Cyclist Ben O'Connor secures victory on Col de la Loze during Stage 18 of the Tour de France
Tadej Pogačar Maintains Lead in Tour de France 2025
In an exhilarating Stage 18 of the Tour de France, Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) further solidified his dominance in the race. The mountainous stage, featuring over 5,600 meters of elevation gain across three hors categorie climbs, saw Pogačar add another 11 seconds to his lead in the yellow jersey.
The stage was won by Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla), who distanced Einer Rubio (Movistar) on the final climb, Col de la Loze. This was O'Connor's second ever Tour de France stage win and his third career Tour de France stage win.
Meanwhile, Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) bridged the gap to the breakaway duo of O'Connor and Rubio. The race for positions in the final kilometers saw Pogačar eventually dropping Vingegaard. Despite Vingegaard's attack in the final few kilometers, he was unable to drop the race leader.
The final podium in Paris is now 11:01 minutes behind Pogačar, with Lipowitz in second place and Vingegaard in third. Felix Gall, Primoz Roglič, Oscar Onley, and Adam Yates were among the riders in the yellow jersey group. Onley marked Vingegaard's move, preventing any significant time gain for the Dane.
Jorgenson was part of the initial breakaway but was later dropped by the leaders. Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) set a furious pace to bring the leaders to within 55 seconds of the remnants of the peloton. Lipowitz made a surprise attack, gaining a two-minute advantage over Pogačar and Vingegaard, but was eventually caught by the leaders. O'Connor led the race solo for the final kilometers.
With three days remaining in the race, the final stage features a demanding five-mountain route, offering a last chance for any contender to challenge Pogačar's lead. However, with a sizeable time gap and Pogačar's strong performances on mountain stages, he remains the dominant rider heading into the final stages.
- Tour de France Official Website
- Cycling News
- Velonews
- Cycling Weekly
- Even with three days left in the Tour de France 2025, the sports world is abuzz with Tadej Pogačar's dominance, as he continues to maintain his lead following his impressive performances on mountain stages.
- Amidst the thrilling climbs and intense competition, sports fans can't help but marvel at the sheer skill and resilience demonstrated by riders like Ben O'Connor, who recently claimed his second Tour de France stage win.
