Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic is taking nothing for granted despite holding a comfortable lead in the Tour de France on Wednesday with four competitive stages left.
The Jumbo-Visma rider is in complete control of the race after extending his overall lead to 57 seconds over compatriot Tadej Pogacar, with one mountain stage and a partly uphill time trial to come.
The 21-year-old Pogacar had been the most explosive rider, but in Wednesday’s grueling 17th mountain stage ending at the top of the Col de la Loze, the UAE Team Emirates rider was on the back foot.
Photo: AFP
Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez prevailed 2,304m above sea level, beating Roglic by 15 seconds and Pogacar by 30 to move up to third place overall, 1:26 off the pace.
“I don’t think the job is done,” Roglic told reporters. “There are still some hard stages to come and Tadej Pogacar is a great climber. I felt really good on the climb, but you can’t compare these last 4km to 5km to anything else. I’m glad this stage is behind us.”
As the road rose up to 25 percent at times, Roglic still could count on teammate Sepp Kiss to attack and test his rivals’ legs, while Pogacar and Lopez were on their own.
“Sepp Kiss and I talked during the climb and we decided that he could go and try to win the stage, as he could always drop back and help me,” Roglic, 30, said.
“The others tried to chase him back and it helped me realize many guys around me were struggling,” Roglic added. “Sepp’s attack pointed me when to attack myself. On this climb, every meter counts. Having his help was really good. Again, it has been a very big performance from him and the team.”
Pogacar and Lopez needed to take chances in yesterday’s 18th stage to La Roche sur Foron, featuring a demanding climb to the Plateau des Glieres, so that Roglic would be left in a comfortable position.
“The gap is never big enough,” the Slovenian said. “You know, when you have something, you always want more. But I was happy with the position I was in before the stage, and now I’m even happier.”
Pogacar vowed to fight on.
“It’s not finished yet, tomorrow is a really hard stage and anything can happen. I can win, I can stay second — it’s gonna be a great fight,” Pogacar added.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS