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68km to go: Jorgenson is setting the pace for Visma at the front of the race. Pogacar is all alone in this front group, with a significant distance still to ride. They are nearly at the top of the Col de la Madeleine.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 68km to go: Again, the weather is mercifully decent near the top of the second climb. There had been predictions of some horribly unpleasant weather at higher altitudes and maybe it will still materialise on the final climb.<\/p>\n Re: Roglic v Lipowitz, are we seeing the difference between stamina and fitness?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 69km to go: Roglic\u2019s teammate Lipowitz, third in GC before today, has dropped away and is now 36sec behind the group of favourites. Roglic\u2019s class looks to be coming to the fore and he is confirming his status as the strongest rider in the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.21 EDT<\/p>\n 70km to go: Eight up front now. Pogacar, Vingegaard, Roglic, Gall, O\u2019Connor, Arensman, Jorgenson, Rubio. Just over 3km to go to the top of the second HC climb of the day. It was Visma-Lease A Bike and not UAE who upped the pace from behind the break, and now Pogacar is looking somewhat isolated, even if he has covered the first big attack by Vingegaard comfortably enough.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.19 EDT<\/p>\n 71.5km to go: After a big turn by Kuss, Vingegaard attacks! Pogacar stays on his wheel. The gap to the break is plunging, predictably, with the two best climbers in the race going for it now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 72km to go: The escape group is down to six: Roglic, Gall, O\u2019Connor, Arensman, Jorgenson and Rubio.<\/p>\n Behind, but not very far behind, Sepp Kuss is setting the pace in front of Vingegaard. Pogacar is marking them and Lipowitz is there too. So Pogacar is potentially isolated \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 72.5km to go: \u201cIf they want to isolate Pogacar they need to do it now,\u201d Matt White says of Visma\u2019s tactics. \u201cIt needs to happen very, very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.11 EDT<\/p>\n 74km to go: Action from the chase group. Visma have upped the pace, looking to shut down the gap to the escape group.<\/p>\n Meanwhile the likes of Ben Healy are being dropped from the bunch given the hot pace being set by Pogacar and colleagues. Adam Yates is working on the front and dancing on the pedals.<\/p>\n Can Vingegaard and Visma-Lease A Bike exert any kind of pressure of Pogacar? Are they waiting for the final climb?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.15 EDT<\/p>\n 77km to go: Still 10m to climb on the Col de la Madeleine. Ben Healy, the former maillot jaune, is pictured powering up the climb.<\/p>\n Lenny Martinez is in the seventh group on the road, waaaaay back, more than seven minutes behind the leaders. He is the current KOM leader but won\u2019t be for long.<\/p>\n Meanwhile Jonathan Milan and some fellow sprinters are 14min 40sec behind the front of the race. Risky.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 77.5km to go: Pogacar is a mere two minutes down, thanks to the efforts of Pollitt and co to control the gap to the break. Up front, Roglic is more than 11min down on his compatriot in the GC, so this is more than manageable for UAE as things stand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.56 EDT<\/p>\n 78km to go: Commentator Carlton Kirby asks Matt White: to what extent do the riders depend on power data on these long climbs?<\/p>\n \u201cSome guys live and die off the numbers,\u201d says the Australian. \u201cWhile some guys are much more natural, and just hold the wheel in front of them. Some of them can relax, if you can relax on a climb like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 79km to go: It\u2019s 12km still to go until the top of the climb. A front group of eight has now firmly established and the gap has flown out to 1min 54sec. Roglic, Gall, O\u2019Connor, Arensman, Jorgenson, Baudin, Rubio, Armirail are the men there.<\/p>\n The breakaway extends their lead over the peloton. Photograph: Tim de Waele\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.07 EDT<\/p>\n 79km to go: \u201cI\u2019m watching on pro-USA Peacock, with Bob Roll and the evergreen Phil Liggett on commentary (we need to pack him in aspic for 11 months of the year),\u201d emails Tony. \u201cI have been watching the Tour since the 1980s. Back then, as a kid, we didn\u2019t have too many British riders to root for until Robert Millar rocked up. I had to content myself with adopting both Sean Kelly and Phil Anderson as honorary Brits, which I\u2019m sure both would have had an issue with.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 82km to go: Roglic, Gall, O\u2019Connor, Wellens, Baudin, Rubio, Armirail are the seven riders, now just 12sec behind the two leaders, so they are stepping things up.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a quality group of climbers,\u201d says Matt White. He thinks if they have a three, four minute lead going into the final climb they have a chance of fighting for the win.<\/p>\n We have 15km to go until the summit of the Madeleine.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 83km to go: Martinez is slipping back through the peloton after winning the first climb. Arensman of Ineos, no doubt, is going for maximum points on this next climb, and that would put him in the KOM lead.<\/p>\n The third group on the road, by the way, has four riders in it: Muhlberger, Van Den Broek, Leknessund and Lutsenko. The Roglic group, second on the road, is 23sec behind the two leaders.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 84km to go: \u201cJoining lots of others in following along from the office,\u201d writes Sam on email. \u201cAlthough I reckon I\u2019ll have to find a way to put the stream on when the nuclear Jonas attack comes in about 10kms (fingers crossed). Jonas to get across to Jorgenson, and put 5 mins into Pog? Maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n I think Pogacar has the legs to cover it, and then some, but let\u2019s see.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 84km to go: It\u2019s a lead of about 30sec for the front group.<\/p>\n Enric Mas (Movistar) has abandoned the race.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.33 EDT<\/p>\n 86km to go: Now it\u2019s two up front. Jorgenson (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) are working together. They have 40sec on the chase group, that consists of nine riders: Roglic, Gall, O\u2019Connor, Garcia Pierna, Wellens, Baudin, Rubio, Armirail and Lutsenko.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.32 EDT<\/p>\n 86km to go: \u201cA lot of riders all over the road at the minute,\u201d says Adam Blythe on the TNT Sports motorbike, flying down the descent off the Col du Glandon. \u201cDifficult to keep up with who is where.\u201d<\/p>\n Amen, brother.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.29 EDT<\/p>\n 89km to go: Arensman, Wellens and Jorgenson are out front on their own now, a breakaway group of three. They are about to hit the second ascent of the day, the start of the Col de la Madeleine.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.27 EDT<\/p>\n 92km to go: A good bit of Roglic banter from Daniel Friebe on \u201cTwitter\u201d, as I like to call it.<\/p>\n Rogli\u010d\u2018s last two results in Courchevel: 11th & 13th.<\/p>\n Both in ski-jumping.<\/p>\n \u2014 Daniel Friebe (@friebos) July 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 95km to go: Martinez now tops the KOM standings, with 80pts, and Arensman is second, with 63. \u201cPogi\u201d has been relegated to third, for now, on 60pts. You fancy that will change later.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.22 EDT<\/p>\n 97km to go: Carlton Kirby steps in on commentary and pours praise on Martinez for winning the KOM points atop the Col du Glandon. The co-commentator Robbie McEwen fills him in on those \u201csticky bottles\u201d. Matt White wonders out loud if any action will be taken against the Frenchman and his team.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.20 EDT<\/p>\n 101km to go: The leading group, to recap, consists of 13 riders.<\/p>\n Oh, I really should tell you that Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) took 20 KOM points atop the first climb. Arensman was second, Jorgenson third. The commentators were scoffing at the assistance Martinez received from his team car on the way up.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 105km to go: Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) and Garcia Pierna (Ark\u00e9a\u2013B&B Hotels) almost crash on the descent off the Col du Glandon.<\/p>\n It looks like we have seven separate groups on the road right now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.13 EDT<\/p>\n 107km to go: Matt White, the former Jayco-AlUla DS, hits the commentary box. \u201cI like this move by Roglic,\u201d he says. \u201cHe\u2019s obviously feeling better as this Tour goes on. If anything he is putting Onley under pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n He then mentions the current ride by the powerhouse Nils Pollitt, who is controlling the gap for Pogacar. Mind-blowing, I think he called it, which is fair considering Pollitt\u2019s sheer size compared to the pure climbers.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a machine,\u201d White says of Pollitt.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.10 EDT<\/p>\n 109km to go: Wellens, who is in some of the best form of his excellent career, races back to the front group after that mechanical issue.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 110km to go: There are some clouds up at the peak of the mountain but the weather isn\u2019t bad at all. Small mercies for these overworked riders. Plenty of time for it to change on the later peaks, of course.<\/p>\n Wellens has a mechanical and needs a bike change, it looks like. Now Emmanuel Buchmann (Cofidis) also has a mechanical.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.04 EDT<\/p>\n 110km to go: Jegat, Rodriguez, Berthet, Baudin, Woods, Van den Broek, Barta and Plapp are the eight riders in the second group. Although Berthet, it appears, is trying to make it across to the leaders now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 111.5km to go: We have 2.3km to go until the top of the Col du Glandon.<\/p>\n This is making me tired just watching it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.00 EDT<\/p>\n 113km to go: Down to 13 in the front group: Wellens, Jorgenson, Lenny Martinez, Arensman, Roglic, O\u2019Connor, Garcia Pierna, Muhlberger, Rubio, Gall, Armirail, Lutsenko, Leknessund.<\/p>\n On the telly, Lenny Martinez is pictured getting a sticky bottle or two from his team car. Clearly he isn\u2019t feeling good, and Rob Hatch on commentary suggests his fairly blatant conduct is worthy of a yellow card.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.59 EDT<\/p>\n 115km to go: The breakaway has 53sec on the chasers. There are 14 riders up front.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.54 EDT<\/p>\n Pogacar suffers pre-stage scare in Visma team car shunt<\/p>\n The Tour de France<\/a> overall leader Tadej Pogacar suffered a big scare on Thursday when he bumped into the team car of his chief rival, Jonas Vingegaard, before stage 18.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were going to the start line and the cars were also going … we were cruising behind the (Visma-Lease a Bike) car, maybe a bit too close, and he braked suddenly … maybe I don\u2019t know if he wanted to brake check me,\u201d Pogacar said with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI was not ready because I did not see the reason why he had to stop urgently, so we crashed into the car \u2026 but it\u2019s OK, I\u2019m OK, we\u2019re good.\u201d<\/p>\n Tadej Pogacar. Photograph: Sarah Meyssonnier\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.53 EDT<\/p>\n 117.5km to go: Another 8.5km to climb before the top of the Col du Glandon is reached.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 118km to go: The sixth and last group on the road contains 52 riders, and predictably Milan is among them. The yellow jersey group \u2013 Pogacar\u2019s that is \u2013 contains 23 riders. Pollitt, Soler, Adam Yates and Jhonatan Narvaez are alongside their leader, Pogacar.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 119km to go: This is all very well, but have these guys tried cycling up from the tollgate in Dulwich to Crystal Palace three times in a row, like I did the other week? I think not.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 119km to go: Mas, Berthet, Baudin and Barre make up the third group, 54sec behind the leaders.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.43 EDT<\/p>\n 120km to go: Of course, Richard Hirst Theory states that this is all a bit of fun, and that Vingegaard and Pogacar are bound to duke it out on the slopes of today\u2019s final climb, the Col de la Loze. Are you out there, Richard?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.42 EDT<\/p>\n 120km to go: No, make that six groups on the road.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 121km to go: It\u2019s a 35sec lead for the break. There are now four distinct groups on the road. A six-rider group is second: Jegat (Total Energies), Rodriguez (Arkea\/B&B), Mas (Movistar), Woods (Israel-PremierTech), Van den Broek (Picnic PostNL), Castrillo (Movistar) and Plapp (Jayco-AlUla).<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 122km to go: \u201cIf UAE let this break go, and give them six, seven minutes, other teams are going to try and protect their GC places,\u201d says Rowe on commentary for TNT Sports.<\/p>\n He says it may appear as if UAE are being put under a lot of pressure, but makes the point that Pogacar\u2019s commanding GC lead gives them plenty of options.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.35 EDT<\/p>\n 123km to go: We have a 16-rider group at the front now: Roglic, Gall, O\u2019Connor, Arensman, Jorgenson, Muhlberger, Garcia Pierna, Wellens, Woods, Rubio Reyes, Armirail, Leknessund, Storer, Lutsenko, Martinez, Barta.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 124km to go: Roglic is informed, via team radio, that UAE Team Emirates are pulling hard on the front. \u201cDon\u2019t waste that much,\u201d he is told of this current attack.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 125km to go: Lutsenko and Wellens are now well within sight of a chasing group. That group includes Roglic.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all very active and very fluid, with groups forming and breaking up with regularity.<\/p>\n Congratulations to Lizzie Deignan on a wonderful career, by the way. I was watching on the final straight when she won silver in the women\u2019s road race, behind Marianne Vos, at London 2012. Great memories.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.31 EDT<\/p>\n Lizzie Deignan retires from cycling<\/p>\n Lizzie Deignan has announced her immediate retirement from professional cycling after sharing news that she and husband Phil are expecting their third child. The 36-year old former world champion had previously said 2025 would be her final season but has called time on a career in which she recorded 43 professional wins, among them victories at Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders and the Women\u2019s Tour. Deignan took the world title in 2015, a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2014 and Olympic silver at the London Games in 2012. (PA Media)<\/p>\n Lizzie Deignan. Photograph: Bradley Collyer\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n 127km to go: Roglic powers away from Van Aert, who is back in a bunch of riders who are off the front of the main group. It\u2019s all strung out, gaps everywhere, with the riders toiling up the first HC climb.<\/p>\n Plenty of excitement in the commentary box about Roglic attacking. He is 12sec behind the front two, Wellens and Lutsenko.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 127km to go: Now Van Aert is dropping off the pace at the front. Wellens is the man setting a fierce pace. No one can accuse UAE Team Emirates XRG of just sitting there and waiting to defend attacks \u2026<\/p>\n Back down the road, Roglic attacks!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 128km to go: Rutsch has been dropped by the front group. So it\u2019s down to four. Ben O\u2019Connor is between the main group and the break, presumably trying to bridge across. The gruppetto, AKA the autobus, has formed back down the road. There are 48 riders in it. Six Lidl-Trek riders are there including Milan.<\/p>\n The gap between break and peloton is 22sec. And the front group is down to three: Wellens, Van Aert, Lutsenko, with Groves dropped.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.21 EDT<\/p>\n 129km to go: \u201cI think Jonas needs to go hard, and he needs to go early,\u201d remarks Adam Blythe of today\u2019s potential tactics for Visma-Lease A Bike. \u201cThey may be trying a similar tactic that worked for Simon Yates at the Giro<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.18 EDT<\/p>\n 130km to go: The race has hit the lower slopes of the first climb, the Col du Glandon.<\/p>\n \u201cJonas has good legs,\u201d says Frans Maassen on TNT of the Visma team leader\u2019s chances. \u201cWe\u2019ll see what\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n He sounds confident, remarks Hannah Walker.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I think so. We\u2019ll see what happens. If not [if they can\u2019t catch Pogacar], we have a deserved winner.\u201d<\/p>\n Jonas Vingegaard and his good legs. Photograph: Marco Bertorello\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.30 EDT<\/p>\n 132km to go: The gap grows to 27sec.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 133km to go: Indeed we have a five-rider break established. Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Wout Van Aert (Visma\u2013Lease A Bike), Alexey Lutsenko (Israel-PremierTech), Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Jonas Rutsch (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty).<\/p>\n They have an advantage of 22sec but it looks like there is lots of attacking behind.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.13 EDT<\/p>\n 136km to go: A group of four chasers \u2013 Van Aert, Lutsenko, Groves, Rutsch \u2013 have nearly caught Wellens now. So it looks like UAE\u2019s strategy is going to pay off.<\/p>\n Briefly there were four, five groups on the road but it now looks like it\u2019s back to three, including Matteo Vercher (Total Energies) on his own, trying to bridge across to the break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.10 EDT<\/p>\n 137km to go: \u201cYou start the stage with so much money in your pocket,\u201d Rowe says of this brave move by Wellens. \u201cEvery move costs money. And this is looking like an expensive move.\u201d<\/p>\n Rowe is making the point that Wellens is strong enough to get in a break later on.<\/p>\n Personally I can see the sense in Wellens ensuring he gets in any breakaway, but I suppose he could easily come up short later on the final climb, too.<\/p>\n