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Roglic protects lead on final day to win Spanish Vuelta for a record-equaling 4th time
Read full article: Roglic protects lead on final day to win Spanish Vuelta for a record-equaling 4th timePrimoz Roglic has won a record-equaling fourth Spanish Vuelta title after protecting his lead in the individual time trial that closed the three-week Grand Tour race.
Groenewegen pips Van Aert to win TDF stage 3 in photo finish
Read full article: Groenewegen pips Van Aert to win TDF stage 3 in photo finishDutchman Dylan Groenewegen overtook Wout van Aert and Peter Sagan at the line to win the third stage of the Tour de France in a photo finish while Van Aert extended his overall lead.
Vive le Tour! With young winner, thrilling race defies virus
Read full article: Vive le Tour! With young winner, thrilling race defies virus(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 crushes Roglic to seal Tour de France title
Read full article: Pogacar crushes Roglic to seal Tour de France titlePogacar 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.
Andersen doubles down at Tour de France, wins Stage 19
Read full article: Andersen doubles down at Tour de France, wins Stage 19Denmark's Soren Kragh Andersen celebrates as he crosses the line to win the 19th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 166.5 kilometers between Bourg-En-Bresse and Champagole, France Friday, Sept. 3, 2020. (Marco Bertorello/Pool via AP)CHAMPAGNOLE – That's deux for Soren Kragh Andersen at the Tour de France. The Danish rider who won Stage 14 doubled down and raised his arms in victory again on Stage 19 on Friday, with another cunningly timed attack. He is 1 minute, 27 seconds off the race lead, which should put Roglic out of reach for him. But as they locked horns again on Stage 19, Andersen outsmarted them both.
Pogacar wins Stage 15 at Tour de France, Roglic retains lead
Read full article: Pogacar wins Stage 15 at Tour de France, Roglic retains leadTeam 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.
Andersen wins Stage 14 at Tour de France led by Roglic
Read full article: Andersen wins Stage 14 at Tour de France led by RoglicDenmark'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.
Martinez wins Tour de France Stage 13
Read full article: Martinez wins Tour de France Stage 13Slovenia'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)
Tour de France rookie Hirschi wins race's longest stage
Read full article: Tour de France rookie Hirschi wins race's longest stageThe pack rides during the stage 12 of the Tour de France cycling race over 218 kilometers from Chauvigny to Sarran, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)SARRAN Tour de France rookie Marc Hirschi won the longest stage with a bold solo breakaway on a previously unused sharp ascent, signaling a precious talent on Thursday. The Swiss rider powered away on the Suc au May climb, new to the 117-year-old Tour. This marked his inaugural victory at his inaugural Tour. Roglic kept the overall race lead, still 21 seconds ahead of Egan Bernal, last years winner from Colombia.
Roglic seizes Tour yellow jersey, Pogacar wins Stage 9
Read full article: Roglic seizes Tour yellow jersey, Pogacar wins Stage 9Switzerland'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 displays strength on Tour's 1st mountain stage
Read full article: Roglic displays strength on Tour's 1st mountain stageRoglic, 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.
Uncertainty shrouds Tour de France racing against COVID-19
Read full article: Uncertainty shrouds Tour de France racing against COVID-19A woman wears a face mask as she walks past a Tour de France logo, in Nice, southern France, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. The Tour de France sets off shrouded in uncertainty and riding in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and mounting infections in France. If you love the Tour, if you love the champions, wear a mask," race director Christian Prudhomme said. On top of COVID-19 concerns, riders will contend with one of the most unrelenting Tour routes in memory, with an usually high total of 29 tough climbs. ___More Tour de France coverage: https://apnews.com/TourdeFrance