Thanks for joining us today! That’s the Queen stage done with, but there’s plenty more climbing still to come - tomorrow’s stage remains in the Alps, and features another 4,550m all crammed into just 130km. We’ll be 🌄back with all the action from start, for what promises to be an intense day of racing, with plenty still to fight for and GC changes on the cards.

Here's our report of the stage today, where you can read a summary of what was an action-packed day - it seems an age ago since Primož Roglič attacked on the first climb.

Tour de France stage 18: Ben O'Connor sails up Col de la Loze for solo victory while Tadej Pogačar drops rivals with second at summit

When you consider the peril Onley was in earꦯlier, after he was dropped and in a group well bဣehind on the Madeleine, that’s some turnaround.

While there ultimately wasn’t much action in the fight for first place today, there certainly was in the battle for third. Florian Lipowitz's ploy of attacking up the road early ultimately seemed to backfire, as he ran out of legs on the final🌞 climb and lost a packet of time.

Oscar Onley is, as a result, now just 22 seconds behind Lipowitz - as many seconds as Onley is years old.⛦ With another day in the mountains to come tomorrow, h༒e’ll try to find a way to gain that time and take third-place.

After his annus mirabilis of 2024, O’Connor had endured a difficult start♌ to this season - but that’s a♏ll forgotten now with such a major stage win.

This is O’Connor’s second Tour de France stage win follow🎶ing his success four years ago at Tignes. That was a huge solo victory of over five minutes, but, given the competition he was up against today, and the difficulty of that final climb, this might be an even greater feat.

Once again, Pogačar looked untouchable. While he isn’t in the insatiable mood he was earlier in the race, this time letting the break take the stage win and leaving it late to attack Vingegaard, he’s still increased his overall advantage on GC to 4:26.

After all the work from Visma-Lease a Bike during the stage, and all the talk from Vingegaard about wanting to attack the yellow jersey, it was a bit underwhelming to see the Dane put just one attack in on the final climb. He looked spent by the end, and told a post-stage interview that he does not believe h🍃e’s ever done a harder stage at the Tour.

Vauquelin arrives home. He looks set to swap places with Gall ▨on GC, who will leapfrog him into 6th.

Here’s Lipowitz, finis൩hing at 3:38. He’ll hold off Onley for third overall, plus the white jersey, by about 20 seconds.

Lipowitz still hasn't finished - his third place on 🃏GC is under t🦄hreat.

They boꦿth cruelly passed Rubio at the line, who must settle for 5th, 🎀then Gall arrives home for 6th.

Vingeg✤aard is third at 1:55, and Onley fourth at 1:59.

Pogačar finishes 2nd, 1:46 after O'Connor.

He’s caught an🍸d passed Rubio and is now 2nd on🦋 the road.

Pogačar accelerates, and drops Onley...and now drops Vingegaard!

Ben O'Connor takes the victory, with a ride of great power, boldness and oppor🌳t💜unism.

O'CONNOR WINS

Vingegaard is trying to press on but struggling.

O'Connor ꦐis nearing the finis𒀰h - the stage win is to be his!

In fact,𝐆 even Onley has managed to follow Vingegaard.

Here's the move, Vingegaard goes...but fails to drop Pogačar.

VINGEGAARD ATTACKS

Gall has now been dropped.

It’s surprising that Vinge💜gaard hasn’t launched an attack yet. After a🐟ll the work he did on the previous climb, we were anticipating an attempted killer blow on this mountain. Perhaps he doesn't have the legs?

Both Roglič and Gall were again briefly dropped, but are hanging in there.

Further ahead, O'Connor is looking set for▨ the stage win. With 2km to go, he leads the yellow jer💞sey group by 2:50.

Roglič fights his way back to the group.

Roglič has now lost the wheel. What had looked set to be a great day for Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe is unravelling.

Lipowitz is 30 seconds behind. He only has a 2:01 advantage over Onley on GC - his podi⛎um place is in dan꧟ger.

Gall claws his way back.

Now Gall loses the wheel.

As has Kuss.

Johannessen has been dropped.

Adam Yates has just 7 riders left on his wheel - Pogačar, Vingegaard, Onley, Roglič, Gall, Johannessen and Kuss.

Lipowitz is dropped.

Adam 🎀Yates ꦅtakes over from Narváez, as the peloton near the steep sector.

The climb's just got a lot harder for O'Connor, who's arrived at the steep, narrower stretch of road 5km from the top෴. He's greeted by huge crowds.

We’re still waiting for an attack in the yellow jersey group. Narváez is continuing to set a steady pace for teammate Tadej Pogačar.

The weather&rsqu🌄o;s taken a turn for the worse at the finish, where it’s grey and raining. It’s OK further down the mountain, where the riders currently are.

Since falling out of GC contention early on, O'Connor has been trying over and over again to claim a stage win. Could this be the day he suc🔯ceeds?

Lipowitz is caught.

Lipowitz ෴is soon to be caught by the peloton. Having looked set to be the day's big winner, he might end up being the big loser if he's spat out of the peloton after the catch is made.

O'Connor is over a minute up on Rubio, and 2:55 ahead of Lipowitz. You sense the only people who can catch him now are Pogačar and Vingegaard, who remain in the peloton 3:20 behind.

10KM TO GO

The peloton is down to just Narváez, Adam Yates, Pogačar, Vingegaard, Kuss, Onley, Gall, Johannessen - and Roglič, who has just rejoined.

Narváez's pace is already thinning the group out, with Roglič dropped, along with Vauquelin.

Yates has finished, but it's not Kuss who takes over - 𓆏rather♛, it's UAE, with Jhonatan Narváez.

O'Connor, still at the front of the race, 50🎶 seconds ahead of Rubio, 2:30 ahead of Lipowitz 𝓰and 3:30 ahead of the peloton.

It remains Simon Yates leading the peloton. You suspec🧜t the pace will increase as soon🃏 as Sepp Kuss eventually takes over.

O'Connor's looking great. He's 40 seconds ahead of Rubio now, and over three minutes༺ ahead of the peloton and growing. Hﷺe's in with a shout for the stage win...

Jorgenson has been brought back by the peloton, but has nothing left to give, and slips straight🐷 out of the ba♊ck.

O'Connor is 20 secಌonds ahead of Rubio, 2 minutes ahead of Lipowitz, 🌳and 3 minutes ahead of the peloton.

15KM TO GO

O'Connor has 15 seconds on Ruibo.

O'Connor has dꦑrop🌺ped Rubio with an acceleration - he's making a move for the stage win, just under 16km from the finish.

O'CONNOR ATTACKS

The scene from high up the Col de la Loze.

Lipowitz has dropped Jorgenson.

O’Connor and Rubio are extending their advantage o꧋ver Lipowitz and Jorgenson. They’re 1:35 ahead of them, and 3:10 ahead of the peloton.

O'Connor and Rubio, th𒀰e two riders at the front of the race.

Jegat has now been dropped.

Jegat is the 1🌜4th and last rider in the peloton, struggling to hang on.

Th☂ere are 14 riders in the peloton, being led by Simon Yates.

Rubio and O'Connor lead Lipowit🌺z by 1:15,🌊 and the yellow jersey group by 3:15.

20KM TO GO

Lipowitz has caught Jorgenson, and the American is sitting𒈔 on his wheel.

Lipowitz isn’t making any inroads on Rubio and O’Connor, though, who are still 1:10 ahead. This duo can start dreaming of a stage win - notwithstanding a charge from Pogačar and Vingegaard later on this mountain.

Lipowitz is the day's big winner as things stand, 🌸still over two minutes ahead of the peloton and with his podium place looking very secure.

Incide꧃ntally, Ben Healy is the only rider in the top ten not 🧸in the peloton, meaning his ninth place on GC is under threat from Jegat.

Simon Yates is the Vism🀅a rider leading the peloto൩n, with Kuss on his wheel, and Vingegaard on his.

Soler is done, and Visma take over. They're going to try once again to break Tadej Pogačar.

There are just under 20 riders now in the peloton, still beiꦚng led by Soler.

Jorgenson has been dropped by the other two leaders - perhaps he’s out of legs, or perhaps he’s sitting up to help Vingไegaard.

The regrouping of the peloton means both Vingegaard and Pogačar have reinforcements - Kuss and Simon Yates for the former, Soler, Narváez and Adam Yates for the latter. Soler leads the peloton for now.

Lipowitz still has about 2 minutes to make up on Vingegaard to take him over in second on ౠthe virtual GC, and yoไu imagine the gap will start coming down soon now they’re climbing.

So all the GC riders are together ܫaga🅰in, apart from Lipowitz, who’s almost three minutes ahead as Picnic-PostNL lead the peloton onto the mountain.

The Onley / Vauquelin chase group has caught the yellow jersey group. We now have a peloton agaཧin!

Lipowitz starts the climb a minute behind the leaders, and with a head sta⛄rt of about 2:30 over the yellow jersey group.

It climbs at 6.5% for 26.4km, and with many fluctuations in that gradient, with some horrible gradients. It even broke Tadej Pogačar two years ago - who will be its victims this time?

The leading trio have started the Col de la Loze - thought by many to be the hardest mou🃏ntain of this whole Tour de France.

COL DE LA LOZE

Gall attacks again, but is again shut down, as Roglič closes it down - doing his Red Bull teammate Lipowitz a favour.

Further behind, Vauquelin is rallying. He&r🌠squo;s now back to the Onley group, which is almost back to within 1:45 of the y🌞ellow jersey group.

Gall keeps trying to attack out of the yel﷽low jersey group, not able to go clear.

Jorgenson, O'Connor 🎀and Rubio lead Lipowitz by just over a minute, and the yellow jersey group by abou༒t 2:15. It's stalemate in the latter.

30KM TO GO

There&rs♊quo;s no cha✅se at all for Lipowitz - he’s now over a minute ahead!

Lipowitz is 🐭over 20 seconds up the road from the yellow jersey group, but still 1:20 behind the leaders.

Nobody wants to take responsibity 𝔉for chasing Lipowitz. This is a good move from the German.

Now Lipowitz attacks! He’s got a gap, too.

Roglič is taking a turn at the front now, but it’s far from a committed one. The gap continues to grow, to 1:30.

Gall is the rider who's doing the pace-setting in the chase group, but he doesn't look happy about i🧔t. This in an awkward part of the race to have to put your nose to the wind - it's a length valley section, leading to the start of the final climb.

Jorgenson, O'Connor and Rubio have grown their leaꦚd to a 🐻minute. If it keeps growing at this rate, the stage win could come into play.

The leading trio are 45 seconds ahead of😼 the yellow jersey group, with the Onley group 3 minutes down and the Vaqueli𓆉n group at 4:30.

40KM TO GO

Gall is tryinღg to attack now. All this is bad news for him, as he stood to rise on GC.

They have indeed caught them, and ♛the pace remai🍬ns completely off.

All this is good news for Li♔powitz - he’s set to rejoin the yellow jersey group.

That trio already has 20 seconds on the others.

Jorgenson and Rubio have gone with O'Connor.

O’Connor has taꦰken advantage of the slowdown and atta☂cked.

Visma aren’t ๊happy in the front group. Their two riders are trying to get other riders to hel the pace-setting.

Further behind, Onley is 2:55 behind, and Vauqulin is at 4:30. These are huge gaps already, and𒈔 are only going to get bigger on the Col de la Loze.

Since catching up to A🀅rensman, Lipowitz's defeci💜t has remained at about 40 seconds to the leaders.

Lipowi🔥tz is regroupin🐽g and starting to make up ground again. He’s now 40 seconds behind the leaders, and will now have a companion as he’s just caught Arensman.

50KM TO GO

Lipowitz has now fallen to over a mꦇinute behind. He's having a hard time on 🦩this descent.

Here are the new KOM rankings. Pog is bearing down o൲n Martinez.

1 Martinez 80

2 Pogačar 75

3 Arensman 65

4 Vingegaard 65

5 Woods 38

Jorgenson is setting a fast pace on this descent. It' not an attack, but he's putting Pogačar (and the others) under pressure.

Lipowitz is losing ground on the descent, now 🉐50 seconds behind the leaders. The Onley group is holding its own though, at ꦐ2:12.

60KM TO GO

Here was Vingegaard attacking Pogačar on the Madeleine. He didn’t succeed in dropping him, but is looking up for the fight.

Now the Onley group, which also features Johannessen, reaches the top, just over 2 minutes behind the leaders. The Scott has alrea🏅dy fallen to 5th on the virtual GC, and has 3:46 of🅘 a buffer on Gall, who is still in that lead group.

Lipowitz reaches the top about 30 seconds beind the leaders. His third-place on GC is safe for now, but could come under threat from his teammate Roglič.

Vingegaard comes through to ensure he gets the maximum points at the summit of the Madeleine, and Pogačar comes through for second. That's bad news for all of the climbers who were targeting the polka-dot jersey.

KOM - COL DE LA MADELEINE

Jorgenson still leads with just 1km left to climb. It doesn't look like another attack is coming from Vingegaard on this climb - all it would likely achieve nওow is to drop his teammate.

Jorgenson still leads the front group, and is s♔tarting to drop riders - Arensman is being distanced, putting into peril his hopes for the polka-dot jersey.

Lipowitz is 35 seconds behind, Onley 1:15.

70KM TO GO

Onley is isolated, and having to lead a chase group that's 40 seconds behind𝔉 L💟ipowitz all by himself.

Lipowitz is already 30 seconds behind the lead group featuring the yellow jersey, Vingegaard, and his Red Bull teammate Roglič.

This seems early for Vingegaard to have caught Jorgenson - surely he would have wanted his teammate for the vallไey road ahead, after the descent?

Vingegaard and the yellow jersey have already made it up to the front group. Jorgenson is here for Vingegaard, and🐎 is setting the pace.

That move was made 72km from the finish. Vigegaard is living up to his word and giving this a real go today,🎐 with lots of road still to come.

Pogačar has his mouth open, but not as wide as on the Ventoux.

Vingegard goes! But Pogačar follows.

VINGEGAARD ATTACKS

Lipowitz is only just managing to stay with Kuss, Pogačar and Vingegaard.

Ther🦩e are still over 5km left until the summit. Will Vingegaard attack before then, or leave it to Kuss to set the pace?

This is the move! Only Pogačar, Vingegaard and Lipowitz are still with Kuss.

In the peloton, Kuꦅss takes over and has accelera🎐ted.

Roglič is leading the front group, but the peloton is bearing down on them, now just 55 seconds behind.

Campanaerts i🐭🙈s finished, and now it’s Simon Yates’ turn.

Vauquelin is digging deep, but still losing ground 1:25 🎐behind the peloton. The Frenchman has managed to overtake Ben Healy, despite being dropped before him.

Wellens has been brought back into the peloton. Even if he can’t hang about to offer Pogačar an assistance, the yellow jersey still has Yates and Narváez for support.

Vauquelin is already 45 sౠeconds behind the peloton.

Primož Roglič in the break, from earlier in the day. There's now just 6 riders with him in the front group.

Ben Healy is the latest to be dropped out of the p🌊eloton. There's only about 20 riders left now.

Campanaerts takes over from Benoot, the gap now 2:12. ༒Visma are setting something up.

The rider ✨who is immediately behind Vauquelin on GC, Gall, is now leading the front group, his teammate Armirail having at last finish🐎ed his long shift.

Vauquelin's dro♓pped. His 6th place on GC is under serious threat, with such a long way still to ride.

Bad news for French fans - Kévin Vauquelin is at the back of the peloton and str꧅uggling to hold on.

Van Aert is do💮ne, having brought the leaders' advantage down to 2:40. Now Benoot takes over for Visma.

Picnic-PostNL's Warren Barguil is dropped from the peloton. He’s a key helper for Onely, who is already under attack from Red Bull, 🐷and relying instဣead on Visma and UAE to chase.

This new lead group has a 2:50 advantage over the peloton. That means Roglič has now replaced his Red Bull teammate Lipowitz in virtual third-place.

80KM TO GO

Armirail has continued to drag the 6-man chase group up to Jorgenson and Arensman, andꦛ the catch has just been made.

Here comes Visma-Lease a Bike! They’ve♑ taken over at the front and have upped the pace, with Van Aert leading.

Back in the peloton, Politt swings off, 🍷and Soler takes over the pace-setting.

The chase group is coming back to th🏅e two leaders, bringing them back to within 15 seconds.

Wellens is beind distanced from the chase group. He put a lot into his effort to attack earlier toda🍒y, and might now be paying for that effort.

Behind Jorgenson and Arensman, who still lead the race by 22 seconds, the chase group is being pulled along by Armirail, with Gall on his wheel. Also present are Roglič, Wellens, O’Connor, Rubio and Baudin.

Unfortunate news about Enric Mas has come through - the Spani🔥ard has abandoned the race. He was seen struggling earlier, dropping from the peloton early on the Gladon. A Tour that promised much when he led the race on Mont Ventou and looked poised for a stage victory has ended in disappointment.

DNF - ENRIC MAS

Martinez has also been caught, and dropped, by⭕ the peloton. He won't be getting any more KOM points today, while his rival Arensman currently leads the race with Jorgenson.

Many of those who were in the chase group have been caught b💖y the peloton, including Jegat.

How to watch stage 18 of the Tour de France

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Will Visma-Lease a Bike make a move on the Madeleine? Tadej Pogačar and his teammates will have braced themselves for the possibility of a Visma onslaught today potentially starting here.

'If Visma attack, that's OK' - UAE Team Emirates-XRG unfazed by prospect of Jonas Vingegaard launching assault on Tour de France yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar in Alps

Jorgenson and Arensman start the climb, 35 seconds ahead of the chase group featuring Roglič and Gall, and a whole 3 minutes ahead of the peloton.

COL DE LA MADELEINE

Jorgenson and Arensman managed to distance the others on the descent, and now lไead the race ahe🐻ad of the rest of the break by about 30 seconds.

The gap between the leaders and ൩the peloton continues to grow as the near the bottom of the descent and the start of the Madeleine. It’s now up to 2:50.

90KM TO GO

Mühlberger has crashed on the descent. H꧋e was back up and running straight away, but has some ground to make up to return to the front group.

Bad news now for Martinez though - he’s been dropped out of the front group on the descent. Given how much he was struggling on the last ꦉclimb, he can ill afford to start the Col de la Madeleine with a deficit if he’s to take the points he needs to defy the challengers for his polka-dot jersey.

The lead group are d💙escending quicker than the peloton. They've grown their lead to about 2:30.

100KM TO GO

Here are the new KOM 🧸classifications. Martinez recovered by the top of the climb - albeit with the help of a sticky bottle - and now sees his ཧhold on the polka-dot jersey strengthened:

1 Martinez 80

2 Arensman 63

3 Pogačar 60

4 Vingegaard 45

5 Woods 38

Leknessund is struggling on๊ the descen🌟t, and has been dropped out of the lead group.

A dodgy m💃oment on the descent in the break, as Jorgenson and García Pierna nearly come together.

As Politt leads the peloton over the Glandon, ther🅰e are still over 40 riders left in it.

UAE's Sivakov is out the back of﷽ the peloton as they near the top. Still it's Politt leads - amazing ride by the German, out-riding even one of his team's key climbing domestiques.

Mart🌠inez takes the maimu🍸m points, taking the points ahead of Arensman.

KOM - COL DU GLANDON

Martinez is still in the lead group and read🌟y to sprint for the KOM points.

Wellens has had a mechanical. He's already nearly back in the lead group thoꩵugh - clearly the Belgian is feeling fresh.

Less than 1km to𝓡 the summit.🌠 The break leads the chasers by 50 seconds, and the peloton by 1:50.

110KM TO GO

Woods is being♋ dropped out of the chase group. He's one of the men up there in the KOM classifications, who now looks like he won't be picking up any points at the summit.

Berthet has a🎉ttacked from the chase grouꩵp and gone clear.

Martinez is still just abꦰout clinging on to the front group. He has just 2km left to climb until the summit.

Armirail’s work 🏅has seen the leaders’ advantage over the peloton grow to almost two minutes, but Politt is keeping it pegged for now.

Frank van den Broek is keen to get out of the 8-man chase group in between the leaders an🎃d the peloton, and has made a few attacks, but to no avail yet🃏.

Martinez is making use of a sticky bottle with his team car behind, and now he's back with the lead group. He's pushing the limits of what he can get🍬 away ꦓwith with the commissaires!

Martinez isꦛ still just about hanging on, but he’s struggling. He’s out the saddle and keeps losing the wheel of the man in front of him.

Still Politt leads the peloton. UAE are well represented in the group, with Soler, Sivak🎃ov, Narvꦓáez and Adam Yates all present, and also have Wellens up the road.

Martinez is at the back of the lead group and struggling to hold on. This could be fatal for his King of the Mountains hopes - Arensman is just 12 points behind hi♏m, and looks much more comfortable ahead of him in th🌌e group.

Roglič, meanwhile, is already ahead of Only in fourth on the virtual GC.

Gall is only a few seconds away fro𝓀m moving ahead of Vauquelin in 6th on the virtual GC.

It’s Armirail who’s setting the pace in the lead group, for his Decathlon teammate Gall. They’re 1:15 ⛦ahead of the peloton, with various poursuivants in be🅷tween the two groups.

120KM TO GO

Politt is still in the peloton and leading it up the 𒉰climb. The pace isn’t quick, though, and the lead group is over a minute ahead, while more attacks are coming out of the peloton.

Mechanical for Sivakov in the peloton. He could have an importan🌃t role to play trying to keep a lid on things during what is already turning out to be a hard race to control for UAE.

The lead group has over 15 riders in it, and l🐻ead the peloton by 40 seconds.

Also in this group is Jorgenson, meaning Visma have a man up here for Vingegaard; and Arens🥃man𝔉, who is a threat to Martinez’s polka-dot jersey.

More riders are attacking out of the peloton to try and join this lead group, including Jorgan Jeget, who is now in the top 10 on GC following Rodríguez&rsౠquo;s abandon.

The group has now caught Wellens and Lutsenko.

There are about 10 riders in the Roglič group, including another GC threat Gall, who’s 7th overall; and the polka-dot jersey Lenny Martinez, on the hunt for more King of the Mountains points.

UAE are leading the peloton with Marc Soler. They're chasing the Roglič group, which has a few other riders in it.

Up fron, Van Aert has been dropped by Wellens and Lutsenko. You'd have thought he would have the better of🦄 Wellens on a climb like this, but instead it's advantage UAE over Visma.

Roglič is fifth on GC, 11:42 down on Pogačar, but only 2:39 off the podium.

He fo𝓰llowed a mov🐽e featuring Jorgenson, and has now attacked himself.

Very interesting move here, as Primož Roglič attacks!

It migh꧟t only average 5.1%, but ⛄there are some steep inclines along the way of the 21.7km Col du Glandon.

Gro🐲ves has now been dropped too, leacing just Van Aert,ꦑ Lutsenko and Wellens in the lead group.

The chase group featuring Arensman has been caught, but O'Connor hasn't given up yet, at꧂tacking out of it just be♚fore the catch was made.

The climb is already having an affect on the break - Ru🐭tsch has been dropped by the other four.

The front group is 🍬30 seconds ahead of the chasers, and 42 seconds ahead of the peloton on the lower slopes of the Glandon.

130KM TO GO

Now they're 'c𝄹limbing' officially. The Glandon is the first of three huge mountains to b🧸e conquered today, all of them rated category hors.

COL DU GLANDON

The riders have not officially begun the first climb of the day, the Col du Glandon, but it will feel like the🌄y have. They’ve been travelling uphill for a few kilometres, with some steep gradients already. The stage-hunting climbers are making the most of it, by getting into the break.

In between, a chase gr🔯oup has formed featuring lots of quality climbers, includin🎐g O’Connor, Arensman and Buitrago.

This group is looking good. They're working togethe💟r and lead the 𝄹peloton by 30 seconds.

Van Aert, Rutsꦡch, Groves and L✨utsenko have joined Wellens.

Lutsenko has joined the chasing Van Aert group.

Mechanical for Girmay. If he’s in pain from yesterday, this could be a difficu൲lt day for him to finish within the time cut, but he looks in OK shape at the moment.

Van Aert has been joined by Rutsch and Groves.

Wout van Aert is back on the𒁏 attack again. As a rider who could be so good in the valley✨ between the two final climbs, it could be so important for Visma to get him up the road - especially if Vingegaard has plans for an attack on the penultimate climb, the Col de la Madeleine.

Wellens is still out there, and has grown his lead over the re-formed peloton by 20 secon💟ds.

140KM TO GO

The two groups have come together again, due to the 🃏work done by Visma. They clearly weren’t happy with the ma🍰ke-up of that very large breakaway.

Riders keep firing off from the second peloton to the first peloton. The ye🍷llow jersey is towards the front of the latter, but seems happy with all the riders ahead of him - implyi🃏ng there can’t be any GC threats there.

There's a small split in the peloton with about 40 riders going clear. It's only a few sec♎onds, but the ♔two groups aren't quite coming back together again.

Here are the updated points classifications. Pogačar didn’t roll through for any points, so is now 92 points behind:

1 Milan 332

2 Pogačar 240

3 Girmay 196

4 Merlier 156

5 Turgis 154

Wellens leads the peloton by ten seconds.

They've been brought back, but W🎐ellens has gone again and leads the road alone.

UAE had the move covered w✅ith Tim Wellens, and there are four other riders with the🔜m.

Here come♔ the attacks! V🎐isma are involved, with Wout van Aert instigating it.

Milan takes the points,🌊 with Girmay 2ꦍnd. Girmay didn't really try to push the green jersey to beat him in the sprint, but must be in decent shape despite his crash.

INTERMEDIATE SPRINT

Teams are massing behind the Lidl line, but are the ones more interested in gဣoingꦅ to the inevitable attacks when it all kicks off after it, rather than the sprint itself.

2.5km away from the s🔜print, no team is challenging Lidl-Trek at the front for the lead-out. It may be that Milan is allowed to take the points uncontested, now he has such a big lead over Girmay and Merlier.

150KM TO GO

Still Lidl-Trek lead the peloton. There hasn’t been♛ a single attack, making for an eerily subdued start to the day. That’s all set to change in less than 10km, when the r🎶ace will explode into life.

Still no attacks, with the sprint 12km away.

160KM TO GO

Milan’s green jersey no longer looks under threat by any of the other sprinters. Biniam Girmay and Tim Merlier had been his main rivals, but both riders failed to score aღny points in yesterday’s finale after going down in the crash. Girmay looked especially hurt, though he’s still made it to the start today.

Tour de France stage 17 final kilometre crash ends Tim Merlier'ꦫs sprint hopes, leaves Binꦇiam Girmay in pain

This sprint gives Jonathan Milan another chance to further strengthen his hold on the green jersey. The Italian now leads Pogačar by 72 points following 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:his stage win yesterday, but there’s still so♓me fear that the Slovenian could close that gap if he dominates in the final Alpine stages, and goes for the stage win in the hilly Paris circuit. A full haul of points in this intermediate sprint could therefore be crucial.

S𒐪till no attacks. It seems there’s a tacit agreement that no attacks will be made until after this intermediate sprint.

No attacks yet, as Lidl-Trek have taken over at the front of the peloton and are setting a pace. They must have their eye on the intermediate sprint🦂, which is coming up 24km into the stage - and, crucially, before any of the climbs.

And they're off!

OFFICIAL START

It’s impossible to escape the narrative for today’s stage - Tadej Pogačar’s return to the Col de la Loze, the mountain that broke him and ended his Tour hopes in 2023, in search of redemption as he hopes to strengthen his hold on the yellow jersey this year.

His radio clip from that day, when he uttered the now-infamous words ‘I’m gone, I’m dead,” have been repeated over and over again, and do serve as a reminder that the Slovenian is human. But he’ll want us all to forget that potential vulnerability with another super-human performance on the mountain today, 𒀰and at last🎃 exorcise those demons from the past.

The riders are on the ꦏmove in Vif for the unofficial start, for what’s going to be a long, horrible day in the saddle.

Here’s the yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar at the start. He holds a healthy lead of 4:15 over Jonas Vingegaard, and that hasn’t looked threatened all week - but on a stage like today’s, and a climb like Col de la Loze, nothing is guaranteed.

The peloton is two riders down from yesterday - Cyril Barthe had abandoned, as well as Ineos’ GC leader Carlos Rodríguez. The Spaniard was beginning to look resurgent after a slow start to the Tour, and had climbed up the stand🥀ings to 10th overall, but fell hard in a crash yesterday and fractured his pelvis.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Carlos 𒁏Rodriguez abandons the Tour de Francওe

Primož Roglič also spoke briefly as he signed on. Never a man for many words, the Red Bull leader seems focused on just surviving the day.

Roglič is fifth overall and could move up to fourth, while trying to help Florian Lipowitz defend hid third place overall.

"It's the Queen stage, so for sure a big fight to getꦗ to the finish," he said.

Jonas Vi꧒ngega🀅ard was quiet but perhaps determined when he signed on.

The finish of the Tour in Paris will be an eꦰmotional moment for Geraint Thomas.

To reflect on one of the Welshman's Tour career, Cyclingnews spoke to ཧpeople that know Thomas best to look on the la🔯st 18 years, and discuss his legacy.

Read what Ste♎ve Cummings, Rod Ellingworth, Simon Yates and more had to sayജ about Thomas in this special feature celebrating his Tour career.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Click here to read to read the full feature.

Geraint Thomas just signed on in V🌊if and spoke briefly about the𝓡 day ahead and his final days of racing at the Tour.

"It꧟'s going to be a tough🐠 day, especially at this point in the race and with the bad weather too. Lets see what's in store," he said.

"It's nice," he said of his final days on the Tour as a ✱rider.

"Its been tough but I've been t🦩rying ꦕto soak it up, enjoy the racing with the guys and I hope to enjoy Paris too."

The To🌊ur appears to 🌠ended any debate about which stage is the Queen stage.

It's great to see Biniam Girmay smiling on the sign-on podium. He crashed yesterday and ♌seemed to hurt his wrist but is ready to race on in the Tour.

There is always debate abut which sta𝓀ge is the 'Queen stage' of each Tour but today's stage is🦋 special, super hard - to quote most riders, and ends on the highest point of this year's race, the Col de la Loze at 2304m.

As Alasdair Fotheringham wrote in꧒ his specia💞l preview feature "This is crunch time with a capital C in the 2025 Tour de France."

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Click here to read the full stage 18 feature.

There is an hour to the start of the st💎age but t🎶he riders are already signing on in Vif.

Bonjour et bienvenue to Cyclingnews'🌱 live coverage of stageꦏ 18 of the 2025 Tour de France !