HAUTACAM, France (17 July 2025) — The ghosts of Hautacam had haunted Tadej Pogačar for nearly three years. On those very slopes in 2022, Jonas Vingegaard had delivered a crushing blow that would define their rivalry, supported by the relentless Wout Van Aert in a display of tactical perfection that left the Slovenian champion wounded and trailing. The defending champion had arrived at this first mountain stage of the 2025 Tour carrying not just the weight of expectation, but the burden of memory.

Fresh off a high-speed crash in Toulouse that had left him bruised but unbowed, Pogačar faced the familiar specter of doubt. Could he finally exorcise the demons of this 13.5-kilometer ascent at 7.8%? The stage promised to be the first true test of the mountains, where time bonuses and tactical games would give way to the raw arithmetic of power and pain.

The morning air in Auch carried an electric tension as 171 riders signed on, their numbers depleted by one after XDS-Astana’s Cees Bol withdrew due to illness. The route ahead was unforgiving: Col du Soulor, Col des Bordères, and finally the brutal summit finish at Hautacam. After eleven days of explosive racing that had seen Ben Healy claim the maillot jaune through audacious opportunism, the mountains would now separate the contenders from the pretenders.

The Breakaway That Threatened Everything

True to form, Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X Mobility—fresh from his stunning assault on Toulouse—launched the first attack as the peloton passed kilometer zero. But lightning rarely strikes twice in the same manner, and the Norwegian was quickly reeled in. What followed was a masterclass in controlled chaos, as attack after attack flew until, at kilometer 17, a mammoth 52-rider group established itself at the front.

This was no ordinary breakaway. Among the escapees lurked Carlos Rodriguez, the Spanish climber who had finished fifth in 2023 and seventh in 2024, currently sitting 12th overall at 5’44”. With four Ineos-Grenadiers teammates for company—Thymen Arensman, Tobias Foss, Axel Laurance, and Connor Swift—Rodriguez represented a genuine threat to the established order.

The group read like a who’s who of climbing excellence: Lenny Martinez defending his polka-dot jersey with three Bahrain Victorious teammates, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet, Ben O’Connor, Mattias Skjelmose, and Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) . It was the kind of breakaway that could rewrite the general classification if given too much rope.

Behind, the alliance of EF Education-EasyPost, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and Uno-X Mobility worked in uneasy cooperation, their respective leaders’ jerseys demanding vigilance. The gap reached a maximum of 2’20” at the base of the Col du Soulor, where the real racing would begin.

17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Simon YATES (TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE) – Photo © A.S.O.
The Soulor’s Brutal Arithmetic

The first categorized climb of the day—11.8 kilometers at 7.3%—would prove to be the scene of the first major elimination. As Visma-Lease a Bike hit the front with characteristic ferocity, the race exploded into fragments. Michael Woods, the Canadian climber, soloed over the summit at kilometer 134.1, but the drama was unfolding behind him.

17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Michael WOODS (ISRAEL – PREMIER TECH) – Photo © A.S.O.

Remco Evenepoel, the young Belgian who had arrived with podium ambitions, was already in distress halfway up the ascent. The 2022 Vuelta champion’s legs felt heavy from the start, as he would later confess: “I didn’t have the best feeling from the very start of the race. Even on the flat sections, my legs felt heavy.”

17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Remco EVENEPOEL (SOUDAL QUICK-STEP) – Photo © A.S.O.

More shocking still was the sight of Ben Healy, the Irishman who had worn yellow with such panache, being distanced on the slopes. The EF Education-EasyPost rider, who had captured hearts with his fearless racing, was paying the price for his earlier efforts. “Chapeau to Ben Healy and EF for trying to defend the jersey,” Pogačar would later acknowledge.

At the summit, the damage was clear: Evenepoel trailed by 45 seconds, while Healy was already 2’45” adrift. The yellow jersey was slipping away with each pedal stroke.

Armirail’s Pyrenean Poetry

As the race descended toward the Col des Bordères, Bruno Armirail made his move. The Frenchman from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, a son of the Pyrenees, accelerated away from his companions with the kind of local knowledge that can’t be taught. “I gave it everything on the Soulor and on the descent, on roads I know very well,” he would later explain.

By the summit of the Col des Bordères at kilometer 145.7, Armirail had opened a 50-second gap. The crowd roared their approval as he descended toward Hautacam, carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders. “I was cheered on the whole time I was alone. It was like a dream come true, just like last year when I took the lead on the Col du Tourmalet. I had goose bumps.”

Behind him, the GC contenders regrouped on the descent, the brief respite allowing them to gather their strength for the final reckoning. But there would be no mercy on the slopes of Hautacam.

The Moment of Truth

As the road kicked upward toward the final climb, UAE Team Emirates-XRG moved to the front with surgical precision. The team that had dominated the spring classics was now showing their mountain credentials, with Jhonatan Narvaez setting a brutal pace that shed riders with each kilometer.

17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Jhonatan NARVAEZ, Adam YATES, Tim WELLENS (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) – Photo © A.S.O.

Then, with 12.5 kilometers to go, Narvaez delivered his leader perfectly. Pogačar’s acceleration was immediate and devastating. There was no gradual increase in pace, no warning signs—just the sudden, violent snap of a rider transcending his limitations.

17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR, Jhonatan NARVAEZ (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) – Photo © A.S.O.

Nobody could follow. Not Vingegaard, despite his past mastery of this climb. Not Evenepoel, struggling with his own demons. Not any of the supposed contenders who had harbored hopes of victory. Armirail, caught and dropped in the space of a few hundred meters, could only watch as the Slovenian disappeared up the mountain.

“From the very first time I got to ride on that climb, I was looking forward to racing here and it came in the Tour de France 2022,” Pogačar would later reflect. “At the time, I was giving everything to get back the Yellow Jersey but Jumbo were too strong. I had almost already forgotten about this, I was just looking forward to today, but all the people came telling me it was revenge time and blah blah blah.”

The Sweet Taste of Redemption

As Pogačar powered toward the summit, his lead growing with each kilometer, the significance of the moment was not lost on him. This was the climb where he had lost 1’04” to Vingegaard three years ago, where his Tour had effectively ended. Now, with each pedal stroke, he was rewriting that history.

17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Tim WELLENS (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) – Photo © A.S.O.

“When we approached the bottom of the climb, it was the reverse story. It was one Belgian guy again on the front, but it was Tim [Wellens] and our team was setting the pace,” he explained. “It was a really really hard day and I also had 2022 a bit in the back of my mind. But today we were on the happy side of history. We had this stage in mind for a long time. We did a super job with the team and I’m super happy to win here and to take time on my rivals. Also, chapeau to Ben Healy and EF for trying to defend the jersey, and also Uno-X, who fought for their own GC.”

The crash from the previous day seemed a distant memory as Pogačar dominated the ascent. “You never know how the body reacts after a crash but it was not too bad a crash. I feel my hip only if I do acrobatics but here I’m just riding my bike.”

The Slovenian crossed the line with his arms raised, claiming his 20th stage victory, his eighth in the Pyrenees, and his first at Hautacam. More importantly, he had opened a gap of 2’10” on Vingegaard, who could only manage second place, with Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe completing the podium at 2’21”.

But the victory carried deeper meaning for the champion, who dedicated his triumph to Samuele Privitera, the young Italian cyclist who had passed away yesterday, after a crash during Giro della Valle d’Aosta. “This victory also goes to Samuele [Privitera] and his family. [The news of him passing away] was the first thing I read in the morning and I was thinking about him in the last kilometres, and how tough this sport can be and how much pain it can cause.”

17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) – Photo © A.S.O.
17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) – Photo © A.S.O.
17/07/2025 – Tour de France 2025 – Étape 12 – Auch / Hautacam (180,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) – Photo © A.S.O.
The New Reality

As the dust settled on Hautacam, the Tour’s hierarchy had been brutally reshuffled. Pogačar had reclaimed the yellow jersey, building a lead of 3’31” over Vingegaard in the general classification. Evenepoel, despite his struggles, held third at 4’45”, while Healy’s heroic stint in yellow had ended with a deficit of over 10 minutes.

Pogačar remained measured in victory, aware that the race was far from over. “The Tour is not over. Tomorrow there’s also a time-trial and the next day is another difficult stage, ahead of some tricky days. We need to stay calm and continue with this pace.”

The Belgian’s assessment was stark: “Tadej was head and shoulders above everyone else today. There are still ten days of racing left, but he’s taken a big step towards winning the Tour de France. Some teams rode today as if they were there to support him and UAE, which is not the right way to do things. The mentality needs to change, especially when the Yellow Jersey is already so far ahead.”

For Evenepoel, the day had been a battle against himself as much as his rivals. “I didn’t have the best feeling from the very start of the race. Even on the flat sections, my legs felt heavy. On the climbs, I tried to find my rhythm and do a kind of 50-kilometre time trial. It was a long battle against myself, with my head and my legs. It’s not that I raced smart – it was just the only way to race today, I couldn’t race any other way. I fought with the Paris podium in mind. After all, the gaps to Tadej [Pogačar] were very big, but with the others it was okay. I hope to be better tomorrow so I can do something with the time trial. I want to stay calm and, day by day, forget about this bad day.”

Bruno Armirail, who had given the French fans something to cheer about with his bold attack, reflected on his day in the spotlight: “Of course, I had marked this stage, but first I had to manage to break away. Then there were so many riders, and some very good ones, that I couldn’t imagine getting away on my own. But I gave it everything on the Soulor and on the descent, on roads I know very well. I quickly felt that my legs were strong, so it was really enjoyable even though I didn’t have much hope of winning the stage. I was cheered on the whole time I was alone. It was like a dream come true, just like last year when I took the lead on the Col du Tourmalet. I had goose bumps, but it would have been even better with the win.”

The Frenchman was already thinking ahead to the next challenge: “It’s true that we have a time trial tomorrow and I left some energy today, but it’s a course where I won’t be able to play a leading role anyway. Even though I’m a good climber, I think I’ll be more likely to finish in the top 10 or 15 than in the top 5. In any case, you have to take things as they come, day by day.”

As the riders descended from Hautacam into the Pyrenean twilight, the ghosts of 2022 had been laid to rest. But in their place, new questions emerged: Could anyone challenge Pogačar’s supremacy? Would the mountains continue to favor the Slovenian? With ten days of racing remaining, the Tour de France was far from over, but the balance of power had shifted decisively on the slopes where champions are made and broken.

By the Numbers

20: POGAČAR EQUALS NICOLAS FRANTZ
Tadej Pogačar raises his arms for the 20th time on the Tour, tying Luxembourg’s Nicolas Frantz for the 6th place among the riders with the most wins. His next target: the 22 victories of Frenchman André Darrigade. Tadej Pogačar has now won at least 3 stages in 5 of his first 6 Tours. A record he shares with Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Mark Cavendish.

2’10”: POGAČAR STRIKES BACK
“I thought about 2022″, admitted Tadej Pogačar after his victory. Three years ago, the stage that finished in Hautacam was won by Jonas Vingegaard with a 1’04” lead over the Slovenian. He took his revenge at the same place by winning with a 2’10” lead at the summit.

3: LIPOWITZ FOR GERMANY
Recently 2nd in Paris-Nice, Florian Lipowitz is competing in his first Tour and earned his first top-3 finish by being 3rd in Hautacam. He is the first German on the podium in a mountain stage since Lennard Kamna’s victory in Villard-de-Lans in 2020 (stage 16).

152: BRUNO SOLO
In the breakaway, Bruno Armirail then tried his luck by going solo, before being caught by Tadej Pogačar. His 152-kilometer attempt earned him the combativity award for the second time in 2025, after being rewarded in stage 2. France already has 7 combativity awards in 2025 (Armirail x2, Mattéo Vercher x2, Lenny Martinez, Ewen Costiou, Mathieu Burgaudeau), as many as in 2020.

2009: BIG FIGHT WITHIN THE YOUNG RIDERS
The best young rider classification is fiercely contested. Remco Evenepoel now leads ahead of Florian Lipowitz (+49″) and Kévin Vauquelin (+55″). This is the first time the podium has been so close after 12 stages since 2009, 16 years ago! At the time, Tony Martin was in the lead ahead of Andy Schleck (+49″) and Vincenzo Nibali (+54″).

7: HAUTACAM, A GOOD SIGN FOR POGAČAR?
This is the 7th time that a Tour finish has been judged in Hautacam, where Tadej Pogačar had never won. The last winners here – Vincenzo Nibali in 2014 (stage 18), Jonas Vingegaard in 2022 (stage 18) – went on to win the Tour three days later, but they were already leading the general classification before the start. The last time the Yellow Jersey changed at Hautacam was in 2008, when Cadel Evans snatched it from Kim Kirchen. The Australian, however, lost it later.

38: MICHAEL THE FIGHTER
Michael Woods was first at the summit of the Col du Soulor. At 38 years, 9 months, and 5 days, he is the oldest rider to lead a Cat.1 climb since Jens Voigt at Mont Revard in 2013 – the German was 41 years, 10 months, and 3 days. In 2010, Christophe Moreau conquered the Col du Tourmalet and the Col d’Aubisque (HC) at 39 years, 3 months and 8 days, a week after doing the same at the Col de la Colombière (Cat.1). They are the three oldest riders to have achieved these feats on such challenging summits since World War II.

6-0: VINGEGAARD’S BLACK SHEEP
Jonas Vingegaard is now on a strike of 8 stage podiums without a victory. Six of these 8 podium finishes are 2nd place behind Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian leads the Dane 6-0 in their last doubles. Four in 2024 (Saint-Lary-Soulan, Plateau de Beille, Col de la Couillole, Nice) and two in 2025 (Mûr-de-Bretagne, Hautacam). The 14th Pogačar-Vingegaard Tour 1-2 (in either order) recorded today is a new record for two riders. The Slovenian has won 11 times ahead of the Dane, While Vingegaard has only won three times ahead of his black sheep.

3: BACK IN YELLOW
Since the start, Tadej Pogačar had taken the Yellow Jersey twice, but also lost it twice. He took it for the third time today. The last rider to do so was Greg LeMond in 1989: the American wore the Yellow Jersey from stages 5 to 9, lost it to Laurent Fignon, then regained it for stages 15 and 16, lost it again to the Frenchman, before finally winning it on the final day. Only two other riders have experienced similar numbers: André Darrigade in 1956 (16th at the finish) and Eddy Merckx in 1974 (winner).

17: IT WAS WRITTEN SOMEWHERE
This Thursday, July 17, marked Tadej Pogačar’s 117th stage. on the Tour. By winning for the 20th time, he has a 17% success rate!

Stage 12 Results

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) 4:21:19
Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +2:10
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2:23
Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) +3:00
Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) +3:00
Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +3:33
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) +3:35
Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) +4:02
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +4:08
Carlos Rodriguez (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +7:26

General Classification

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) 45:22:51
Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +3:31
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) +4:45
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +5:34
Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +5:40
Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) +6:05
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +7:3
Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) +7:44
Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) +9:21
Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +12:12

Jersey Holders

Yellow Jersey (General Classification): Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Green Jersey (Points Classification): Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Polka-dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)

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