Vollering triumphs to take her second Tour de France Femme

 

Surely Dutchwoman Demi Vollering was a worthy winner of the Tour de France Femme in Nice on Sunday, despite accusations of blocking by her team made by the disposed race leader, Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma .

This was Vollering’s second Tour victory. She won overall by the clear margin of one minute and 18 seconds from Niewiadoma who had no answer to Vollering’s attack on the final climb on the final stage taking in four ascents of the Col d’Eze around Nice.

The accusations came the day before, after the penultimate stage when Vollering’s team mate Celia Gery is alleged by Niewiadoma to have blocked her as Gery’s team leader attacked to ride clear and take Niewaidoma’s yellow jersey.

Nothing like controversy to enliven the day, although the race was lively enough without it.

Gery denied it, Vollering supported her. There was no official reaction reported, so that left a bitter taste in the mouth.  But during the early part of Sunday’s final stage, I read that Vollering took Niewaidoma to task about being too quick to make her accusation. They had a frank talk, cleared the air and reconciled matters.  

Let’s face it, riders do get blocked in during road races as the pack shifts about. Clearly teams might – probably do - try to exploit that. It’s all part of road racing and for most part it’s up to individuals to make sure they don’t become compromised. A tap on a hip or nudge is usually all that’s needed to move around the peloton’s swirling vortex. 

But to deliberately block someone, that’s a serious accusation.

That was the only dark side to nine days of gripping racing.

None better than Friday’s superb  “Queen” stage to the that iconic summit of Mount Ventoux, the Giant of Provence, where Niewiadoma’s attack to take the yellow jersey distanced Vollering and the then race leader Marlen Reusser, winner of the previous days’ time trial.

Ah, the Ventoux, rising without respite to 1910 metres above sea level, the road uniquely tops the very summit, rolling over the hump dominated by the huge tower.

 It is considered by many to be the hardest of climbs on hot windy days when the sun’s heat is reflected off the white stones of its stark lunar-like landscape – a punishing environment both physically and mentally.

I was pleased that the shots from the helicopter tracking Niewiadoma’s epic ascent included a glimpse of the memorial to Tom Simpson at the road side just below summit.  In the tragic 1967 Tour, Simpson died after collapsing at that spot.

In 1997 I was part of a small group riding the Ventoux to mark the 30^th anniversary of that terrible day, in the company of Tom’s daughter Joanne who was only a small child back in ’67.

She had determined to take the Simpson name to the top of the Ventoux, to complete the ride for her dad. And so she did. It was a tough ride, an honour to take part, albeit at a much slower pace than the pros!

 

The dynamic long distance solo epic by Sigrid Haugset

 

This from Associated Press, POLIGNY, France.
Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femme , 157 kilometres from Geneva to Poligny in France.
 Sigrid Haugset set off on a long solo run and kept going to the finish to win the third stage of the Women’s Tour de France and claim the yellow jersey on Monday.
The Norwegian made her break with more than half of the tough 156.5-kilometer (97.2-mile) route between Geneva and Poligny to go.
The stage featured four categorized climbs and Haugset made her move with 85 kilometres left, at the foot of the category 2 Col de la Savine.
Haugset was also first across the last listed climb of the day, the category 4 Côte de Chaux-Champagny, followed by Lotte Kopecky about 30 seconds behind, and a 9-rider group more than two minutes adrift.
Previous yellow-jersey holder Lorena Wiebes – who won the first two stages – was 13 minutes behind with the main bunch at the time and must have known she would not be wearing on Tuesday. She ultimately finished more than 20 minutes adrift of Haugset and dropped to 67th in the general classification.
 
The amazing lone ride by Haugset in which she took the yellow jersey for a day, to lead fancied riders K. Le Court Piennar and Demi Vollering was road racing at its best.
Let’s look at it in a little more detail.
Gusty headwinds, four categorized climbs amounting to a total 2,413 metres gain,  plus the heat wave. Such were the conditions Norwegian national champion Sigrid Haugset overcame  in her brave long solo attack of 88 kilometres at an average speed of 38.173kph for the 157km stage.
 
Just as these conditions worked for her, they worked against the chasing pack which failed to bring her back.
Only Belgian star Lotte Kopecky, a multi world champion and classics winner,  gave chase alone, but she, too,  failed spectacularly to reach Haugset. , The race should have been aware of the Norwegian champion’s capabilities for a long slog,  of her ability  and strength to carve a fast smooth path over the cols and into the wind,.
This was a classic example of how the varied dynamics of road racing can work for and against.. We perhaps have got used to lone breaks being reeled in when the big bunch decides time is up, as if this is to be expected.
This happened to German Riejanne Markus on stage two, after her brave 39-kilometre lone escape. She was swallowed by the pack 500 metres from the line, as race leader Lorena Wiebes soared past to win the stage.
That’s the same Wiebes who lost 20 minutes and the yellow jersey to Hauget in the epic ride recalled here.
Normally, we expect to see a bunch when it starts to ride  take back a breakaway at the rate of  about 10 seconds per kilometre.
Not this one, not in these conditions.
For Hauget kept up a punishing pace, rock steady, riding up and over the cols into a gusty wind under a burning sun with temperatures in the upper 30s.
We later learned that she and her Uno-X Mobility tea, planned this stage, knowing it would suit her.
After only 12 kilometres into the race they climbed the Col de la Faucille, an 11.4-km ascent averaging 6.3 per cent, the most demanding section of the course.
Hauget escaped at the foot of the Col de la Savine at about half-distance, and sparked an immediate response from Lotte Kopecky (past three times winner of the points classification) but her chase over remaining 85 kilometres would come to naught.
The peloton  meanwhile was as usual divided in its response, the General Classification riders perhaps not so interested in putting up the fight necessary to bring her back – she was not seen as threat for the final podium places.
As for the sprint teams who wanted a sprint finish, they would hope for help in bringing her back and that was not forthcoming..
They will have weighed  how much energy such a commitment in that wind would demand  - maybe too much if later stages had  more to offer.
It was left to a group of nine  to take up the pursuit of Kopecky who was in pursuit of Haugset and neither would succeed.  
The race favourites finally came alive from behind with 25 to go when K Le Court Piennar got away, causing consternation among the other top riders Kaisa Niewiadoma and Demi Vollering and defending Tour champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, the French favourite.
They regrouped and apparently decided to call it a day, save themselves for the following days’ time trial.
Kopecky however, was still going strong and had clawed the Norwegian back to within 10 seconds when her strength finally deserted her in that head wind in those closing kilometres.   She was empty, she said, and fell back, losing nearly a minute and a half.
Haugset  beat the windy and the heat and the whole field and never let up until she had crossed the line.
Once the emotional celebrations at the team bus had calmed down, Haugset's DS and performance director gave their insights into the team’s biggest win yet.
"We just said to stay focused, keep it cool, eat, drink, focus on a good line, and don't give up," Uno-X DS Nicolas Marche said at the finish, explaining what the team car was telling Haugset as Kopecky came within 10 seconds of her.
Last word to Haugset.
“It’s unbelievable. I thought Kopecky would catch me and well, second would be good. I never thought it would  be possible. But my team car kept pushing me. I had to give it my all.  I was dizzy at the end, which is why I couldn’t lift my arms of the handlebars.”
She might  not have believed the win was possible. But her team knew what was capable of.  Why else would they take her to do recon rides over the course earlier in the  year?
 
 
 
 
 

Pogacar joins elite group of five times Tour winners

 

Oh, no!

“It’s all over now”

(Apologies to the Rolling Stones)

It’s all over and our days will seem empty for a while.

On Sunday in Paris Slovenia’s World Champion Tadej Pogacar joined that exclusive club of GREATS, by taking a record equalling fifth victory of the Tour de France on the Champs Elysees. (2020, 21; 2024, 25; 2026).

His name now stands beside the other immortals; Jacques Anquetil (1957, 1961-64); Eddy Merckx (1969 – 72, 74); Bernard Hinault (1978-79, 1981-82, 1985), and Miguel Indurain (1991 – 95); the latter winning five in a row.

Ssh, don’t mention the now invisible man, Lance something or other, who at the beginning of the Millennium apparently “won” seven (1999 – 2005.

However, his results were declared null and void following his admittance that he had taken the banned drug EPO for all of them!

That was a huge and entertaining conspiracy, the world’s greatest sporting fraud which Le Tour felt compelled to airbrush out of history, or try to.

If you go to his house this man might show you the seven yellow jerseys all framed and hanging like trophies on the wall. Unless he has taken them down. Doubt it.

A famously dark chapter in sporting history.

We move on.

And so to the 2026 edition of the Tour which reached a fitting and most stunning climax after three weeks of intense action dominated by Pogacar, the most remarkable athlete the sport has seen.

His penchant for long breakaways is unequalled, a man who this year won five stages and smashed records for fastest ever ascents of the Tourmalet in the Pyrenees and L’Alpe D’Huez in the Alps.

At one point on this final burst around Paris, Pogacar and Mathieu

 van der Poel were joined by points winner Mads Pedersen and second overall Remco Evenpoele, but they were reeled in.

In a thrilling finale the stage was won by Holland’s Van der Poel after he and Pogacar had electrified the tens of thousands of spectators with another breakaway over the narrow climb of Montmartre.

Pogacar was dropped in the final kilometres as the field closed and the amazing Van der Poel buried himself to hold off the charge by inches. Clearly, Pog couldn’t be seen to be outsprinted on the line! Didn’t need to spoil his day.

This was after all, a shortened stage, and everybody still had legs which made lone escapes nigh on impossible, especially as the early kilometres in Paris were neutralised because light rain had made the roads slippery.  Also, the total length was cut to about 80-odd kilometres, to release police officers for far more urgent tasks, to assist at wild fires near Paris. So for the first time the final stage started on the Champs Elysees as well as finishing there.  The finale had all the excitement of a high speed criterium.

Pogacar won the Tour in the overall time of 73 hours 56 minutes and 26 seconds. Belgian Evenpoele was second at 6-26, and Mexican Isaac Del Torro (Pogocar’s     UAE teammate), third at 9-42, winner of the best young rider competition.

Finally, no mention in the written press today of that story (all over news feeds on the  internet last week) concerning a new energy drink boasting huge recuperative powers  and used exclusively by Pog and UAE. It was stressed it was not considered to be doping. But had it given them an edge, do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POGACAR AND UAE POWERED BY NEW ENERGY DRINK

 

This story broke recently but I’ve only just caught up with it.

World Road Champion Tadej Pogacar and his UAE Team Emirates XRG team have had exclusive use of a new nutritional drink which it is claimed will dramatically enhance performance and recovery as riders approach the most demanding part of the race.

The story (see link) Pogacar’s new Tour fuel sounds like doping - but it is not banned - Lentedesportiva

is all over the internet news feeds.

Yet I’ve yet to see it included in any reports of the Tour de France Pogacar is on course to win for a record-equalling fifth time on Sunday.

And it is not illegal. It is not considered doping.

But does it explain why Pogacar, acknowledged as a supremely talented athlete, can so often ride everyone off his wheel and win when he chooses too?

Is it this drink I saw him copiously pouring down his throat on Friday’s stage, moments before he attacked?

The drink is made by Enervit and is said to be a powdered mix containing sodium lactacte. When mixed with water it aims to provide extra fuel providing immediate effect.

 

Meanwhile, back on the road.

We have been enthralled by two of the most dramatic stages of Le Tour, stages 19 and 20 over the steepest alpine roads, both taking in the feared ascent of L’Alpe d'Huez.

Pogacar wiped out the opposition to win stage 19 and take his first win at L’Alpe d'Huez..

It was mid stage when Pogacar and he UAE Team Emirates-XRG team began to dismantle the seven minutes plus lead established by a 40-plus breakaway group.

The most active of that group was Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) the USA's Sepp Kuss of Visa-Lease-a-Bike and  Carapaz of EF Education. All of them looked set to battle for victory as they began Alpe d'Huez's legendary twisting ribbons of tarmac lined by tens of thousands of mad fans running into the road.

But Pogacar killed that idea, when he  launched himself in pursuit at the foot of the 21-hairpin climb, beating the Italian legend, the late Marco Pantani’s record for the ascent, with a time of 35 minutes 27 seconds, dodging fans and sweeping past everyone ahead of him.

When he caught his team mate Adam Yates, who had been riding as a “satellite” in that lead group, Yates immediately took up the pace-making for a couple of kilometres, to allow Pogacar some respite before going on alone.

Pogacar finished six seconds ahead of France's Lenny Martinez of Bahrain-Victorious, with Ecuador's in-form Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost, who won Thursday's stage to Orcieres Merlette, third a further three seconds behind.

That increased Pogacar’s overall advantage to seven minutes 11 seconds ahead of  Belgium's Remco Evenpoele of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.  Pogacar's Mexican team-mate Isaac del Toro remained  third and in the white young riders' classification leader's jersey - nine minutes 42 seconds down.

On stage 20,  won by Ricard Carapaz, Pogacar instead of challenging for the win paced and encouraged his Mexican team-mate Del Torro to make sure Del Torro conceded no time to France’s revelation, the 19-year-old  Paul Seixas lying one place behind overall, fourth.

This was the “Queen Stage” which had an extra 2000 metres of climbing – including the highest, the Col du Galibier before the field again climbed the dreaded Alpe. Most expected Pogacar to go for back to back wins.

It didn’t turn out like that, as Carapaz took a deserved and thrilling victory after the leader on the road the American
Sepp Kuss fell on a bend in the closing kilometres.

And so to the grand finale, Paris.

Did Pogocar gift stage 15 to Evenpoele?

 

LOT of chat on Facebook prompted by a former pro poking fun at journalists claiming they failed to see that Tadej Pogacar gifted stage 15 to Remco Evenpoele on the eve of the rest day.

Well, did he?

Now I will always bow to former pros that have far greater insight and knowledge to us mere scribes, understand the body language of those we watch on the small screen. I always look forward to their commentary which brings the race alive and explains so much.

A lot was made of Evenpoele ‘s victory because it was his first road stage win in the Tour, to add to his two time trial wins, which became three after his emphatic TT win on stage 16 the day after the rest day.

I must admit it hadn’t occurred to me that Pogacar might allow  Evenpoele the win. 

 Did he?

I do recall Pogacar once saying Evenpoele was one of the few riders he feared most if it came down to a sprint, that he wouldn’t be happy if the Belgian joined him on one of his lone breaks.

What was clear was that Pogacar was doing all he could to set the stage up for his UAE teammate, the Mexican Isaac del Torro, who was lying third overall and would take over  the young rider competition that day.
But Del Torro who attacked at least twice failed to get away in the last kilometre or so.  

When Evenpoele did attack in last 100 metres or so, Pog closed up and tailed him, made an effort to get past, didn’t, and gave best.

Looking back on it, it is clear Pog wouldn’t want to go full out for fear or taking Evenpoele with him and risk further distancing Del Torro from the Belgian he clearly needs to overtake on GC, for second place on the podium in Paris.

But did Pog gift the Belgian the stage?  Maybe numbers on his power metre said.  No. Don’t make that extra big effort today, son. Save it for the really big mountains later in the week? We like to think he can attack when he wants to.

But can he?

Stage 16 time trial, Evian toThonon-les-Bains, 26km.

Remco Evenpoele was the clear winner of t his exciting test after the rest day.  which saw riders exceed 100kph on the long tortuous downhill to the finish.

Evenpoele clocked 32 minutes 19 seconds, with Pogacar second at 28 seconds and M. Skjelmose of Denmark third at 1-04,

Britain’s Josh Tarling was 10^th at 2-02.

No change to the top three overall placings: 1, Pogacar, 2, Evenpoele at 4-32; 3, Del Torro. at 6-51.

 

 

 

Tour takes Rest Day Breather

     `

PHEW…rest day breather on Tour following  three momentous days  as Vingegaard abandons.

 

On Friday’s stage 13 from Dole to Belfort via the one big climb of the day, the Ballon d’Alsace, Britain’s Tom Pidcock soared up the general classification to fourth overall.

Swiss star Mauro Schmidt won this 205-kilometre stage, as both he and Pidcock (who was third) joined a big break of lowly placed men allowed to go clear by race leader Tadej Pogacar and his UAE team.

 

Saturday, stage 14. was a very tough stage over four categorised climbs in the Vosges Mountains, 155km to Le Markstein Fellering, crossing the Ballon d’Alsace again.

 Pidock loses all that he gained and drops to 8^th overall at nine minutes as Pogacar reasserted himself to take his fourth stage win of this year’s Tour.

 

Sunday, stage 15, from Champagole to Plateau de Solaison, 184km.

The race dynamic is completely changed as bad luck strikes

second overall Jonas Vingegaard who abandons with a broken collarbone.   The Dane crashed when he hit a kerb coming out of roundabout with 20km to go.

More shocks in store on the hardest finishing climb so far, as the Belgian Remco Evenepoel deals out a rare defeat to Pogacar, leading out and outsprinting the Tour champion on the line. It was the Belgian’s first road stage victory in the Tour, after two time trial successes.

 

 

Here’s little more detail.  On stage 14 not even a brave escape by Tobias Halland Johannesasen and GC contender Richard Carapaz would be allowed to disturb Pogacar. His team swept them up as they paved the way for stage win number four for Pog as Pidcock lost all the gains made the day before.

Enormous crowds cheered him on, but they were there, too, for young French hope Paul Seixas.

Vingegaard’s show of strength at the head of the Pog train which brought the breakaway to heel was all for nothing, as he was immediately distanced when Pop took off with about 8km to go.

 

In the press room writers are asking is Pog’s domination becoming tiresome?

Is he killing the competition?

 

If his power data is to believed…no one else has an engine that comes close. No one else can make such huge demands of his body time after time; defy the pain of lactose acid in muscles that surely cannot take much more.

 

 He’s in a formula one car, the rest are driving family saloons.

 

If there is a key to understanding how this powerhouse works, it must be in longer periods of rest he takes between his targeted events. We know he rides fewer events than most, and targets particular races to win. In-between times he folds his wings and hangs upside down in his mountain lair, like Batman.

 

And so to stage 15 marred by Vingegaard's crash which saw Pogacar's main rival abandon with a broken collarbone.

There is a collective sigh relief as Evenpoele snatches the stage win from Pog in a rare defeat for the Slovenian.  For Evenepoel is one of the few riders Pogacar knows can beat him in a sprint – given half a chance.

 

The top three on the rest day as follows.

Pogacar; 55 hours, 41 minutes, 31 seconds: 2, Evenepoel at 5 minutes; 3, del Toro at 5 minutes 6 seconds.

 

The Tour resumes with the stage 6 time trial on Tuesday, with Evenepoel favourite to win.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pidcock catapults into the top four

 

NICE ONE, Tom Pidcock, for leaping up six places to fourth overall in the general classification on stage 13 of the Tour on Friday. Pidcock finished third on the stage behind stage winner Mauro Schmid.

If Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) wasn’t already on race leader Tadej Pogacar’s radar, he is now.

He well remembers how Pidcock almost pipped him for victory the opening
Spring Classic in March, Milan – San Remo.

And he will recall how Pidcock became the youngest winner, the first Olympic mountain bike champion and the first cyclocross world champion, to win on legendary 21-hairpin climb of Alpe d’Huez in the 2022 Tour. That year saw Vingegaard win the Tour for the first time, with Pogacar second.

At last, the British press have some home interest in the Tour, to make room amongst the football, tennis, golf and cricket which has consumed them so far this July.

The demanding stage 13 of 205.8km from Dole to Belfort was over the category one Ballon d’Alsace climb with 30km to go.

Schmid of Jayco-Alula and several others including Pidcock got away from the large leading breakaway group which was running some 8 minutes ahead of Pogacar and his GC rival in the main field.

They had let the big group go – no one in it seen as a threat. Until now.

Pidcock, 26, is now four minutes and 15 seconds behind yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Lying second is  Vingegaard - three minutes and 36 seconds down overall - and third is Belgium's Remco Evenepoel, four mins 6 sec off lead: with Pidcock on his shoulder in fourth.

Pidcock has got aboard the GC train just in time, as fireworks are expected in the Alps.