TADEJ POGACAR

More than a dozen men have a chance to capture the gold medal when cycling starts at the Tokyo Games this weekend.

Pogacar won his first title last September when he became the Tour’s youngest champion in 116 years. His supremacy was such that, in addition to his overall win, he also claimed the King of the Mountains and best young rider jerseys. Pogacar’s gesture acted as a signal for those fighting for a prestigious stage win as the first accelerations took place. Even Merckx, the five-time Tour champion widely regarded as the greatest-ever winner, was impressed. But as always at the Tour de France when a competitor outclasses the field, Pogacar’s dominant ride also raised suspicions.

France Cycling Tour de France Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, passes the Arc de Triomphe during the twenty-first and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 108.4 kilometers (67.4 miles) with start in Chatou and finish on the Champs Elysees in Paris, France,Sunday, July 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) (Daniel Cole)PARIS — (AP) — Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France for a second straight year after a mostly ceremonial final stage to the Champs-Elysees on Sunday in cycling’s biggest race. The Slovenian rider with UAE Team Emirates successfully defended his huge lead of 5 minutes, 20 seconds over second-place Jonas Vingegaard. The 22-year-old Pogacar won his first title last September when he became the Tour’s youngest champion in 116 years. ___More Tour de France coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/TourdeFrance and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France for a second straight year after a mostly ceremonial final stage to the Champs-Elysees in cycling’s biggest race.

France Cycling Tour de France Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, competes during the twentieth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time-trial over 30.8 kilometers (19.1 miles) with start in Libourne and finish in Saint-Emilion, France, Saturday, July 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (Christophe Ena)SAINT-EMILION, France — (AP) — Tadej Pogacar is all but guaranteed to win a second straight Tour de France after completing the penultimate stage unscathed on Saturday. As Wout van Aert claimed the 31-kilometer (19-mile) stage from Libourne to Saint-Emilion, Pogacar played it safe and finished eighth. It was Van Aert’s second stage win this year after the versatile Belgian claimed the double ascent of the Mont Ventoux. “Winning a Tour de France time trial has been one of the biggest objectives in my career.

France Cycling Tour de France Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, competes during the twentieth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time-trial over 30.8 kilometers (19.1 miles) with start in Libourne and finish in Saint-Emilion, France, Saturday, July 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (Christophe Ena)SAINT-EMILION, France — (AP) — Tadej Pogacar is all but guaranteed to win a second straight Tour de France title after completing the penultimate stage unscathed Saturday. As Wout van Aert claimed the 30.8-kilometer (19.1-mile) stage from Libourne to Saint-Emilion, Pogacar played it safe and finished eighth. Pogacar won his first title last September when he became the Tour’s youngest champion in 116 years. ___More Tour de France coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/TourdeFrance and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Tadej Pogacar is all but guaranteed to win a second straight Tour de France after completing the penultimate stage unscathed.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (Christophe Ena)LUZ ARDIDEN, France — (AP) — After Tadej Pogacar won the final mountain stage of the Tour de France on Thursday to cement his grip on the race, the young Slovenian had four more climbs to complete. He was untouchable in the Alps — where he seized the yellow jersey — and wrapped up the demolition work in the Pyrenees. Pogacar excels in the race against the clock and won the first time trial of this year’s Tour, beating the pure specialists. After Enric Mas attacked, Pogacar countered the move and dropped Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz to claim a third stage win this year and win his second straight mountaintop finish. The Frenchman was swallowed up by the yellow jersey pack in the final climb, 9.5 kilometers from the finish.

Tadej Pogacar has won the final mountain stage of the Tour de France to cement his grip on the race.

The Bahrain Victorious team competing at the Tour de France says it was raided by French police on the eve of Thursday’s stage.

France Cycling Tour de France Sepp Kuss of the US celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 191.3 kilometers (118.9 miles) with start in Ceret and finish in Andorra-la-Vella, Andorra, Sunday, July 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (Christophe Ena)ANDORRA LA VELLA, Andorra — (AP) — American rider Sepp Kuss won the grueling 15th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday as race leader Tadej Pogacar remained on course for his second overall victory. Kuss is the first American to win a stage at cycling’s biggest race since Tyler Farrar 10 years ago. Pogacar was only questioned toward the end of the stage as Jonas Vingegaard followed Ben O’Connor’s example with two attacks. ___More AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

American rider Sepp Kuss has won the grueling 15th stage of the Tour de France while overall race leader Tadej Pogacar remained on course for his second overall victory.

(AP Photo/Daniel Cole) (Daniel Cole)QUILLAN, France — (AP) — Bauke Mollema won a hilly 14th stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, while Tadej Pogacar protected his commanding lead before the race heads into the Pyrenees. Mollema’s other Tour stage win was in 2017. Mollema set off on the windy descent through sheer gorges from the Cote de Galinagues. Defending champion Pogacar has kept the yellow jersey since he took control of the race on stage 8 in the Alps. With 2020 runner-up Primoz Roglic and other potential contenders out of the race, Pogacar has increased his lead in the general classification.

Bauke Mollema has won a hilly 14th stage of the Tour de France while Tadej Pogacar protected his commanding lead before the race heads into the Pyrenees.

(AP Photo/Daniel Cole) (Daniel Cole)LE GRAND-BORNAND, France — (AP) — Tadej Pogacar dealt a demoralizing blow to his remaining Tour de France rivals on the first day in the Alps, where the defending champion claimed the yellow jersey in Saturday’s grueling eighth stage. Pogacar strengthened his bid to retain his Tour title after proving once again to be a step above the rest on the most-demanding ascents. Pogacar finished the 150.8-kilometer (93.7-mile) trek over five mountain passes from Oyonnax to Le Grand-Bornand in fourth place, seconds behind stage winner Dylan Teuns. Wout van Aert remained in second place but fell from 30 seconds behind at the start of the stage to 1 minute, 48 seconds behind Pogacar. Carapaz finished over three minutes behind Pogacar and is now five minutes back overall in fifth.

Tadej Pogacar has dealt a demoralizing blow to his remaining Tour de France rivals on the first day in the Alps.

LE GRAND-BORNAND, France (AP) — Tadej Pogacar wagged his head and grinned, his blond hair slick from sweat and rain, his cheeks ruddy from the mountain cold and a colossal effort from smashing his remaining rivals at the Tour de France. Pogacar started the day 3 minutes, 43 seconds off the lead of Mathieu van der Poel. Five mountain passes and nearly four hours later, Van der Poel finished more than 20 minutes off the pace.

Tadej Pogacar waited until the penultimate stage to take control of the Tour de France last year. The 22-year-old UAE Team Emirates leader did not seize the yellow jersey but gained time over his main rivals. Just look at the damage: Pogacar was 44 seconds faster than last year’s runner-up, Primoz Roglic, while 2018 champion Geraint Thomas dropped 1 minute, 18 seconds.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS – In a first, the Tour de France winner wore a face mask on the podium Sunday, bright yellow to match the color of the iconic jersey so snug on his young shoulders. “Really, I was scared we wouldn't get to the end,” race director Christian Prudhomme conceded at the finish. And against the virus that doesn't care how old or young its victims are, how hopeful it seemed that the Tour's winner should come from the same generation asking itself: What is life going to be like for us? In an astounding reversal, he dethroned race leader Primoz Roglic, his countryman who had held the yellow jersey for 11 days. “Even in September, the Tour de France is magic!” Macron tweeted Saturday after Pogacar's demolition of Roglic in the time trial.

Pogacar was sensational, not only ripping the iconic race leader's yellow jersey from Roglic, but comfortably winning the time trial, too. Roglic had taken the race lead on Stage 9 and held it all the way to Saturday, Stage 20, the worst day to lose it. On Stage 7, Pogacar plummeted from third to 16th overall, when he was caught out in crosswinds. A win on Stage 9 ahead of Roglic in the Pyrenees soon followed and helped put him back in contention. While Roglic was surrounded at the Tour by powerful support riders who labored tirelessly to protect his race lead, Pogacar had no such luxuries.

Team Jumbo - Visma riders lead the pack during the stage 15 of the Tour de France cycling race over 174 kilometers (108 miles), with start in Lyon and finish in Grand Colombier, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)GRAND COLOMBIER – Tadej Pogacar won Stage 15 of the Tour de France on a brutal final climb Sunday as his fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic retained the yellow jersey. Pogacar powered past Roglic on the final sprint at the top of Grand Colombier for his second stage win. Roglic leads Pogacar by 40 seconds overall, down from 44 seconds before the stage. Last year's winner, Egan Bernal, dropped off the lead group on the long Grand Colombier climb and appeared to lose his chance of retaining the title as he dropped out of the top 10.

Denmark's Soren Kragh Andersen crosses the finish line to win the 14th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 194 kilometers (120,5 miles) with start in Clermont-Ferrand and finish in Lyon, France, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)LYON – Soren Kragh Andersen broke clear in a fast-changing finish on the roads of Lyon to win Stage 14 of the Tour de France on Saturday. Primoz Roglic, the overall leader, had a drama-free day to finish safely and keep the yellow jersey he claimed last Sunday. After two sharp climbs and several attacks in the last 10 kilometers (six miles), Andersen broke away with three kilometres (two miles) left to finish 15 seconds ahead of the chasing pack. In a stellar Tour for Slovenia, Luka Mezgec took the sprint for second and Simon Consonni was third.

Slovenia's Primoz Roglic wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey and Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar ride during the stage 13 of the Tour de France cycling race over 191 kilometers from Chatel-Guyon to Puy Mary, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Switzerland's Marc Hirschi rides during the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 153 kilometers (95 miles), with start in Pau and finish in Laruns, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)LARUNS Primoz Roglic seized the race leaders yellow jersey as debutant Marc Hirschi of Switzerland delivered an impressive 90-kilometer solo effort across four Pyrenean climbs during Sunday's frenetic Stage 9 of the Tour de France. Hirschi launched a sprint to the finish line but was not fast enough as Tadej Pogacar prevailed to win the stage ahead of Roglic. Ahead of Monday's first rest day, Roglic dethroned overnight leader Adam Yates thanks to the bonus time he amassed at the top of the final climb and on the finish line. As the battle between the top riders came alive in the monster climb, Hirschi saw his lead vanish in the thin air but fought until the very end.

Roglic, the Spanish Vuelta champion, used the race's first summit finish Tuesday in the ski resort of Orcieres-Merlette to erase any lingering doubts surrounding his form. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe managed to follow the late accelerations and kept the race leader's yellow jersey after crossing the line in fifth place. Roglic couldnt drop any of his rivals but used his power to prevail in the sprint launched by Frenchman Guillaume Martin with 500 meters left. Overall, Alaphilippe kept a four-second lead over Adam Yates of Britain, with Roglic three seconds further back. Stage 5 will take riders from Gap to Privas on a mainly flat route suited for sprinters.