 'This one feels especially amazing. I'm very proud I can wear the yellow jersey. 'Obviously, I was in the lead, I had quite a big gap – 4:24 in Paris on Jonas Vingegaard. So we were comfortably in the yellow, but yeah, I was a bit tired in the last week, to be honest I just want to enjoy this moment. 'Everybody has different ideas about how to celebrate. I want some peace and beautiful weather, enjoying some quiet days at home.' While Pogacar needs just one more title to match the record five crowns jointly held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, he insists this is not a motivating factor in his career plans. 'Obviously it's not the goal to win five tours. Right now, I have no clear goals. Maybe the world championships this year and [the Tour of] Lombardy, but for now I just enjoy the moment and will think about the next goals quite soon,' he said. He also talked about how cycling's draining calendar and obsession with training are a danger that needs to be taken seriously. 'I'm at a point in my career where I could finish tomorrow, and I'd be happy,' Pogacar added, before making clear he was joking. 'Seriously, burnouts happen in sports, in a lot of sports, mental burnout, physical burnout. We train a lot. Cyclists are sometimes too obsessed with training, and everybody wants to train more and more and more. 'You see some riders have fatigue too early in the season and then the team needs you to race, race, race. In the end, you just keep going into this circle and you never recover. 'Then you come to October and you're like, finally a break. And then in December, you're trying to do it all over again. So burnout happens.' Pogacar also credited rival Jonas Vingegaard for pushing him to higher levels, calling their five-year duel a privilege. It is the first time that two riders finished first and second in five consecutive Tours, Vingegaard having beaten Pogacar in 2022 and 2023 while the Slovenian edged his rival out this year, in 2021 and 2024. 'It's incredible, we keep pushing each other to another level, we are privileged to have this competition because it makes us grow more and more,' said Pogacar, who was also eager to hail the support of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG colleagues. 'When you have such strong opponents, not just Jonas [Vingegaard] but everybody, you never know what is coming. So you can always have some doubts. 'But the team atmosphere helps you and if you go to races motivated and wanting to give it all, if you give it all on the road, you don't have anything to regret, you don't need to doubt. Or maybe always a little bit because – you never know.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘Enjoy this moment': Pogacar fights off fatigue to savour Tour de France glory
Tadej Pogacar admitted that his own creeping fatigue was perhaps his biggest threat during the Tour de France this year, particularly after he had built a four-minute lead on Jonas Vingegaard following the race's three stages in the Pyrenees. Speaking in a brief press conference after his fourth Tour win, Pogacar said: 'We were in the lead and we had quite a big gap, so we were comfortably in yellow, but yeah, I was tired in the last week. 'For now, I don't want to speak about what went wrong,' he added, 'but for now I want to enjoy this moment with the yellow jersey in Paris.' Although his rivalry with Vingegaard was less intense during this year's Tour than it has been in the past, Pogacar admitted that the pair now have renewed respect for each other. 'Jonas opened up a bit more this year,' he said. 'He comes [over] and we talk about stuff, general stuff. I quite like the guy and I like to race against him. 'Today we were speaking at the start line about how incredible it was, the last five years, battling each other and pushing each other to the next level. We spoke about how we can be privileged to have this competition between each other and how it makes us grow even more.' Vingegaard admitted that his own performance had not been as consistent as he had hoped. 'I can agree that on some stages I have had the highest level that I have ever had,' he said, 'and in other stages I have had the lowest level for many years for me. 'It was a bit more that I had a few bad days. I am better than I ever have been, but it's shown me that I can still have a few bad days.' If he had suffered from ennui, Pogacar managed to hide it for most of the race and certainly in the final stage in Paris, even if his visible weariness during the Alpine stages had drawn criticism from some parts of the French media. 'Burnouts happen in a lot of sports, mental burnout, physical burnout,' he said. 'I think cyclists are a bit too obsessed with training. We always try the hardest and everybody wants to train more and more. 'You see riders with fatigue too early in the season, the team needs you to race, race, race and you keep going and you never really recover. Burnouts happen all the time and it can happen to me as well.' While the four-time champion is looking ahead to a rumoured Grand Depart in Slovenia in 2029, his rival is already turning his attention to trying to win this year's Vuelta a España, the final Grand Tour of the year and one that Pogacar seems unlikely to ride. 'I think first of all, I will do an easy week and from there, you can start training again,' Vingegaard said. 'It's more when you feel fresh and able to train again. There's not a lot of time, but I did it two years ago and it worked out pretty well.'
