Pogačar crashes as Abrahamsen wins
Stage 11 of Tour de France after 155-kilometer breakaway
[July 17, 2025]
TOULOUSE, France (AP) — Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogačar
crashed near the finish while Norwegian rider Jonas Abrahamsen won
the 11th stage on Wednesday.
Pogačar, the three-time champion, crashed with 3.9 kilometers
remaining after hitting the wheel of Tobias Johannessen in front.
His rivals for the general classification slowed down so he could
get back on his bike and rejoin them. Pogačar, who was able to
reattach the chain on his otherwise undamaged bike, thanked them for
waiting.
“All good, all good,” Pogačar said over the UAE Team Emirates XRG
radio. “Respect to the peloton, respect to everybody.”
Johannessen apologized as he felt responsible.
“I think the whole peloton moved to the right and I just followed
the movement of Matteo Jorgenson and some other guys. I think
Pogačar was on the radio so we just bumped into each other and I
think it’s something that happens,” Johannessen said. “But I really
didn’t want him to crash and I don’t think any other guy in the
peloton wants Pogačar to go down. We just stopped and waited in the
group straight away and I hope he’s fine.”
Abrahamsen, who attacked from the start, beat Swiss rider Mauro
Schmid in a photo finish.
A pro-Palestinian protester did not distract either rider as they
sprinted for the finish, racing each other at the end after they'd
worked together to stay ahead of Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel's
late push to catch them.
It was Abrahamsen’s first stage win at the Tour and the first in
this race for his team, Uno-X Mobility.
The Norwegian rider wasn't sure he'd even be racing at the Tour when
he broke his collarbone in a crash at the Tour of Belgium last
month.
“I was crying in the hospital because I (thought) I was not riding
Tour de France,” the 29-year-old Abrahamsen said. “But the day after
I was on the home trainer and hope I can go to Tour de France and
every day I did everything I could to come back and here I’m
standing in Tour de France, to win a stage is amazing.”
Van der Poel dropped his head and slouched on his bike as he
finished 7 seconds behind in third, while the GC group including
Pogačar and yellow jersey-holder Ben Healy finished 3:28 back.
Healy, only the fourth Irish rider ever to hold the yellow jersey,
still leads by 29 seconds from Pogačar.
[to top of second column] |
A fan holds a flag of Norway during the eleventh stage of the Tour
de France cycling race over 156.8 kilometers (97.4 miles) with start
and finish in Toulouse, France, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab
Elshamy)
After the first rest day on Tuesday, Wednesday’s
stage was a 156.8-kilometer loop from Toulouse back to the southern
“Pink City” with views of the Pyrenees. It was expected to suit the
sprinters, though there was a sting in the tail with a 20% incline
on the Côte de Pech David before the finish.
Abrahamsen struck with 155 kilometers to go and was joined by Schmid
and Davide Ballerini, prompting persistent attacks from the likes of
Van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Victor Campenaerts. Ultimately all
their efforts were in vain.
“It’s a crazy stage, guys,” the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team
riders were told over their radios, “A crazy stage. Stay focused.”
Vingegaard's chance
The Tour starts tackling the Pyrenees on Stage 12, a 180.6-kilometer
hike from Auch to Hautacam, with the final 45 kilometers sure to be
a grueling challenge — first at the Col du Soulor, a 11.9-kilometer
climb with a 7.3% incline, before an even steeper incline at Col des
Bordčres. The stage ends with a 13.6-kilometer climb to Hautacam,
the resort overlooking Lourdes, with an average gradient of 7.8%.
It could suit Jonas Vingegaard, who in 2022 increased his lead over
Pogacar at Hautacam on his way to his first Tour victory. Vingegaard
is fourth in the GC rankings, 1:46 behind Healy.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
