![\"COURCHEVEL](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/A84rWL6KCYU2vxBUU9b9Eh.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRefresh <\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:59:32.924Z<\/p>\n
Vauquelin is already 45 seconds behind the peloton.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:58:56.859Z<\/p>\n
Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d in the break, from earlier in the day. There’s now just 6 riders with him in the front group.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:57:32.202Z<\/p>\n
Ben Healy is the latest to be dropped out of the peloton. There’s only about 20 riders left now.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:56:09.424Z<\/p>\n
Campanaerts takes over from Benoot, the gap now 2:12. Visma are setting something up.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:55:47.821Z<\/p>\n
The rider who is immediately behind Vauquelin on GC, Gall, is now leading the front group, his teammate Armirail having at last finished his long shift.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:54:35.266Z<\/p>\n
Vauquelin’s dropped. His 6th place on GC is under serious threat, with such a long way still to ride.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:53:32.108Z<\/p>\n
Bad news for French fans – K\u00e9vin Vauquelin is at the back of the peloton and struggling to hold on.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:51:14.649Z<\/p>\n
Van Aert is done, having brought the leaders’ advantage down to 2:40. Now Benoot takes over for Visma.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:50:23.331Z<\/p>\n
Picnic-PostNL’s Warren Barguil is dropped from the peloton. He\u2019s a key helper for Onely, who is already under attack from Red Bull, and relying instead on Visma and UAE to chase.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:48:49.680Z<\/p>\n
This new lead group has a 2:50 advantage over the peloton. That means Rogli\u010d has now replaced his Red Bull teammate Lipowitz in virtual third-place.<\/p>\n
80KM TO GO<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:47:09.045Z<\/p>\n
Armirail has continued to drag the 6-man chase group up to Jorgenson and Arensman, and the catch has just been made.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:46:02.673Z<\/p>\n
Here comes Visma-Lease a Bike! They\u2019ve taken over at the front and have upped the pace, with Van Aert leading.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:44:18.993Z<\/p>\n
Back in the peloton, Politt swings off, and Soler takes over the pace-setting.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:42:01.096Z<\/p>\n
The chase group is coming back to the two leaders, bringing them back to within 15 seconds.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:41:01.130Z<\/p>\n
Wellens is beind distanced from the chase group. He put a lot into his effort to attack earlier today, and might now be paying for that effort.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:39:53.850Z<\/p>\n
Behind Jorgenson and Arensman, who still lead the race by 22 seconds, the chase group is being pulled along by Armirail, with Gall on his wheel. Also present are Rogli\u010d, Wellens, O\u2019Connor, Rubio and Baudin.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:38:20.240Z<\/p>\n
Unfortunate news about Enric Mas has come through – the Spaniard has abandoned the race. He was seen struggling earlier, dropping from the peloton early on the Gladon. A Tour that promised much when he led the race on Mont Ventou and looked poised for a stage victory has ended in disappointment.<\/p>\n
DNF – ENRIC MAS<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:37:05.391Z<\/p>\n
Martinez has also been caught, and dropped, by the peloton. He won’t be getting any more KOM points today, while his rival Arensman currently leads the race with Jorgenson.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:36:24.055Z<\/p>\n
Many of those who were in the chase group have been caught by the peloton, including Jegat.<\/p>\n
2025-07-24T12:33:28.856Z
\nHow to watch stage 18 of the Tour de France<\/p>\n
\u25ba UK: ITV4\/ITVX<\/a> (free) or TNT Sports\/Discovery+<\/a><\/p>\n \u25ba US: NBC\/Peacock<\/a><\/p>\n \u25ba Canada: FloBikes<\/a><\/p>\n \u25ba Australia: SBS\/SBS On Demand<\/a> (free)<\/p>\n \u25ba Watch from anywhere: NordVPN mega-deal<\/a><\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:32:42.877Z<\/p>\n Will Visma-Lease a Bike make a move on the Madeleine? Tadej Poga\u010dar and his teammates will have braced themselves for the possibility of a Visma onslaught today potentially starting here.<\/p>\n ‘If Visma attack, that’s OK’ – UAE Team Emirates-XRG unfazed by prospect of Jonas Vingegaard launching assault on Tour de France yellow jersey Tadej Poga\u010dar in Alps<\/a><\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:30:57.631Z<\/p>\n Jorgenson and Arensman start the climb, 35 seconds ahead of the chase group featuring Rogli\u010d and Gall, and a whole 3 minutes ahead of the peloton.<\/p>\n COL DE LA MADELEINE <\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:28:25.876Z<\/p>\n Jorgenson and Arensman managed to distance the others on the descent, and now lead the race ahead of the rest of the break by about 30 seconds.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:27:09.597Z<\/p>\n The gap between the leaders and the peloton continues to grow as the near the bottom of the descent and the start of the Madeleine. It\u2019s now up to 2:50.<\/p>\n 90KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:23:57.546Z<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:23:14.262Z<\/p>\n M\u00fchlberger has crashed on the descent. He was back up and running straight away, but has some ground to make up to return to the front group.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:22:13.368Z<\/p>\n Bad news now for Martinez though – he\u2019s been dropped out of the front group on the descent. Given how much he was struggling on the last climb, he can ill afford to start the Col de la Madeleine with a deficit if he\u2019s to take the points he needs to defy the challengers for his polka-dot jersey.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:18:53.763Z<\/p>\n The lead group are descending quicker than the peloton. They’ve grown their lead to about 2:30.<\/p>\n 100KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:18:07.051Z<\/p>\n Here are the new KOM classifications. Martinez recovered by the top of the climb – albeit with the help of a sticky bottle – and now sees his hold on the polka-dot jersey strengthened:<\/p>\n 1 Martinez 80<\/p>\n 2 Arensman 63<\/p>\n 3 Poga\u010dar 60<\/p>\n 4 Vingegaard 45<\/p>\n 5 Woods 38<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:15:53.674Z<\/p>\n Leknessund is struggling on the descent, and has been dropped out of the lead group.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:11:47.450Z<\/p>\n A dodgy moment on the descent in the break, as Jorgenson and Garc\u00eda Pierna nearly come together.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:10:04.142Z<\/p>\n As Politt leads the peloton over the Glandon, there are still over 40 riders left in it.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:09:18.058Z<\/p>\n UAE’s Sivakov is out the back of the peloton as they near the top. Still it’s Politt leads – amazing ride by the German, out-riding even one of his team’s key climbing domestiques.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:07:33.346Z<\/p>\n Martinez takes the maimum points, taking the points ahead of Arensman.<\/p>\n KOM – COL DU GLANDON<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:06:38.218Z<\/p>\n Martinez is still in the lead group and ready to sprint for the KOM points.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:05:56.037Z<\/p>\n Wellens has had a mechanical. He’s already nearly back in the lead group though – clearly the Belgian is feeling fresh.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:04:47.312Z<\/p>\n Less than 1km to the summit. The break leads the chasers by 50 seconds, and the peloton by 1:50.<\/p>\n 110KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:03:40.339Z<\/p>\n Woods is being dropped out of the chase group. He’s one of the men up there in the KOM classifications, who now looks like he won’t be picking up any points at the summit.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:02:13.597Z<\/p>\n Berthet has attacked from the chase group and gone clear.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:01:46.581Z<\/p>\n Martinez is still just about clinging on to the front group. He has just 2km left to climb until the summit.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T12:00:01.267Z<\/p>\n Armirail\u2019s work has seen the leaders\u2019 advantage over the peloton grow to almost two minutes, but Politt is keeping it pegged for now.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:59:07.529Z<\/p>\n Frank van den Broek is keen to get out of the 8-man chase group in between the leaders and the peloton, and has made a few attacks, but to no avail yet.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:57:23.420Z<\/p>\n Martinez is making use of a sticky bottle with his team car behind, and now he’s back with the lead group. He’s pushing the limits of what he can get away with with the commissaires!<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:51:48.358Z<\/p>\n Martinez is still just about hanging on, but he\u2019s struggling. He\u2019s out the saddle and keeps losing the wheel of the man in front of him.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:49:17.251Z<\/p>\n Still Politt leads the peloton. UAE are well represented in the group, with Soler, Sivakov, Narv\u00e1ez and Adam Yates all present, and also have Wellens up the road.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:47:23.131Z<\/p>\n Martinez is at the back of the lead group and struggling to hold on. This could be fatal for his King of the Mountains hopes – Arensman is just 12 points behind him, and looks much more comfortable ahead of him in the group.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:45:19.773Z<\/p>\n Rogli\u010d, meanwhile, is already ahead of Only in fourth on the virtual GC.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:44:46.160Z<\/p>\n Gall is only a few seconds away from moving ahead of Vauquelin in 6th on the virtual GC.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:42:45.843Z<\/p>\n It\u2019s Armirail who\u2019s setting the pace in the lead group, for his Decathlon teammate Gall. They\u2019re 1:15 ahead of the peloton, with various poursuivants in between the two groups.<\/p>\n 120KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:39:08.782Z<\/p>\n Politt is still in the peloton and leading it up the climb. The pace isn\u2019t quick, though, and the lead group is over a minute ahead, while more attacks are coming out of the peloton.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:37:09.677Z<\/p>\n Mechanical for Sivakov in the peloton. He could have an important role to play trying to keep a lid on things during what is already turning out to be a hard race to control for UAE.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:36:23.449Z<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:34:16.655Z<\/p>\n The lead group has over 15 riders in it, and lead the peloton by 40 seconds.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:33:26.489Z<\/p>\n Also in this group is Jorgenson, meaning Visma have a man up here for Vingegaard; and Arensman, who is a threat to Martinez\u2019s polka-dot jersey.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:32:32.443Z<\/p>\n More riders are attacking out of the peloton to try and join this lead group, including Jorgan Jeget, who is now in the top 10 on GC following Rodr\u00edguez\u2019s abandon.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:30:41.720Z<\/p>\n The group has now caught Wellens and Lutsenko.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:30:20.096Z<\/p>\n There are about 10 riders in the Rogli\u010d group, including another GC threat Gall, who\u2019s 7th overall; and the polka-dot jersey Lenny Martinez, on the hunt for more King of the Mountains points.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:27:49.005Z<\/p>\n UAE are leading the peloton with Marc Soler. They’re chasing the Rogli\u010d group, which has a few other riders in it.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:25:46.045Z<\/p>\n Up fron, Van Aert has been dropped by Wellens and Lutsenko. You’d have thought he would have the better of Wellens on a climb like this, but instead it’s advantage UAE over Visma.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:24:47.177Z<\/p>\n Rogli\u010d is fifth on GC, 11:42 down on Poga\u010dar, but only 2:39 off the podium.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:23:44.402Z<\/p>\n He followed a move featuring Jorgenson, and has now attacked himself.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:23:25.587Z<\/p>\n Very interesting move here, as Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d attacks!<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:22:44.768Z<\/p>\n It might only average 5.1%, but there are some steep inclines along the way of the 21.7km Col du Glandon.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:21:27.241Z<\/p>\n Groves has now been dropped too, leacing just Van Aert, Lutsenko and Wellens in the lead group.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:19:55.514Z<\/p>\n The chase group featuring Arensman has been caught, but O’Connor hasn’t given up yet, attacking out of it just before the catch was made.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:17:49.355Z<\/p>\n The climb is already having an affect on the break – Rutsch has been dropped by the other four.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:17:18.768Z<\/p>\n The front group is 30 seconds ahead of the chasers, and 42 seconds ahead of the peloton on the lower slopes of the Glandon.<\/p>\n 130KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:16:25.925Z<\/p>\n Now they’re ‘climbing’ officially. The Glandon is the first of three huge mountains to be conquered today, all of them rated category hors.<\/p>\n COL DU GLANDON<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:14:48.007Z<\/p>\n The riders have not officially begun the first climb of the day, the Col du Glandon, but it will feel like they have. They\u2019ve been travelling uphill for a few kilometres, with some steep gradients already. The stage-hunting climbers are making the most of it, by getting into the break.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:12:45.069Z<\/p>\n In between, a chase group has formed featuring lots of quality climbers, including O\u2019Connor, Arensman and Buitrago.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:11:49.904Z<\/p>\n This group is looking good. They’re working together and lead the peloton by 30 seconds.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:10:12.577Z<\/p>\n Van Aert, Rutsch, Groves and Lutsenko have joined Wellens.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:08:36.458Z<\/p>\n Lutsenko has joined the chasing Van Aert group.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:08:11.351Z<\/p>\n Mechanical for Girmay. If he\u2019s in pain from yesterday, this could be a difficult day for him to finish within the time cut, but he looks in OK shape at the moment.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:07:11.701Z<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:06:35.251Z<\/p>\n Van Aert has been joined by Rutsch and Groves.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:05:36.010Z<\/p>\n Wout van Aert is back on the attack again. As a rider who could be so good in the valley between the two final climbs, it could be so important for Visma to get him up the road – especially if Vingegaard has plans for an attack on the penultimate climb, the Col de la Madeleine.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:04:08.894Z<\/p>\n Wellens is still out there, and has grown his lead over the re-formed peloton by 20 seconds.<\/p>\n 140KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:02:36.350Z<\/p>\n The two groups have come together again, due to the work done by Visma. They clearly weren\u2019t happy with the make-up of that very large breakaway.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T11:00:39.006Z<\/p>\n Riders keep firing off from the second peloton to the first peloton. The yellow jersey is towards the front of the latter, but seems happy with all the riders ahead of him – implying there can\u2019t be any GC threats there.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:59:09.658Z<\/p>\n There’s a small split in the peloton with about 40 riders going clear. It’s only a few seconds, but the two groups aren’t quite coming back together again.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:57:23.729Z<\/p>\n Here are the updated points classifications. Poga\u010dar didn\u2019t roll through for any points, so is now 92 points behind:<\/p>\n 1 Milan 332<\/p>\n 2 Poga\u010dar 240<\/p>\n 3 Girmay 196<\/p>\n 4 Merlier 156<\/p>\n 5 Turgis 154<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:55:58.218Z<\/p>\n Wellens leads the peloton by ten seconds.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:54:47.307Z<\/p>\n They’ve been brought back, but Wellens has gone again and leads the road alone.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:54:25.126Z<\/p>\n UAE had the move covered with Tim Wellens, and there are four other riders with them.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:53:55.630Z<\/p>\n Here come the attacks! Visma are involved, with Wout van Aert instigating it.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:53:28.023Z<\/p>\n Milan takes the points, with Girmay 2nd. Girmay didn’t really try to push the green jersey to beat him in the sprint, but must be in decent shape despite his crash.<\/p>\n INTERMEDIATE SPRINT<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:52:01.294Z<\/p>\n Teams are massing behind the Lidl line, but are the ones more interested in going to the inevitable attacks when it all kicks off after it, rather than the sprint itself.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:49:22.191Z<\/p>\n 2.5km away from the sprint, no team is challenging Lidl-Trek at the front for the lead-out. It may be that Milan is allowed to take the points uncontested, now he has such a big lead over Girmay and Merlier.<\/p>\n 150KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:43:15.606Z<\/p>\n Still Lidl-Trek lead the peloton. There hasn\u2019t been a single attack, making for an eerily subdued start to the day. That\u2019s all set to change in less than 10km, when the race will explode into life.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:36:30.878Z<\/p>\n Still no attacks, with the sprint 12km away.<\/p>\n 160KM TO GO<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:35:45.241Z<\/p>\n Milan\u2019s green jersey no longer looks under threat by any of the other sprinters. Biniam Girmay and Tim Merlier had been his main rivals, but both riders failed to score any points in yesterday\u2019s finale after going down in the crash. Girmay looked especially hurt, though he\u2019s still made it to the start today.<\/p>\n Tour de France stage 17 final kilometre crash ends Tim Merlier’s sprint hopes, leaves Biniam Girmay in pain<\/a><\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:32:29.886Z<\/p>\n This sprint gives Jonathan Milan another chance to further strengthen his hold on the green jersey. The Italian now leads Poga\u010dar by 72 points following his stage win yesterday<\/a>, but there\u2019s still some fear that the Slovenian could close that gap if he dominates in the final Alpine stages, and goes for the stage win in the hilly Paris circuit. A full haul of points in this intermediate sprint could therefore be crucial.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:28:34.875Z<\/p>\n Still no attacks. It seems there\u2019s a tacit agreement that no attacks will be made until after this intermediate sprint.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:23:29.215Z<\/p>\n No attacks yet, as Lidl-Trek have taken over at the front of the peloton and are setting a pace. They must have their eye on the intermediate sprint, which is coming up 24km into the stage – and, crucially, before any of the climbs.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:21:13.778Z<\/p>\n And they’re off!<\/p>\n OFFICIAL START<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:19:44.137Z<\/p>\n It\u2019s impossible to escape the narrative for today\u2019s stage – Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s return to the Col de la Loze, the mountain that broke him and ended his Tour hopes in 2023, in search of redemption as he hopes to strengthen his hold on the yellow jersey this year.<\/p>\n His radio clip from that day, when he uttered the now-infamous words \u2018I\u2019m gone, I\u2019m dead,\u201d have been repeated over and over again, and do serve as a reminder that the Slovenian is human. But he\u2019ll want us all to forget that potential vulnerability with another super-human performance on the mountain today, and at last exorcise those demons from the past.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:14:28.484Z<\/p>\n The riders are on the move in Vif for the unofficial start, for what\u2019s going to be a long, horrible day in the saddle.<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:13:02.937Z<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the yellow jersey Tadej Poga\u010dar at the start. He holds a healthy lead of 4:15 over Jonas Vingegaard, and that hasn\u2019t looked threatened all week – but on a stage like today\u2019s, and a climb like Col de la Loze, nothing is guaranteed.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:06:50.054Z<\/p>\n The peloton is two riders down from yesterday – Cyril Barthe had abandoned, as well as Ineos\u2019 GC leader Carlos Rodr\u00edguez. The Spaniard was beginning to look resurgent after a slow start to the Tour, and had climbed up the standings to 10th overall, but fell hard in a crash yesterday and fractured his pelvis.<\/p>\n Carlos Rodriguez abandons the Tour de France<\/a><\/p>\n 2025-07-24T10:00:40.203Z<\/p>\n Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d also spoke briefly as he signed on. Never a man for many words, the Red Bull leader seems focused on just surviving the day.<\/p>\n Rogli\u010d is fifth overall and could move up to fourth, while trying to help Florian Lipowitz defend hid third place overall.<\/p>\n “It’s the Queen stage, so for sure a big fight to get to the finish,” he said.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T09:53:22.291Z<\/p>\n Jonas Vingegaard was quiet but perhaps determined when he signed on.<\/p>\n “Today will probably be one of the hardest Tour de France stages that we will ever see…” – \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddf0 Jonas Vingegaard. We’re in for a good stage \ud83e\udd29\u00ab Aujourd’hui sera probablement l’une des \u00e9tapes les plus difficiles que l’on a vu sur le Tour… \u00bb – \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddf0 Jonas Vingegaard. C’est une\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/7ox0cZntIWJuly 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 2025-07-24T09:46:09.202Z<\/p>\n The finish of the Tour in Paris will be an emotional moment for Geraint Thomas.<\/p>\n To reflect on one of the Welshman’s Tour career, Cyclingnews spoke to people that know Thomas best to look on the last 18 years, and discuss his legacy.<\/p>\n Read what Steve Cummings, Rod Ellingworth, Simon Yates and more had to say about Thomas in this special feature celebrating his Tour career.<\/p>\n Click here to read<\/a> to read the full feature.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T09:36:49.552Z<\/p>\n Geraint Thomas just signed on in Vif and spoke briefly about the day ahead and his final days of racing at the Tour.<\/p>\n “It’s going to be a tough day, especially at this point in the race and with the bad weather too. Lets see what’s in store,” he said.<\/p>\n “It’s nice,” he said of his final days on the Tour as a rider.<\/p>\n “Its been tough but I’ve been trying to soak it up, enjoy the racing with the guys and I hope to enjoy Paris too.”<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T09:22:49.546Z<\/p>\n The Tour appears to ended any debate about which stage is the Queen stage.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc51 \ud835\udc78\ud835\udc96\ud835\udc86\ud835\udc86\ud835\udc8f \ud835\udc94\ud835\udc95\ud835\udc82\ud835\udc88\ud835\udc86 \ud83d\udc51#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com\/YQVX4nti3ZJuly 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 2025-07-24T09:20:40.675Z<\/p>\n It’s great to see Biniam Girmay smiling on the sign-on podium. He crashed yesterday and seemed to hurt his wrist but is ready to race on in the Tour.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2025-07-24T09:13:04.991Z<\/p>\n There is always debate abut which stage is the ‘Queen stage’ of each Tour but today’s stage is special, super hard – to quote most riders, and ends on the highest point of this year’s race, the Col de la Loze at 2304m.<\/p>\n As Alasdair Fotheringham wrote in his special preview feature “This is crunch time with a capital C in the 2025 Tour de France.”<\/p>\n![\"Decathlon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/U78PQEzhmsFoQXfHmXF7Y4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/8cLwK7T2NEdZJbwJ9Le8AL.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Clouds](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/wsvvnSQfyyeTAWupGs4VTQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/T6NNc2FMm6B78gXrPPaX4H.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Lidl](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Bw36NtDpQJWrKeTdyotv2o.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"VIF,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dYsGteDRg2tBEFP4ARREWL.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Primo\u017e](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/h4zUp6PBdjrUN7gZktPeRR.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"TOPSHOT](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/r7PPABtLon8MsdFNLA5zGe.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"CARCASSONNE,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bGVs2pD3gKBGHws4Kx87di.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Intermarche](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2sC92hLgxbFDMQpmDKbWB5.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Tour](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/unA3ZeCCEkdXuJ9aV3H5XB.jpg\")
<\/p>\n