Tour de France green jersey winner Jonathan Milan overcame tricky wet conditions to claim victory at the Tour's Singapore Criterium in a dramatic sprint finish on Sunday.

On a circuit saturated by a heavy pre-race storm, the 25-year-old Italian outpaced former Tour de France points classification winners Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Jasper Philipsen of Belgium on the final run to the finish line.

Girmay was runner-up while Philipsen, who won the Singapore race in 2023 and was runner-up behind Mark Cavendish last year, finished third.

While Milan had not previously raced in Singapore, he adapted well to the tropical monsoon conditions.

"It's pretty special to be here for the first time and to bring home a nice result," he said.

"I have to say that I was not expecting this weather.

"The last couple of days were pretty hot, but today for the first hour of the race it was raining a lot and that can sometimes influence the race.

"But the road was pretty good and it was clean and I was able to ride really well on the bike."

Ben Healy attempted a breakaway at the start of the final lap in the 60-kilometre race, but the Irish rider was caught by the peloton 700 metres from the finish line with Milan well positioned at the front of the field.

"The team did a really good job," said Milan of his Lidl-Trek teammates. "We had few attacks and with the last one, they closed the gap and positioned me for the sprint in a perfect way."

The riders will now travel to Japan to compete in the Tour de France Saitama Criterium next weekend.

The 2026 men's Tour de France will, for a second year, include a final stage up Paris’ Montmartre hill, and that will follow two gruelling Alpe d’Huez summit finishes, organisers said on Thursday, promising a route to keep up the suspense to the very end.

After starting in Barcelona on 4 July, the 113th edition of cycling’s biggest race will, on 26 July, culminate in a spectacular climb through Montmartre's cobbled Rue Lepic - a feature first introduced in 2025 and won by Belgium’s Wout van Aert after a fierce duel with four-time champion Tadej Pogacar.

“Laurent Nunez, who is now Minister of the Interior, has authorised us to return to Montmartre, and we are obviously very happy about that,” race director Christian Prudhomme told reporters.

“The success last year was phenomenal thanks to the Paris Olympics. Without the Games, the Tour could never have gone through Montmartre. The enthusiasm and atmosphere on Rue Lepic were incredible.”

SERIES OF PUNISHING MOUNTAIN STAGES

Prudhomme said the organisers wanted the race to remain undecided until the very end, with a succession of punishing mountain stages before the finale.

“There is a real desire to make the toughest stages come at the end - three summit finishes in the last four days, two consecutive stages up Alpe d’Huez, and what is probably the hardest mountain stage in the Tour’s history on the eve of the final day,” he said. “Whatever the yellow jersey’s lead 48 hours before Paris, nobody will be able to say it’s over.”

The peloton will climb Alpe d’Huez twice in succession — first via its famous 21 hairpins on Stage 19, then again the following day from the Col de Sarenne after a 171 km stage with 5 600 metres of elevation gain.

The race will enter France early through the Pyrenees, with a first mountain test between Pau and Gavarnie-Gedre on Stage 6, featuring the Col du Tourmalet. The route revisits several battlegrounds of the Pogacar–Vingegaard rivalry, including Le Lioran and Le Markstein.

A single individual time trial of 26 km between Evian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains is scheduled for Stage 16.

“We want a Tour that builds up in intensity,” Prudhomme said.

The Tour de France Femmes, to be held from 1-9 August for the fifth time since its 2022 revival, will feature the legendary Mont Ventoux for the first time. The “Giant of Provence” will be climbed on Stage 7 before the race concludes with a 99 km circuit around Nice.

“This is the toughest women’s Tour so far, with almost 19 000 metres of climbing,” race director Marion Rousse said. “We’ve made it a little harder because the peloton is stronger. It’s a clever route — every stage has a potential trap.”

The women’s race will also bring back an individual time trial, a 21 km test between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon on Stage 4.

French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prevot soloed to victory on Sunday in stage nine in the Alps to seal the women's Tour de France title.

Olympic mountain bike champion Ferrand-Prevot of Visma, who joined the road racing scene last year, took the overall title by a 3min 42sec margin over Dutch rider Demi Vollering.

Last year's winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland finished third overall at 4min 09sec.

The 33-year-old Ferrand-Prevot said she had achieved "the goal of (her) life as an athlete" after sealing victory in the mountains on the border with Switzerland.

She adds to her 15 world titles in several cycling disciplines including mountain biking, cyclo-cross and road racing.

She becomes the first French rider to win the modern women's Tour de France in its fourth edition.

Jeannie Longo won the title 36 years ago in the former race, the Tour de France Feminin.

This season, after seven years devoted primarily to mountain biking, she won the women's edition of Paris-Roubaix before focusing on preparing for the Tour.

"It was so difficult (this stage). I wanted to win here in the yellow jersey. It's a dream," she said.

Bernard Hinault was the last Frenchman to win the 21-day men's Tour de France in 1985 when he claimed his fifth title.

French rider Pauline Ferrand-Prevot climbed to a magnificent solo triumph at the women's Tour de France on Saturday to take over the lead of the race with one stage remaining.

Olympic mountain bike champion Ferrand-Prevot of Visma, who joined the road race scene last year, attacked from 10km out with huge crowds of home supporters on the mountainside cheering her along.

Visma rider Prevot-Ferrand now leads the overall standings by a comfortable 2 minutes and 37 seconds from Australia's Sarah Gigante, albeit with a last daunting mountain stage on Sunday to seal the deal.

"I just tried to go as fast as possible. If I came back to road cycling it was in an effort to win this race so I made the right choice," said the 33-year-old.

"I wanted to have as big a gap as possible, it's not over yet but I'm very happy with what we did today."

Gigante of AG was second atop la Madeleine at 1min 45sec, while LTK's Niamh Fisher-Black was third at 2min 15sec.

"I was dreaming of winning this race," said Gigante. "But Pauline was magnificent."

Overnight leader Kim Le Court-Pienaar sacrificed her ride to support Gigante, who cried when mentioning this after the race.

No Frenchman has won the 21-day men's Tour de France since 1985 when Bernard Hinault won his fifth, now Ferrand-Prevot can become the first French rider to win the modern women's Tour de France in its fourth edition.

French rider Maeva Squiban claimed a back-to-back double on the women's Tour de France by winning stage 7 on Friday, a day after her first breakaway stage victory.

Mauritian Kim Le Court-Pienaar held on to the overall lead as the nine-day race heads into Saturday's stage 8, the first of two Alpine runs taking in two ascents and finishing atop the Col de la Madeleine at 2000m.

The 23-year-old Squiban attacked from distance on the hilly 159.7km stage from Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambery in a carbon copy of her first stage win, while her compatriot Cedrine Kerbaol and American Ruth Edwards rounded out the podium.

Pas besoin de mots, on a juste à profiter de ce dernier km rempli d'émotions pour Maëva Squiban 🇫🇷

No words necessary, just enjoy this last kilometre full of emotions for Maëva Squiban 🥲#TDFF2025 l #WatchTheFemmes l @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/QYA1ggBvVU

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) August 1, 2025

Squiban broke away two kilometres from the summit of the Col du Granier, later claiming she had been joking when she went.

"I jokingly said I would attack at the start. In the end, it wasn't a joke," she said.

In the overall standings on the eve of the queen stage, the penultimate of this 2025 edition, Le Court has a 26-second lead over Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and a 30sec margin over defending champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma.

Frenchwoman Maeva Squiban made a solo ride to the finish line with a perfectly-timed attack on the final climb to win the mountainous stage six of the Tour de France Femmes on Thursday.

Squiban of UAE Team ADQ finished one minute and nine seconds ahead of compatriot Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) in the first French one-two in the history of the competition.

"It's an amazing feeling. I didn't expect to do that," Squiban told reporters after becoming the second French rider to claim a stage in the event after Cedrine Kerbaol took stage six last year.

Squiban stayed in the peloton led by yellow jersey holder Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), as mountains classification leader Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez) led the arduous 10-km climb to Col du Beal.

The 23-year-old broke away on the ascent to Col du Chansert and soon built a lead of over a minute and comfortably took the win in the 123.7km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert.

Maëva Squiban rentre dans l'histoire du Tour de France Femmes avec @GoZwift en remportant la deuxième victoire d'étape française après Cédrine Kerbaol l'an passé. Revivez le dernier km de l'étape 6 🇫🇷

Maëva Squiban makes history in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, taking… pic.twitter.com/DRhvwVQD9A

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 31, 2025

Mauritian Le Court, who won stage five, was the third to cross the finish line as she retained her lead in the general classification.

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike), another home favourite, finished seventh in the stage to remain second in the race for the yellow jersey, 26 seconds behind Le Court.

Points classification leader Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) fell back from the peloton during the first half of the stage and appeared to be content conserving her energy, as she retained the green jersey.

The Tour continues on Friday with a hilly 159.7km ride from Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambery.

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 165.8 km 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.

In a royal sprint between the favourites, Kim Le Court wins in Guéret, also taking back the Yellow Jersey. THE PERFECT DAY 💛

Dans un sprint royal entre favorites, @KimLeCourt s'impose en patronne à Guéret reprenant également le @MaillotjauneLCL. JOURNÉE PARFAITE 👑#TDFF2025 l… pic.twitter.com/dqTbrz3T0C

— 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 try for the victory," Le Court said.

🗣️ "It was a bit tricky at the end. I went around the corner really fast in first position I thought it was closer than I expected but luckily my kick is the fastest in the group." - 🇲🇺 @KimLeCourt

Interview with stage 5 winner ⤵️

🗣️ « C'était un peu délicat à la fin. J'ai… pic.twitter.com/gnKoGo5Rm1

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 30, 2025

🎙 🇲🇺 Kim Le Court : « C’est génial ! Nous avions un plan pour le reprendre aujourd’hui, l’équipe a parfaitement couru. Nous allons avoir un 2ème Simba. Il va rejoindre son frère à l’avant du bus et nous aurons des Simba jumeaux ! » 🦁

💛 L’interview de la nouvelle porteuse du… pic.twitter.com/GMQHzfhcPg

— Maillot Jaune LCL (@MaillotjauneLCL) July 30, 2025

The fifth stage, the longest in the Tour this year, went through a relatively flat terrain before three climbs in the final 35 km and saw several failed breakaway attempts as the peloton covered 46.5 km 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 quit the race.

Vos, who stayed in the peloton behind a leading group for most of the race, attacked in the final 15 km 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.

TOP 🔟💛#TDFF2025 l #WatchTheFemmes l @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/CSMdDhf6wS

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 30, 2025

The Tour continues on Thursday with a mountainous 123.7km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert.

Dutch cyclist Lorena Wiebes won the fourth stage of the women's Tour de France on Tuesday, outpacing her compatriot and yellow jersey-holder Marianne Vos at the end of a bunch sprint.

Just as in the previous day's stage, the SD Worx team sprinter once again beat the overall leader by a wheel to claim her second consecutive stage victory.

The two best sprinters of this #TDFF2025 met again for an electric sprint. Like yesterday, it was @lorenawiebes who won ahead of @marianne_vos. Relive the last km of stage 4 💥

Les deux sprinteuses en forme de ce #TDFF2025 se sont encore donné rendez-vous pour un sprint… pic.twitter.com/i1Rchj8lDg

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 29, 2025

"On the final straight it was a big chaos and I was really fighting for position," said Wiebes, 26.

"It's really nice to win again and it's really nice to finish it off for the girls after their hard work at the end again."

🗣️ "In the meeting we said that today it will be perfect if Anna could do the last 3km, the uphill part, and we went into that position and Lotte took over and then Anna again...It’s so nice to finish it off for the girls who worked really hard again today." - 🇳🇱 @lorenawiebes… pic.twitter.com/IjS4F54D8l

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 29, 2025

Ireland's Lara Gillespie completed the podium at the end of a stage which was thankfully much cleaner than Monday's in Angers, when several riders found themselves caught up in a mass crash.

The main victim of that crash, Dutch rider Demi Vollering, appeared apprehensive at the start in Saumur on Tuesday.

But the overall favourite for the Tour finished in the peloton in the same time as Wiebes.

Vollering sits sixth overall, 25sec behind leader Vos and 13sec behind second-placed Wiebes.

Tuesday's stage was led by Franziska Koch of Germany and Brazilian Ana Vitoria Magalhaes, after they made a break just over an hour into the day's racing.

They were caught 3km from the finish line by the SD Worx team, who catapulted Wiebes to her 16th victory this season and the 109th of her career.

𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀 𝐖𝐈𝐄𝐁𝐄5⃣

5 Stage Wins !#TDFF2025 | #WatchTheFemmes | @gozwift pic.twitter.com/vsdiMSt00B

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 29, 2025

"She's (Wiebes) just the best sprinter in the world, she's a phenomenon in the sprint and every time she shows it again," said veteran Vos.

"It's nice to keep the yellow on such a day. You know it's going to be tough," added the 38-year-old.

🏆 Rankings after stage 4

🏆 Classements après l'étape 4#TDFF2025 l #WatchTheFemmes l @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/BdJbptJKMZ

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 29, 2025

Wednesday will be the longest stage of the 2025 edition with its 165.8km run between Chasseneuil-du-Poitou/Futuroscope and Gueret, complete with a slog to the finish featuring three climbs inside the final 35km.

French cyclist Kevin Vauquelin said on Tuesday he had suffered a leg injury carrying a suitcase downstairs at home just days after finishing seventh overall in the Tour de France.

The Arkea–B&B Hotels rider fractured the distal end of his fibula in what the team described as a "domestic accident".

"For clarity, it happened while going down the stairs with my suitcase," the 24-year-old said on Instagram.

No timeline has been given for his return to racing.

Veteran Dutch rider Marianne Vos took the overall leader's jersey in the women's Tour de France on Monday after finishing second behind compatriot Lorena Wiebes on the third stage.

 

---

Live Tracker | Watch LIVE on DStv

---

Three-time former world champion Vos, 38, moved six seconds ahead of Mauritius' Kim Le Court in the general classification after a flat 163.5km ride from La Gacilly to Angers in western France.

France's Olympic cross-country champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot completed the top three, 12 seconds behind, with last year's Tour winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma fourth.

One-day expert Vos has made an impressive start to this year's edition of the Tour, having won Saturday's opening stage in Vannes.

Despite her incredible list of achievements, including 2012's Olympic gold, the women's Giro d'Italia and countless Classic successes, she has yet to win the Tour, but wore the yellow jersey in 2022 for five days.

The end of the stage on the banks of the Loire River, best known for wine production, was marred by a crash as pre-stage favourite Demi Vollering fell.

Vollering, who finished second overall last year, remains fifth in the overall standings despite the incident.

After the crash, two-time former European champions Wiebes, 26, held on to secure her fourth Tour stage win, adding to her 15 successes so far this season.

Tuesday's fourth of nine stages on the fourth edition of the women's Tour is another flat ride, stretching 130.7km south from Saumur, also on the Loire river, to Poitiers.

After a superb Tour de France raced entirely on French soil, there is plenty for the host nation to cheer about but the absence of a French winner remains a national sore point.

It is 40 years since Bernard Hinault won the last of his five Tours de France. Since then the host nation has waited – not always patiently – for a successor.

But this year has produced some cheer for the home fans as they look ahead.

It's true that none of the five French teams on the roster landed either a stage win or a place on the final podium but Valentin Paret-Peintre produced some heroics to grab a memorable stage win on Mont Ventoux.

On top of that, Kevin Vauquelin and Jordan Jegat both finished in the top 10, while Vauquelin and Lenny Martinez, just 22, wore the white and polka dot jerseys – for best under-26 rider and best climber respectively – for spells.

It doesn't hide the lack of a winner but it was enough to make former French champion Bernard Thevenet guardedly positive about future home ambitions.

Thevenet, who won the world's greatest bike race in 1975 and 1977, told AFP during this year's contest – won superbly by the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar for the fourth time – that the emerging riders were about to join the top table.

"We have good riders in France, obviously not as superb as Tadej Pogacar but this happens," Thevenet said.

"We really thought Lenny Martinez might get the king of the mountains jersey, he gave us a bit of hope. But he couldn't take it all the way," the 77-year-old said, a day after Pogacar took it off the French youngster.

He also spoke of his joy at Paret-Peintre winning on Mont Ventoux.

"It was great to see him emerge like that, how he pulled that win off. He did well," said Thevenet.

Paret-Peintre himself said he had learned a winning mentality by joining a Belgian team.

"Belgium is more about classics than Grand Tours, so I learned this do-or-die attitude and it made the difference," he said.

YOUNG HOPE

Thevenet cautioned however that the young French riders on the Tour this year will not be the ones who deliver France from its 40-year wait for a winner.

"The new generation are not on the same level as Romain Bardet or Thibaut Pinot," he said of two recently retired climbers who had the misfortune to be riding at the same time as four-time winner Chris Froome.

"And It will be a while before we get a win or someone on the podium," he said.

Thevenet, however, has seen two riders who he believes may be the ones to end the French famine.

"Paul Seixas is 18, he isn't here on the Tour but he will be. And within five years he'll be on the podium," he said.

"There's also a great up-and-coming sprinter, Paul Magnier, and you can see him winning stages when he rides the Tour."

While Hinault's victory in 1985 was the last time France had a Tour winner, La Vie Claire were the last French team to win when American rider Greg LeMond secured his first title in 1986 – with his teammate Hinault in second.

After 112 editions of the world's greatest bike race, France has garnered 36 overall wins from 21 cyclists, and remain top of the heap in that respect.

Thevenet said French teams have a problem with financing, taxes and other reasons and cannot compete directly with Pogacar's state-funded Team UAE.

But French outfit Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale have attracted a new partnership with a shipping company, which will give them a far bigger budget.

"This should level the playing field a bit," said Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.

Thevenet's great French hope Seixas is on Decathlon's books and they are priming themselves for a tilt at the top.

"Our goal is to enter the top five and then the top three worldwide and to win the Tour de France by 2030," said team boss Dominique Serieys.

Tadej Pogacar is cycling's generational great and the Slovenian has silenced any remaining doubters that the sport has found its heir to the great Eddy Merckx.

On his swaggering romp across France on his way to a fourth Tour de France title on Sunday, one could still catch glimpses of the boy desperate to beat his brother in the hills outside Ljubljana.

But now, at 26, Pogacar has learned to curb some of his gung-ho instincts, which not only lifted him to success at times, but were also behind his rare defeats.

BACK-TO-BACK POGI 🏆

Tour de France 2025 winner 💛#TDF2025
🖼️ @maximelth pic.twitter.com/2ct5BO9ga0

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025

In 2024 he won the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the world title, a feat known as cycling's Triple Crown and won only by Merckx in 1974 and Stephen Roche in 1987.

Pogacar's dominance of the current scene is without doubt, but the kangaroo courts of social media are asking another question, one that will forever dog cycling -- is he for real?

Pogacar, a proven combative all-rounder capable of taking on mountain climbs as easily as flat sprints, has never tested positive at any time in his career.

"I'm a good boy from a good family, taking no short cuts in life," he told AFP.

He does indeed appear to be surrounded by a good family, a school teacher mother and a furniture designer father who live in the same village in the hills outside the Slovenian capital where he grew up.

He shares a home with his fiance and fellow cyclist Urska Zigart in Monaco when their programmes allow, while his firm friend and off-season traing partner cyclist Michael Matthews of Australia is a near neighbour.

"He hasn't changed, he's such a humble guy. He just wants to have fun and enjoy his riding," Matthews said.

Pogacar is credited with having recreated that family spirit at his Team UAE, with whom he signed a 54-million-dollar six-year contract last November, according to Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

'NO PRETENCES'

Teammate Pavel Sivakov told AFP that Pogacar was easy to deal with and a constantly positive personality.

"He's always super relaxed and easy to work with. Mentally he's always focused on the positives. We know he's always going to deliver whatever he can. He's humble and good for the atmosphere in the team," said Sivakov.

While most agree there is something boyish about Pogacar, there are signs he has grown up.

"This is my sixth Tour de France now, I miss the white jersey," he told reporters, referring to the jersey worn by the best-placed rider aged 26 and under.

In taking on his great rival, the two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, Pogacar has galvanised his team and forced them to control the peloton, leading to accusations of arrogance.

"There's a difference between arrogance and trying to win a Tour de France," retorted the man who psyches himself up by listening to Slovenian rapper Drill.

He still rides a bike with a sticker of the Incredible Hulk on it, joking: "He's the one you shouldn't make angry."

Fellow Slovenian Matej Mohoric, himself a junior world champion and elite rider for the Bahrain Victorious team, said this week that Pogacar was a true great.

"He was born with a machine inside him, and he was born with the brain to use that machine," Mohoric said.

There will always be doubters, but during his victorious charge across France, Pogacar was already scanning the horizon for the next win.

"Unlike a lot of cyclists I haven't booked any holidays, so maybe I'll race the Vuelta," he said of the Spanish Tour, which starts on August 23.

He will also be in the Rwandan capital Kigali in September to defend the world road race title.

Tadej Pogacar completed a supreme performance to win the Tour de France in a rainy Paris on Sunday, crushing his rivals to collect a fourth title.

Wout van Aert triumphed in the final-day cliffhanger around Montmartre, but Pogacar was spared any late challenge to his overall lead when the weather forced organisers to neutralise times to avoid accidents on the slippery cobbled roads.

However, Pogacar more than played his part in a thrilling finale before Belgian rider Van Aert pulled away on the last climb.

🔥 Take a bow 🔥

🔥 MONSIEUR @WoutvanAert 🔥#TDF2025 | @Continental_fr pic.twitter.com/dkM8cwXhIk

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025

"I was really happy they neutralised the times of the GC (general classification)," Pogacar said. "Then it was more relaxed to race and you just had to have good legs to be in front. I tried but hats off to Wout, he was incredibly strong. It was a really nice race."

The Slovenian has now won the Tour four times in six years and finished runner-up twice.

💚💛🤍⚪🔴#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/2hrRZGHB6u

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025

"It's six years in a row on the podium and this one feels especially amazing," he said.

Second-placed Jonas Vingegaard was unable to contend with Pogacar, but the winner paid tribute to the Dane.

"I spoke to Jonas today. We've been racing each other for five years now and we have raised each other to a higher level," he said.

Despite the rain, tens of thousands of spectators packed Montmartre to follow Pogacar's progress through the narrow streets of the popular tourist spot.

He played to the delighted crowds by racing to the head of the peloton near the Moulin Rouge cabaret at the foot of the climb before Van Aert produced a well-timed attack to drop Pogacar and charge to the finish line on the Champs-Elysees avenue.

Pogacar was fourth on the day but after wins in 2020, 2021 and 2024, he again proved untouchable in the world's greatest bike race.

Honouring the 💛 jersey and putting on a show 🥵 #TDF2025

These are the faces of an unforgettable stage 21 at @LeTour 📸🇫🇷 #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/foHaJd3rvM

— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) July 27, 2025

Vingegaard, the champion in 2022 and 2023, suffered two shocking off-days and ended second overall, 4min 24sec adrift.

"I had some of my worst days here and some of the best," he said after the race, adding he would turn his attention to the Tour of Spain.

"I'll have a week off now, and then start training for the Vuelta," he said.

Breakout German star Florian Lipowitz, 24, took third on his debut, rounding out the podium a distant 11 minutes off the pace in third.

TURNING THE SCREW

Defending his title, Pogacar embarked from the start in Lille as clear favourite and won four stages along the way.

In the first week, he struck on rolling runs in the north and west at Rouen and the Mur de Bretagne.

He then turned the screw on the slopes of the Pyrenees in week two with his rivals as good as vanquished.

Vingegaard suffered on the stage-five time trial, and again in the second week at the Hautacam mountain, leaving the Dane in shock as his form abandoned him.

In need of a massive turn around in the Alps, Pogacar adopted mature tactics and sat on his rival's wheel.

After it was all over, a beaming Pogacar said he could finally relax.

"Everybody has different ideas about how to celebrate. I want some peace and beautiful weather, enjoying some quiet days at home," he said.

EMERGING STARS

A barnstorming first week of the Tour revealed a raft of emerging stars.

Lipowitz was given a run for his money for third place by 22-year-old Scot Oscar Onley, whose steady ride propelled him to fourth overall.

The pair came first and second a minute adrift in the white jersey battle for the best under-26 rider, raising hopes of a new Tour rivalry in the making.

Ireland's Ben Healy bagged a stage win and a two-day stint in the yellow jersey.

Adding a heroic near-miss on Mont Ventoux was enough to earn Healy the prize for combativity, voted for by the public.

The return of one-time guru Dave Brailsford from his role at Manchester United to Ineos Grenadiers was overshadowed by the team's Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna falling early on stage one. He was withdrawn due to concussion.

Having previously masterminded seven overall Tour de France wins, Brailsford dug in and the team's Dutch climber Thymen Arensman pulled off heists in the Pyrenees and the Alps to win two stages.

France's sole and unexpected stage win came on the lunar-like summit of Mont Ventoux when Valentin Paret-Peintre won an enthralling war of attrition with Healy.

The 2025 Tour though will be remembered for Pogacar's all-round dominance.

🏆🏆🏆🏆

4x Tour de France winner, @TamauPogi 🇫🇷

Thanks for the show, champion 💛 #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/idJHQnCf5G

— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) July 27, 2025

STAGE 21 RESULTS

1. Wout van Aert (BEL) Team Visma - Lease a Bike 3:07:30

2. Davide Ballerini (ITA) XDS Astana Team "

3. Matej Mohoric (SLO) Bahrain Victorious "

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - XRG "

5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Team Visma - Lease a Bike "

6. Matteo Trentin (ITA) Tudor Pro Cycling Team "

7. Arnaud De Lie (BEL) Lotto "

8. Kévin Vauquelin (FRA) Arkéa - B&B Hotels "

9. Mike Teunissen (NED) XDS Astana Team "

10. Dylan Teuns (BEL) Cofidis "

11. Kaden Groves (AUS) Alpecin - Deceuninck "

12. Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN) Team Picnic PostNL "

13. Biniam Girmay (ERI) Intermarché - Wanty "

14. Alex Aranburu (ESP) Cofidis "

15. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education - EasyPost "

16. Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR) Uno-X Mobility "

17. Valentin Paret-Peintre (FRA) Soudal  Quick-Step "

18. Clément Russo (FRA) Groupama - FDJ "

19. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Tudor Pro Cycling Team "

20. Axel Laurance (FRA) INEOS Grenadiers "

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - XRG 76:00:32

2. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Visma - Lease a Bike +4:24

3. Florian Lipowitz (GER) Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe +11:00

4. Oscar Onley (GBR) Team Picnic PostNL +12:12

5. Felix Gall (AUT) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team +17:12

6. Tobias Johannessen (NOR) Uno-X Mobility +20:14

7. Kévin Vauquelin (FRA) Arkéa - B&B Hotels +22:35

8. Primož Roglic (SLO) Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe +25:30

9. Ben Healy (IRL) EF Education - EasyPost +28:02

10. Jordan Jegat (FRA) TotalEnergies +32:42

 

The final stage of the Tour de France saw its competitive element largely neutralised on Sunday after organisers decided to freeze the times with about 50 kilometres left due to hazardous road conditions.

---

Live Tracker | Watch LIVE on DStv

---

Following a pre-stage check, officials identified several sections of the course as dangerously slippery. The stage goes up the cobbled roads of the Butte Montmartre three times.

"After a reconnaissance carried out before the stage, and after noting that certain sections had slippery road conditions, it was decided, in agreement with the president of the commissaires' panel, that the times would be frozen at kilometre 82, that is, on the 4th crossing of the finish line," organisers said in a statement.

"A stage classification will be established, but it will not affect the general classification."

The overall standings will therefore remain unchanged, preserving the yellow jersey leader's position.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar will, however, still need to cross the finish line to be declared winner of the race.

Spanish rider Mavi Garcia won the second stage of the women's Tour de France on Sunday as Mauritius' Kim Le Court finished the day in the race leader's yellow jersey.

The 41-year-old Garcia, of the Liv-AlUla-Jayco team, attacked with 10km to go and it paid off as she crossed the line three seconds ahead of the chasing peloton.

🇪🇸 Mavi Garcia left alone with 10K to go - exactly at the right time 🏆
Relive the last K ⏮️

🇪🇸 Mavi Garcia est partie seule à 10km de l’arrivée - exactement au bon moment 🏆
Revivez le dernier kilomètre ⏮️#TDFF2025 #WatchTheFemmes | @GreenEDGEteam pic.twitter.com/9HBWsKaVe8

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2025

Le Court took over atop the overall standings from Marianne Vos, who won Saturday's opening stage.

Dutch sprinter Charlotte Kool, who won the opening two stages of last year's Tour, was a late withdrawal from the peloton, which now counts 152 riders.

The Picnic-PostNL rider, who finished 7:40 off Vos' pace on Saturday, fell in competition last week and after consulting her team's medical staff opted to withdraw.

Kool's withdrawal was the second of the Tour following that of Swiss rider Marlen Reusser (Movistar), who had been expected to push for the podium but who was sick.

💛 Top 10 after 2 stages 💛

💛 Le Top 10 après 2 étapes 💛#TDFF2025 | #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/GDxg90iH0W

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 27, 2025

Monday's third stage is a flat 163.5km ride from La Gacilly to Angers.

The women's Tour features nine stages, culminating in a mountain ascent for a summit finish in the ski resort of Chatel on 3 August.

Tadej Pogacar leads the Tour de France into Paris later Sunday on the cusp of a fourth title after a dominant 21-day romp over the peaks and plains of France.

---

Live Tracker | Watch LIVE on DStv

---

The final day normally culminates with a parade into the French capital and a sprint on the famed Champs-Elysees avenue.

But for the first time organisers are sending the race through the narrow cobbled lanes of the north Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre, in a nod to the route used to much fanfare for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The detour could well provoke a long-range attack and champion-in-waiting Pogacar said he may target the stage win from there.

"We'll see what happens and how the legs are," the Slovenian said after Saturday's stage.

🥹 An emotional win for Kaden Groves! Congrats!

🥹 Victoire pleine d'émotion pour Kaden Groves ! Bravo !#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/UQxV1HqkiH

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2025

The 21st and final stage, a 132km ride from Mantes-la-Ville to the Champs-Elysees, features three ascents of Montmartre where droves of fans are expected to crown a vintage edition of the sport's most prestigious cycling stage race.

Barring a final-day fall, the top three places on this Tour were fixed on two ascents to Alpine ski resorts, where Pogacar shook off any final resistance from Danish rival Jonas Vingegaard, who put up a brave challenge before fading to second for Team Visma.

But this Tour has not just been about the rivalry between Pogacar, a Tour winner in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and Vingegaard, victor in 2022 and 2023.

EMERGING STARS

A barnstorming first week of racing unveiled a raft of emerging stars.

Florian Lipowitz, 24, sits in third place to put Germany back on the map as Red Bull's arrival in the world of professional cycling immediately impacted the Tour.

Lipowitz was given a run for his money by 22-year-old Scot Oscar Onley, whose steady ride propelled him to fourth overall. Five of his Picnic–PostNL teammates hail from the same youth team.

 

🔴 Follow live from Mantes-la-Ville the presentation and the start of the final stage of the #TDF2025!

🔴 Suivez en direct de @Mantes_la_Ville la présentation et le départ de la dernière étape du #TDF2025 ! https://t.co/vEUu4xj2GU

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 27, 2025

 

Ireland's Ben Healy bagged a stage win and a two-day stint in the yellow jersey.

Adding a heroic near miss on Mont Ventoux was enough to earn Healy the publicly voted-for prize for combativity, awarded just ahead of the start Sunday.

The return of Dave Brailsford from Manchester United to Ineos Grenadiers was overshadowed by Italian powerhouse Filippo Ganna falling early on stage one and being withdrawn due to concussion.

Having previously masterminded seven Tour de France wins, Brailsford dug in and the team's Dutch climber Thymen Arensman pulled off heists in the Pyrenees and the Alps with well-executed attacks.

Another Dutch rider, Mathieu van der Poel, lit up the first week, sealing a stage two win and twice wearing the yellow jersey.

France's sole and unexpected stage win came on the lunar-like summit of Mont Ventoux thanks to Valentin Paret-Peintre.

The 2025 Tour, however, will be remembered mainly for Pogacar's all-round dominance.

He won stages on rolling runs in the north and west at Rouen and the Mur de Bretagne in the first week, then on the mountain slopes of the Pyrenees on the Hautacam and Peyragudes in week two.

As the Tour entered its end game Pogacar unexpectedly switched his attacking default setting to nurse his lead through the Alps.

Vingegaard had two off days, first on a long time trial and secondly at the Hautacam slog. It was enough for Pogacar to assert himself and never look back.

Dutch rider Marianne Vos claimed a jaw-dropping 258th career victory when she prevailed in the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes, a 78.8-km hilly ride from Vannes to Plumelec on Saturday.

The three-time road world champion, 38, prevailed at the top of the Cote de Cadoudal (1.7km at 6.2%) after her Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand Prevot cracked in the final metres to finish third behind Kim Le Court of Mauritius.

A win for 🇫🇷 PFP?
No, the first victory and the first Yellow Jersey is for Marianne Vos! Relive the last kilometer of stage 1 🔝💛

Une victoire de 🇫🇷 PFP ?
À la fin c'est Marianne Vos qui s'impose et qui prend le premier Maillot Jaune de ce Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025… pic.twitter.com/JbOwPqSpHN

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 26, 2025

While Ferrand Prevot could not convert, she showed impressive strength when she attacked 700 metres from the line, a move that underlined the mountain biking Olympic champion's title credentials.

Vos, who will wear the yellow jersey in Sunday's second stage, surged past in the final 50 metres and raised her arm in celebration, just like Ferrand-Prevot.

🗣️ "It's really special. It’s the TDFF, it's the first day you can’t really describe what it means. As bonus to take the yellow jersey.. I'm really thankful for the team and especially for Pauline on the final climb." - 🇳🇱 @marianne_vos

Interview with stage 1 winner, 🇳🇱… pic.twitter.com/C8DORW20gv

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 26, 2025

After a dozen riders were involved in a crash as the peloton rolled towards the start of the stage, Maud Rijnbeek and Laura Tomasi formed the day's breakaway.

Rijnbeek went solo after 23 kilometres before Tomasi was swallowed by the peloton.

Swiss rider Marlen Reusser was involved in another crash at the foot of the Cote de Cadoudal, a 1.7-km ascent at 6.2%.

Reusser, who finished second in the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta, later abandoned with stomach problems, her Movistar team said.

Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, who beat Demi Vollering by just four seconds last year, finished fourth in the same time as the winner.

Vollering was fifth, three seconds behind.

TOP 🔟💛#TDFF2025 | #WatchTheFemmes | @MaillotjauneLCL pic.twitter.com/YyGhSptobn

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 26, 2025

Tadej Pogacar all but sealed his fourth Tour de France title on Saturday after surviving what he claims is one of the most brutal Tours he has ridden, leaving only Sunday's ride into Paris between him and another triumph in the world's greatest race.

 

---

Live Tracker | Watch LIVE on DStv

---

The defending champion leads Jonas Vingegaard by 4:24 in the general classification heading into Stage 21, which will feature a spectacular finale with three climbs of the Butte Montmartre in the French capital — a twist on the traditional Champs-Elysees parade.

“Every year we say it’s the hardest Tour ever, but I know that this year’s Tour was something on another level,” Pogacar told reporters after finishing Saturday's 20th stage in the main bunch.

“Maybe one day we went a bit easier, but if you look at the power files throughout the whole Tour, it’s been really amazing and tough. Even today we almost went all out from start to finish.”

The 26-year-old, who previously won the race in 2020, 2021 and last year, said the gruelling route had tested the peloton to its limits.

“I must say that even though it was the hardest, one of the hardest Tours I ever did, I enjoyed it and had good shape and good legs. Really looking forward to the last day tomorrow,” Pogacar, who has won 10 stages in the last two Tours, added.

After crossing the line on the penultimate stage, Pogacar, who on Friday said he was counting down the kilometres to Paris, hinted at a quick return to his bike despite three punishing weeks on the road.

"Monday, I travel home, Tuesday maybe I go on the bike. You never know — if I feel good, I do a bit of riding, stop for coffee and enjoy summer at home," he said with a smile.

Asked about a possible appearance at the Vuelta a Espana later this year, which could further cement his place among cycling's greatest in case of victory, Pogacar remained non-committal.

"We will decide a couple of days after the Tour, after everything is calm. Then we can make decisions for the next races," he said.

"I think it's going to be tough to decide. Of course, I would like to go to the Vuelta. Every year I do the Tour and I would like to do the Vuelta one day also, yeah, we will see."

World champion Pogacar has won the Tour three times, achieved a rare Giro-Tour double last year, and has already claimed victory in three of the five Monuments - the most prestigious one-day races - prompting comparisons with Belgian all-time great Eddy Merckx.

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar was left standing on the cusp of a fourth Tour de France title as Alpecin rider Kaden Groves won Saturday's stage 20 after a long-range escape that saw the Australian finish well ahead of the big guns.

---

Live Tracker | Watch LIVE on DStv

---

Runaway overall race leader Pogacar maintained his lead over Jonas Vingegaard ahead of Sunday's 21st and final stage in Paris.

🥹 An emotional win for Kaden Groves! Congrats!

🥹 Victoire pleine d'émotion pour Kaden Groves ! Bravo !#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/UQxV1HqkiH

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2025

The Team UAE rider has a 4min 24sec advantage heading into what could be a tricky finale, a 132km ride from Mantes-la-Ville to the Champs-Elysees, but featuring three ascents of the cobbled streets of Montmartre.

A fourth title now looms for Pogacar who said after a dominant ride across the peaks and plains of France he felt he's won.

"It's starting to sink in," said the 26-year-old, who previously won the sport's most prestigious cycling stage race in 2020, 2021 and 2024.

"Tomorrow, all being well, I'll be celebrating with my team," added a weary Pogacar.

"This has been another level of hard, all the way. I enjoyed it though and I'm really looking forward to the last day tomorrow."

FIFTH STAGE TILT

Pogacar refused to rule out a tilt at a fifth stage win if he could escape up the climbs to Montmartre.

"We'll see how we feel and how the others act, maybe we'll try something in Montmartre."

The champion-in-waiting was left shaking his head after almost getting taken down in a fall 500m from the line on Saturday as lashing rain made the roads hazardous on the run in to Pontarlier.

This was a third stage win for Alpecin after Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel took the two opening wins.

"They gave me a free role in the final days," Groves said after both Philipsen and Van der Poel pulled out.

"I'm going to enjoy this one and celebrate with my team and enjoy the Champs tomorrow."

🗣️ "I always get asked 'Am I good enough to win in the Tour?' and now I showed them... I'm going to enjoy this one. I'm gonna celebrate with my team tonight and I'm gonna enjoy the Champs tomorrow." - 🇦🇺 Kaden Groves

🗣️ "On me demande toujours si je suis assez bon pour gagner… pic.twitter.com/yiS3SIPzGr

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2025

Just 158 riders crossed the rolling hills at the foot of the Jura and many looked haggard after the fast racing in the Alps.

So along the Swiss border, most of the peloton seemed happy to let an escape get a 7min lead after an exhausting slog that started July 5.

Pogacar has dominated the 2025 Tour winning stages on rolling runs in the north and west at Rouen and the Mur de Bretagne in the first week, then on the mountain slopes of the Pyrenees on the Hautacam and Peyragudes in week two.

As the Tour entered its end game Pogacar unexpectedly sat tight to protect his lead through the Alps rather go on his trademark all out attacks.

Vingegaard, the 2022 and 2023 Tour champion, had two off days, first on a time trial and secondly at Hautacam, leaving Pogacar to surge into a lead he never looked like surrendering.

Pogacar said he'd be back on the bike by Tuesday.

"I travel home on Monday. On Tuesday I'll be going out for a ride with friends, stop somewhere for a coffee and start enjoying the summer, I've earned it."

Pogacar will be back in competitive action in September at Kigali, Rwanda, in defence of his world title.

STAGE 20 RESULTS

1. Kaden Groves (AUS) Alpecin - Deceuninck 4:06:09

2. Frank van den Broek (NED) Team Picnic PostNL +54

3. Pascal Eenkhoorn (NED) Soudal Quick-Step +59

4. Simone Velasco (ITA) XDS Astana Team +1:04

5. Romain Grégoire (FRA) Groupama - FDJ "

6. Jake Stewart (GBR) Israel - Premier Tech "

7. Jordan Jegat (FRA) TotalEnergies "

8. Tim Wellens (BEL) UAE Team Emirates - XRG "

9. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Team Visma - Lease a Bike "

10. Harry Sweeny (AUS) EF Education - EasyPost "

11. Matteo Trentin (ITA) Tudor Pro Cycling Team +2:01

12. Ewen Costiou (FRA) Arkéa - B&B Hotels +3:45

13. Davide Ballerini (ITA) XDS Astana Team +7:04

14. Mike Teunissen (NED) XDS Astana Team "

15. Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR) Uno-X Mobility "

16. Anthony Turgis (FRA) TotalEnergies "

17. Louis Barré (FRA) Intermarché - Wanty "

18. Xandro Meurisse (BEL) Alpecin - Deceuninck "

19. Thomas Gachignard (FRA) TotalEnergies "

20. Mathis Le Berre (FRA) Arkéa - B&B Hotels "

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - XRG 73:54:59

2. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Visma - Lease a Bike +4:24

3. Florian Lipowitz (GER) Red Bull - BORA - +11:09

hansgrohe

4. Oscar Onley (GBR) Team Picnic PostNL +12:12

5. Felix Gall (AUT) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale +17:12

Team

6. Tobias Johannessen (NOR) Uno-X Mobility +20:14

7. Kévin Vauquelin (FRA) Arkéa - B&B Hotels +22:35

8. Primož Roglic (SLO) Red Bull - BORA - +25:30

hansgrohe

9. Ben Healy (IRL) EF Education - EasyPost +28:02

10. Jordan Jegat (FRA) TotalEnergies +32:27

 

Such is Tadej Pogacar’s domination on the Tour de France that what began as a frantic chase for stage wins has morphed into a racing masterclass - a reigning champion pulling the strings on his way to a fourth title.

 

---

Live Tracker | Watch LIVE on DStv

---

Since the Slovenian declared he would not grant any freebies after he won four of the opening 13 stages, he has not crossed the line first and Friday's final mountain trek showed that he might have changed his mind along the way.

The UAE Emirates-XRG rider was just content with setting the pace in the final climb of Friday's 19th stage, a short yet brutal Alpine trek to La Plagne, letting Thymen Arensman celebrate a second victory this year after the Dutchman battled solo on the steep slopes through episodes of heavy rain in sub-10 degrees Celsius temperatures.

The contrast with Pogacar's almost effortless style on the last mountain day was striking as the three-time champion controlled chief rival Jonas Vingegaard, who appeared resigned to defeat.

"It started to be very long, especially with the weather today. I just want to go on the (team) bus and go take a hot shower, Pogacar told reporters.

"I tried (to attack once) as soon as (the) Decathlon (team) stopped with their hard pace. It was too early and nobody contributed to the chase of Arensman. So I just kept the pace and I was counting down the kilometres to Paris.

"I just set the pace that I felt comfortable with and if somebody would attack from my wheel, then I could still accelerate."

ULTIMATE LUXURY

He did not need to and did not bother to either in the finale, where any move by the 26-year-old would have obliterated Arensman's chances.

The same quiet authority was on display on Thursday on the Col de la Loze: no fireworks, just total control as he let Australian Ben O'Connor ride to the stage win.

Pogacar leads the Danish rider by 4:24 and only a major incident would see him not win the race for the fourth time after his 2020, 2021 and 2024 triumphs.

Pogacar is now unlikely to be bothered by Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike team, with the biggest scare over the last couple of days being when he bumped into the rear of one of their team cars.

Saturday's stage is hilly but does not provide any major difficulty for the overall leaders. Sunday's stage to Paris, while it features three ascents of the Butte Montmartre, will not be tough enough to shake up the general classification.

Asked if he was bored - having been sitting on a cushion of over four minutes since Stage 13 - as the race approaches the end, Pogacar said: "I’m obviously tired. It hasn’t been an easy Tour. People have been attacking me from left, right and centre.

"From day one to the end, I’ve had to stay focused and motivated. The main priority was always the yellow jersey.

"Sometimes, all you can do is keep counting down the distance to the finish line. That’s how it is."

For most riders, counting down the kilometres to the finish line on the Champs Elysees is an act of survival. For Pogacar, it’s the ultimate luxury.