[themaclad]

The big two in a slug fest could go either way, the TT should be interesting

A spectator taking a selfie caused a crash of about 20 riders on stage 15 of the Tour de France.

The stage was won by Dutchman Wout Poels as defending champion Jonas Vingegaard maintained his 10-second lead on Tadej Pogacar.

Sepp Kuss, Vingegaard's Team Jumbo-Visma team-mate, had his handlebars knocked by a fan holding out a phone.

Kuss went down with team-mate Nathan van Hooydonck and brought down a large group in the peloton.

"There was a narrowing in the town and a spectator in the road, and I guess he just clipped my handlebars," said Kuss.

"Luckily I'm OK and hopefully the other guys in the crash are all right. It's not ideal.

"I think it's fatigue. It's been such a hard race and everybody is a bit tired. You lose a bit of alertness and there's always things out of your control as well."

All the riders who crashed completed the 179km stage from Les Gets les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.

Dane Vingegaard was unaffected, while stage winner Poels was in the breakaway several minutes up the road.

Stage-by-stage guide and results
'Please pay attention to the riders'
Shortly after the incident, the official Tour Twitter account posted a slow-motion video of a rider ducking under a spectator's outstretched arm with the message: "Please pay attention to the riders."

Jumbo-Visma tweeted: "Please be always aware when watching cycling at the side of the road."

Team Confidis said: "Please be careful. So that the party remains a party for the runners but also for you. You don't need a cell phone to create mind-blowing memories."

Ineos Grenadiers said: "If you are spectating at this amazing event, please give the riders room to race."

An overhead view of the Tour de France crash
The crash took place with about 50km into the stage
One of the Tour's worst crashes involving a spectator occurred in 2021, when a woman holding a sign with a message in German to her grandparents clipped rider Tony Martin on the first stage.

Two riders pulled out and eight others were treated for injuries, including Spain's Marc Soler, who broke both arms.

The woman turned herself in to police and went to court over the incident.

She was ordered to pay a symbolic one euro fine but, after receiving a barrage of abuse, her identity was withheld.

A the time, Tour director Christian Prudhomme said: "We just want people to take care when they come to the Tour and remember they are there to see the champions - and not to get on television."

'We've seen this before' - analysis
Matt Warwick, BBC Sport

Following 2021's 'Omi & Opi' scandal, in which a young woman caused a huge pile-up on stage one of the Tour, riders have been more wary of fans wanting to get close to the action.

Cycling's world governing body the UCI introduced a range of measures under the SafeR banner just before this race, which incorporates better assessments of high-speed descents following the death of Gino Mader last month, and more management of crowds.

At the top of the Col de Joux Plane climb on Saturday, Pogacar was held up by motorbikes and penned in by crowds standing inches from their heroes.

Across a season, the list of rider casualties is too long, but road cycling is a unique sport, growing in popularity, and trades on the volatility of competing out in the open.

Poels wins first Grand Tour stage
Wout Poels celebrates winning stage 15 of the Tour de France
Wout Poels joined Team Bahrain Victorious in 2020
Poels' stage win was his first in a Grand Tour, with the Team Bahrain Victorious rider finishing two minutes eight seconds ahead of Wout van Aert and Mathieu Burgaudeau in third.

Vingegaard finished alongside Pogacar six minutes and four seconds behind Poels.

Despite attacking inside the final kilometre of the 7km climb to the finish, Slovenian Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates, could not open up a gap on Vingegaard.

Monday is a rest day, before the 21-stage race resumes with a 22.4km time trial from Passy to Combloux on Tuesday.

Stage 15 results
Wout Poels (Net/Bahrain-Victorious) 4hrs 40mins 50secs
Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +2mins 8secs
Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra/TotalEnergies) +3mins
Lawson Craddock (USA/Team Jayco AlUla) +3mins 10secs
Mikel Landa (Spa/Bahrain-Victorious) +3mins 14secs
Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +3mins 14secs
Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +3mins 32secs
Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +3mins 43secs
Simon Guglielmi (Fra/Team Arkea Samsic) +3mins 59secs
Warren Barguil (Fra/ Team Arkea Samsic) +4mins 20secs
General classification standings
Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 62hrs 34mins 17secs
Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +10secs
Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 21secs
Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +5mins 40secs
Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 38secs
Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +9mins 16secs
Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +10mins 11secs
Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +10mins 48secs
David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +14mins 7secs
Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +14mins 18secs

[themaclad]

Vingegaard could probably have won the race destroying his nearest rival by nearly two minutes, a beast of a climb tomorrow after today the fat lady appears to be approaching the stage

[themaclad]

onas Vingegaard tightened his grip on the yellow jersey in the Tour de France after he blew away Tadej Pogacar in the individual time trial on stage 16.

The Dane won the 22.4km route from Passy to Combloux in 32 minutes 36 seconds on a decisive day of the Tour.

Vingegaard's impressive ride increased his overall lead over Pogacar from 10 seconds to one minute and 48 seconds.

Britain's Adam Yates moves up to third place and is five seconds ahead of Carlos Rodriguez with five stages left.

Two-time winner Pogacar now faces a huge task to claw back ground on the defending champion before the Tour finishes in Paris on Sunday.

"Is the Tour de France over? No. There's still a lot of hard stages to go. We have to keep fighting for the stages to come," Vingegaard said.

"I think it's the best time trial I have ever done and I think today I surprised myself with the time trial I did. I did not expect to do so well, it's my first time trial win in the Tour de France.

"I was feeling great today and I am really happy with the victory. I want to say thanks for the team. They guided me well today."

This was only Vingegaard's second career time trial win, following his success at the Gran Camino in Spain at the start of the season, and it appears to have put him in complete control of a Tour that, before Tuesday, was exceptionally close.

The 26-year-old produced an awesome show of strength to destroy his nearest rival, who was still the second-fastest finisher on the stage but lost time on the race leader almost from the moment he rolled off the start ramp.

Vingegaard reached the first checkpoint at 7.1km with a 16-second advantage over Pogacar and had stretched his lead to 31 seconds by the time he reached the foot of the Cote de Domancy.

While the Slovenian switched to a lighter road bike, hoping to make up time on the climb, Vingegaard stayed on his time-trial bike and was still much quicker up to the finish.

Vingegaard's team-mate Wout van Aert was third on the stage, with Simon Yates fifth and Adam Yates seventh - enough for him to overturn his 19-second deficit to Rodriguez and move into the podium positions.

The race returns to the high mountains on Wednesday for stage 17, a daunting 165.7km route from Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel that features four huge climbs.

Stage 16 results
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 32mins 36secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +1mins 38secs

3. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +2mins 51secs

4. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +2mins 55secs

5. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +2mins 58secs

6. Remi Cavagna (Fra/Soudal-Quick-Step) +3mins 6secs

7. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +3mins 12secs

8. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +3mins 21secs

9. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek) +3mins 31secs

10. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama) +3mins 31secs

General classification after stage 16

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 63hrs 6mins 53secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +1min 48secs

3. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +8mins 52secs

4. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +8mins 57secs

5. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +11mins 15secs

6. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +12mins 56secs

7. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +13mins 6secs

8. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +13mins 46secs

9. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +17mins 38secs

10. Felix Gall (Aut/AG2R) +18mins 19secs

[themaclad]

I've gone, I'm dead Pogs call to his team, to paraphrase Ken Wolstenholme, ther's people on the pitch, they think it's all over, it is now Vingegaard nearly 8 minutes ahead done and dusted unless he gets Covid or has a unbeliievably poor last four days, won't happen

[themaclad]

onas Vingegaard is on the brink of retaining his Tour de France title after opening up a lead of more than seven minutes on a gruelling stage 17.

The Dane powered up the final climb of the queen stage of the Tour but saw his main rival, Tadej Pogacar, crumble.

Two-time winner Pogacar was dropped with 15km left, and told his team radio: "I'm gone, I'm dead."

Felix Gall broke clear to win the stage, 34 seconds ahead of Britain's Simon Yates with Vingegaard fourth.

Vingegaard had extended his lead from 10 seconds to almost two minutes with a blistering ride in the individual time trial on Tuesday's stage 16, but this feels like a decisive blow in what has been a fascinating battle.

The Jumbo-Visma rider, 26, celebrated by kissing his hand as he crossed the line in Courchevel and now leads Pogacar by seven minutes and 35 seconds with three stages to go before Sunday's processional stage to Paris.

"I'm relieved to have more than seven minutes but we're not in Paris yet, there's some tricky stages left, still," said Vingegaard.

Stage 17 - as it happened
"It was the day, when the route was announced, that we said was going to be our day, the day when we wanted to put the Tour upside down and make it really hard," added Jumbo-Visma's sports director Griescha Niermann.

"That did happen, although we did not think it would happen this way. Jonas won the Tour today, I think, barring bad luck."

The moment Pogagar cracked came 8km from the summit of the giant Col de la Loze, which at 2,034m is the highest climb of this year's race.

Pogacar has been at Vingegaard's side for most of this Tour but he could no longer match his pace, with the Slovenian telling his UAE team to focus on keeping Adam Yates in the podium positions instead.

Pain was etched on Pogacar's face when he finally crossed the line with his jersey unzipped some six minutes after Vingegaard, and he also had a cut knee following a minor crash earlier in the day.

Vingegaard had a tangle too, being delayed by a stalled motorbike which had forced an organisers' car to halt and blocked the road in the final kilometres, but he zig-zagged through and continued to ride strongly.

Adam Yates does remain third in the general classification standings while twin brother Simon's display sees him climb from eighth overall to fifth.

Simon Yates and Gall were part of a 33-man breakaway that formed with more than 100km to go, with Austrian rider Gall mounting a solo attack on the way up the Col de la Loze and staying clear to the end.

Stage 17 results
1. Felix Gall (Aut/AG2R-Citroen) 4hrs 49mins

2. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +34secs

3. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +1min 38secs

4. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) +1min 52secs

5. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +2min 9secs

6. Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Uno-X) +2min 39secs

7. Chris Harper (Aus/Team Jayco-AlUla) +2min 50secs

8. Rafal Majka (Pol/UAE Team Emirates) +3min 43secs

9. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +3min 43secs

10. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) +3min 49secs

General classification after stage 17
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 67hrs 57mins 51secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +7min 35secs

3. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +10mins 45secs

4. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +12mins 1sec

5. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +12mins 19secs

6. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +12mins 50secs

7. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +13mins 50secs

8. Felix Gall (Aut/AG2R) +16mins 11secs

9. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +16mins 49secs

10. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +17mins 57secs

[ritchiebaby]

It's now a coronation procession for Ving, but Pog might struggle to make the podium positions on Sunday unless he recovers a lot of energy. The Yates twins, Rodriguez and Bilbao must all believe in their chances to overtake him, especially in the mountains on Saturday.

Tomorrow's stage is from Moutiers to Bourg-en-Bresse, 185kms of flat racing and should be easy for the sprinters with the GC teams being not really interested.

[ritchiebaby]

Interesting to see that the leading GC margin has gone from the tightest after Stage 15 to the widest since 1981 after Stage 17. What a turnaround.

Now over to ITV4 for this afternoon's action.

[ritchiebaby]

Kasper Asgreen won Stage 18 in a smash-and-grab breakaway which superbly held off a totally disorganised peleton who struggled to reel in the 4 riders involved. The GC teams weren't interested and the Sprint teams looked as though they weren't interested until it was too late.

Tomorrow's 173kms stage is from Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny. The route is a lumpy mix of ups and downs, false flats and a chance for the Sprint teams to learn from today's mistakes. The race might be just as boring as today's was for the most part, but surely, hopefully, not.

Just beyond halfway the riders pass Loulle, home to the famous dinosaurs footprints - much like our potholed roads here then. 22kms from the finish, the route passes through Arbois, home to Louis Pasteur for most of his early years.

[themaclad]

Kasper Asgreen claimed his first Tour de France stage victory as he held on to win stage 18 from an epic breakaway.

The Soudal Quick-Step rider, 28, was part of a four-man group which seemed destined to be caught during the closing stages in Bourg-en-Bresse.

But the leaders managed to stay clear, with Dane Asgreen outsprinting Pascal Eenkhorn and Jonas Abrahamsen.

Compatriot Jonas Vingegaard maintained his comfortable overall lead with just three stages left.

Two-time winner Tadej Pogacar remains seven minutes and 35 seconds behind the defending champion, with Britain's Adam Yates third.

Stage 18 - as it happened
Van Aert withdraws from Tour for birth of child
How an unlikely breakaway victory unfolded
Jasper Philipsen was hoping for his fifth stage win of this year's Tour on the flat 184.9km route from Moutiers.

The stage appeared a perfect opportunity for the sprinters to take centre stage after coming through five successive mountain stages - including Wednesday's gruelling Queen stage to Courchevel.

And although the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider managed to pass Victor Campenaerts metres from the finish, the peloton had left it fractionally too late to reel in the rest of the breakaway group.

This was not supposed to happen.

Only three men broke clear initially once the racing got under way, with Asgreen, Campenaerts and Jonas Abrahamsen eventually joined by Pascal Eenkhoorn.

That was after an initial attempt by Eenkhoorn had been shut down by Philipsen, and the lead four were never allowed much more than a one-minute advantage.

But a disorganised peloton misjudged its final effort, leading to a thrilling chase to the finish in which Campenaerts took one last significant turn on the front to ensure the breakaway prevailed - with Asgreen showing the best legs in the closing metres.

Friday's 19th stage appears a chance for the sprint teams to redeem themselves as the peloton travels across the Jura Mountains, without tackling any major climbs, over a 172.8km route from Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny.

Stage 18 results
1. Kasper Asgreen (Den/Soudal-Quick-Step) 4hrs 06min 48secs

2. Pascal Eenkhorn (Ned/Lotto-Dstny) same time

3. Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor/Uno-X)

4. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Deceuninck)

5. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek)

6. Cees Bol (Ned/Astana Qazaqstan)

7. Jordi Meeus (Bel/Bora-Hansgrohe)

8. Matteo Trentin (Ita/UAE Team Emirates)

9. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Jumbo-Visma)

10. Luca Mozzato (Ita/Arkea-Samsic)

General classification after stage 18
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 72hrs 04mins 39secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +7min 35secs

3. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +10mins 45secs

4. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +12mins 1sec

5. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +12mins 19secs

6. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +12mins 50secs

7. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +13mins 50secs

8. Felix Gall (Aut/AG2R) +16mins 11secs

9. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +16mins 49secs

10. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +17mins 57secs

[themaclad]

Matej Mohoric won stage 19 of the Tour de France in a thrilling photo finish ahead of Kasper Asgreen in Poligny.

The pair sprinted for the line at the end of a frantic day of racing, with the Slovenian denying Asgreen back-to-back stage wins by the width of a rim.

They had to wait to discover who had won, and an emotional Mohoric was in tears after being told it was him.

Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard retains his comfortable lead over Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar with two stages remaining.

Britain's Adam Yates remains third, with Saturday seeing the Tour return to the mountains before Sunday's ceremonial procession into Paris.

Stage 20 suits the pure climbers and will decide who joins Vingegaard and Pogacar on the podium as well as settle the order of the top 10 in the General Classification.

This was the final chance for sprinters to take the glory before they fight it out on the Champs Elysees, and also a last opportunity for many other riders and teams to try to grab a stage success through a breakaway.

Stage 19 - as it happened
It led to a fast and furious fight over a lumpy 172.8km route that started in Moirans en Montagne, with escape attempts starting as soon as the stage got under way.

A 36-man break established itself with 65km to go, but splintered into several groups on the biggest climb of the day, the category three Cote d'Ivory.

That was where Asgreen, who clinched an epic breakaway win on Thursday, pushed clear again along with Mohoric and Australia's Ben O'Connor.

The next chase group had them in their sights on the straight road to the finish with 6km to go, but were wary of setting up sprinter Jasper Philipsen for his fifth stage victory of this year's Tour, and allowed the gap to grow.

That left the front three to fight out the win and, after O'Connor failed with an early attack, it was Mohoric who followed Asgreen before managing to throw his bike over the line first in a desperate lunge for victory.

Afterwards he paid tribute to his late Bahrain-Victorious team-mate Gino Mader, who died aged 26 in a crash at last month's Tour de Suisse.

"It means a lot because it's hard and cruel to be a professional cyclist. You suffer a lot in your preparations, you sacrifice your life, your family and you give everything you can to get here ready," Mohoric said.

"When Kasper went I knew it was the decisive attack, he was so incredibly strong to win the stage yesterday but he has the will and determination to do it again today.

"I knew I had to do everything perfect, I tried my best for Gino and for the team and in the end you almost feel like you betray [your rivals] because you beat them to the line but it's just the way professional sport is and everyone wants to win.

"If I want to win I have to follow the wheel of Kasper and then try to beat him in the last 50 metres. I just feel so many things right now."

Stage 19 results
1. Matej Mohoric (Slo/Bahrain Victorious) 3hrs 31min 2secs

2. Kasper Asgreen (Den/Soudal-Quick-Step) same time

3. Ben O'Connor (Aus/AG2R-Citroen) +4secs

4. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Deceuninck) +39secs

5. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek) same time

6. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Jumbo-Visma) same time

7. Luka Mezgec (Slo/Jayco-AlUla) same time

8. Alberto Bettiol (Ita/EF Education-EasyPost) same time

9. Matteo Trentin (Ita/UAE Team Emirates) same time

10. Tom Pidcock (GB/INEOS Grenadiers) same time

General classification after stage 19
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 75hrs 49mins 24secs

2. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +7min 35secs

3. Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +10mins 45secs

4. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +12mins 1sec

5. Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +12mins 19secs

6. Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +12mins 50secs

7. Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +13mins 50secs

8. Felix Gall (Aut/AG2R) +16mins 11secs

9. Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +16mins 49secs

10. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +17mins 57secs