Pogačar closes in on 4th Tour de France title, Groves wins penultimate stage

By Canadian Press on July 26, 2025.

PONTARLIER, France (AP) — Tadej Pogačar closed in on a fourth Tour de France title after safely finishing Saturday’s penultimate stage and maintaining his big lead over arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard.

Australian rider Kaden Groves won stage 20 with a late solo breakaway, while Pogačar rolled over the line about seven minutes later in the same time as Vingegaard.

The Slovenian cycling star leads the two-time Tour winner Vingegaard by 4 minutes, 24 seconds, with German rider Florian Lipowitz 11:03 behind Pogačar in third overall.

Barring a heavy crash or illness, Pogačar was expected to celebrate Sunday and move level with British rider Chris Froome on four Tour titles. Victory would also give Pogačar a fifth Grand Tour after winning the Giro d’Italia in dominant fashion last year.

However, Sunday’s final stage is not a processional one, as is usually the case, and could potentially prove somewhat problematic toward the end with three consecutive climbs.

Saturday’s stage

The 184.2-kilometer route through eastern France featured three small climbs and a moderately difficult one up Côte de Thésy before finishing in Pontarlier. But there was scant opportunity for Vinegaard to attack Pogačar.

As the riders set off Saturday in driving rain, the yellow jersey group stayed safely at the front until breakaways formed.

When the front group tackled the 3.6-kilometer Côte de Thésy, Frenchman Jordan Jegat launched a solo attack, but he was then overtaken by Australian rider Harrison Sweeny.

As rain fell heavily again with 40 kilometers, Sweeny opened up a 50-second lead, only to be reeled in shortly after.

The wet roads were treacherous at high speeds. Frenchman Romain Grégoire and Spaniard Iván Romeo crashed taking a sharp turn and slid sideways off their bikes. Both continued.

Groves surged ahead 16 kilometers out and held on for his first Tour stage win and 10th at major races. The 26-year-old has two at the Giro d’Italia and seven at the Spanish Vuelta.

Groves was 54 seconds ahead of Frank van den Broek and 59 clear of Pascal Eenkhoorn.

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The Associated Press