Pogačar claims 100th career win,
beating Van der Poel in sprint on stage 4 of Tour de France
[July 09, 2025]
By JEROME PUGMIRE
Defending champion Tadej Pogačar secured the 100th professional
victory of his stellar career in typically flamboyant style, beating
Mathieu Van der Poel in a dash to the line to win the hilly fourth
stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday.
Van der Poel was the better sprinter of the two at the end of
Sunday's second stage and looked set to clinch a second win in this
year's race when he attacked about 200 meters from out and led.
But the defending Tour champion somehow found another gear to surge
past him at the line, then pumped his fists in celebration.
The 26-year-old Slovenian star wore a cap with 100 written on it
when he spoke after the stage. His long list of wins includes 18
stage wins at the Tour de France, the world road race, a multitude
of one-day classics and other stage wins at races like the Giro
d'Italia, the Paris-Nice and Critérium du Dauphiné.
“It was an amazing finale, a classic stage, the end was even more
explosive than we thought,” he said. “I’m very happy to have won the
100th victory (overall) of my career, here on the Tour de France
wearing the world champion's jersey.”
Pogačar and Van der Poel have exactly the same overall time of 16
hours, 46 minutes after four stages, and count one stage win each,
but Van der Poel kept the yellow jersey because of better finishing
positions in the other two stages.
“I would liked to have won but Tadej was the strongest today. I am
glad to keep the yellow jersey, but tomorrow will be hard,” Van der
Poel said. “I tried to launch my sprint but I just didn’t have the
legs.”
The 174-kilometer stage suited allrounders, starting from Amiens and
ending with five consecutive small climbs to the Normandy city of
Rouen.
The first of the climbs — Côte Jacques Anquetil — bore the name of a
five-time Tour champion. The Frenchman dominated cycling in the
1960s, when he also won the Giro d'Italia twice and the Spanish
Vuelta.
The peloton's pace picked up strongly heading into the last two
climbs, with speeds reaching 60 kph (37 mph). Pogačar attacked on
the last climb up Rampe Saint-Hilaire and initially dropped
archrival Jonas Vingegaard, but the two-time Tour winner responded
well and caught up.
As the frontrunners turned for home, Van der Poel was right behind
and then launched a trademark attack, like he did to win Stage 2 on
Monday by outsprinting Pogačar.
[to top of second column] |
Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar right, and Netherlands' Mathieu van der
Poel wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey sprint to the finish
line during the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over
172.2 kilometers (107 miles) with start in Amiens and finish in
Rouen, France, Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy))
But this time roles were reversed as Pogačar
claimed the 18th stage win of his Tour career.
Vingegaard finished third.
Riders enjoyed dry weather conditions after rain on Sunday and
during Monday’s crash-marred third stage — where Belgian cyclist
Jasper Philipsen, the Stage 1 winner, retired from the race after
breaking a collarbone in a heavy crash. He had successful surgery on
Monday night.
Yellow card for Coquard
French rider Bryan Coquard was shown a yellow card by the race jury
for causing Philipsen’s fall, meaning the Cofidis team rider will be
excluded altogether if he gets another yellow.
The sanction came despite Coquard not being at fault for the crash —
Coquard was himself knocked off balance by another rider — and
apologizing to Philipsen and his team.
“It’s an unjustified penalty, Bryan didn’t make any mistake, it’s an
unfortunate racing incident,” Cofidis team manager Cédric Vasseur
said. “Otherwise we give yellow cards to riders involved in all the
crashes accidentally, we give out 25 each stage and all go home
after four days.”
Wednesday's stage is quick
Stage 5 is a 33-kilometer (20.5-mile) time trial around the Normandy
city of Caen, and the overall standings could be shaken up a bit.
This year’s race is held entirely in France, with no stages held
abroad, and ends on July 27 in Paris.
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