Pogačar powers to big Pyrenees win
to reclaim Tour de France yellow jersey
[July 18, 2025]
HAUTACAM, France (AP) — Tadej Pogačar powered to an impressive stage
win on the first day in the Pyrenees to take back the Tour de France
yellow jersey on Thursday.
On a day when many wondered if he would suffer any ill effects from
his crash the day before, Pogačar showed none and put himself in
prime position for his fourth Tour victory with a break on the
stage-ending climb to Hautacam.
He finished more than two minutes ahead of main rival Jonas
Vingegaard.
“You don’t know how the body reacts after the crash, but it was not
too bad, it was not a bad crash,” said Pogačar, the defending
champion. “I feel my hip only when I do acrobatics, but here I’m
just riding the bike.”
Hautacam is the resort overlooking Lourdes and Stage 12 must have
felt like a pilgrimage for all the riders. Ben Healy, who wore the
yellow jersey for two stages, finished well behind on a brutal day
for the Irish rider.
In 2022, Vingegaard dominated Pogačar at Hautacam on his way to his
first Tour victory. But the Danish rider is now 3½ minutes behind
his main rival in the general classification. Belgian rider Remco
Evenepoel is third, 4:45 behind Pogačar.
As if in a rush to face the grueling challenges awaiting in the
mountains, the riders sped through the first 50 kilometers in just
under an hour with the peloton chasing a large 52-man breakaway
group.
But their efforts on the narrow, twisting roads through spectacular
landscapes and stone-house villages took their toll as exhausted
riders dropped behind, one by one.
Birds of prey circled overhead as the riders suffered below.
Pogačar made his move with 11.8 kilometers remaining with help from
UAE teammate Jhonatan Narváez, who looked over his shoulder and
allowed Pogačar to accelerate past. Vingegaard initially gave chase
but couldn’t keep up with his rival, who overtook French rider Bruno
Armirail for the lead with 11 kilometers to go for his 20th stage
victory — third in this race.
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Ireland's Ben Healy crosses the finish line after losing his overall
leader's yellow jersey in the twelfth stage of the Tour de France
cycling race over 180.6 kilometers (112.2 miles) with start in Auch
and finish in Hautacam, France, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab
Elshamy)
“I was just looking forward for today. And then all
the people were all the time coming to me and saying, ‘Oh yeah, this
is the revenge time,’ and blah blah blah. And then when we
approached the bottom of the climb, it was just a reverse story of a
few years ago,” said Pogačar, a 26-year-old Slovenian.
Pogačar finished 2:10 ahead of Vingegaard, with German rider Florian
Lipowitz 2:23 off the pace in third.
Armirail, who had been leading, followed 10:46 after Pogačar. Healy
finished 13:38 off the pace.
Tributes for young Italian rider who died
Riders took time before the stage in memory of Samuele Privitera,
the 19-year-old who died after a crash while racing in Italy the day
before.
Privitera crashed in the first stage of the Tour of Valle D’Aosta.
“The risk that we are taking sometimes is too far.” Pogačar said
before racing.
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