Tour de France 2025: solo success for Thymen Arensman at Superbagnères, retirement of Remco Evenepoel

This time, the boss didn't want a stage victory. Already a four-time winner on the roads of this 2025 Tour de France (in Rouen, Mûr-de-Bretagne, Hautacam, and Peyragudes) to build up a comfortable four-minute lead in the general classification over his runner-up, Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar offered his rivals a little respite on Saturday, July 19, during the third and final Pyrenean stage, the toughest with four 1st, 2nd, and hors-categorie climbs on the program.

Easily and calmly controlling the race throughout the day, a few minutes behind the breakaway thanks to the good work of his teammates, the Slovenian ogre only allowed himself to accelerate in the final meters to drop his Danish rival and nibble away a few extra seconds. This day, led at a trot by Pogacar, allowed another rider to shine on the slopes of the Col de Peyresourde (7.1km at an average of 8.1%) and the final climb to Luchon-Superbagnères (12.6km at 7.5%).

Dutch climber Thymen Arensman put in a stunning performance to close the Pyrenean triptych of this Tour de France. The 25-year-old Ineos rider successfully completed a superb 37-kilometer solo raid, which ended in the fog. He also secured his team's first Tour victory since Carlos Rodriguez's in Morzine in 2023.

For him, it is the fourth success of his career, the most beautiful before his stage victory in the Tour of Spain in 2022. "I can hardly believe it. Coming second at Mont-Dore (Editor's note: July 14) was already fabulous, now it's just incredible if you also consider the way in which I won. I was in the form of my life, I had great legs," he declared after having tamed this Dantesque stage with almost 5,000 m of positive elevation gain.

Present in a counter-attack group, the Dutchman first returned to a first breakaway group that included Lenny Martinez. The French climber led the way alone for a long time to take the lead over the Tourmalet and the Aspin (the first two climbs of the day) and pick up precious points for the polka dot jersey, which he will still wear on Sunday.

Arensman, who had already completed a massive solo raid in April in the Tour of the Alps, then took off over the Col de Peyresourde to seek glory in Superbagnères. Behind him, Pogacar, winner of the first two Pyrenean stages, led his UAE team at a sustained pace but did not attack himself. At the four-kilometer mark, it was finally Vingegaard who tried his luck, twice, but without worrying the Slovenian.

Fifth in the stage, German Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull - Bora) climbed onto the podium in the general classification, 7'53'' behind Pogacar, after Remco Evenepoel's withdrawal. In tears and exhausted, the Belgian actually gave up on the Tourmalet, the first climb of the day. The 25-year-old leader of the Soudal Quick-Step team, who finished on the final podium (3rd) last year, had already struggled during the first two Pyrenean stages, unable to keep up with the pace of Pogacar and Vingegaard.

The two-time reigning Olympic champion was dropped by the peloton on the first climbs of the Tourmalet, an hors catégorie climb. At one point, he was in a group about forty seconds behind the yellow jersey peloton, but Evenepoel eventually got out from under the wheel of his teammate Pascal Eenkhoorn before letting himself be dropped, somewhat annoyed by the presence of a camera motorcycle at his side. He finally dismounted and climbed into a team car 9 kilometers from the summit.

On the French side, Kevin Vauquelin (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) continues to impress. The Norman finished tenth in the stage and, after Evenepoel's retirement, climbed to fifth place in the general classification, 10:21 behind the yellow jersey. His compatriot Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), at the front of the race for much of the day and ultimately 13th in the stage, is now just outside the top 10 overall (11th, 24:18 behind), two places ahead of Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet (13th, 31:34 behind).

1. Thymen Arensman (NED/IGD) the 182.6 km in 4 h 53'35'' (average: 37.4 km/h)

2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAD) at 1'08''

3. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/TVL) 1'12''

4. Felix Gall (AUT/DAT) 1'19''

5. Florian Lipowitz (GER/RBH) 1'25''

6. Oscar Onley (GBR/DFP) 2'09''

7. Ben Healy (IRL/EFE) 2'46''

8. Primoz Roglic (SLO/RBH) 2'46''

9. Tobias Johannessen (NOR/UXT) 2'59''

10. Kevin Vauquelin (FRA/ARK) 3'08''

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAD) 50 h 40'28''

2. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/TVL) at 4'13''

3. Florian Lipowitz (GER/RBH) 7'53''

4. Oscar Onley (GBR/DFP) 9'18''

5. Kévin Vauquelin (FRA/ARK) 10'21''

6. Primoz Roglic (SLO/RBH) 10'34''

7. Felix Gall (AUT/DAT) 12'00''

8. Tobias Johannessen (NOR/UXT) 12'33''

9. Ben Healy (IRL/EFE) 18'41''

10. Carlos Rodriguez (ESP/IGD) 22'57''

After three days in the Pyrenees, the Tour de France returns to the plains for the 15th stage between Muret and Carcassonne, which is still not for sprinters but is ideal for adventurers (169 km with 2,400 meters of elevation gain). Departure from Muret at 1:20 p.m., arrival in Carcassonne at 5:18 p.m. (time calculated on an average speed of 45 km/h)

"We have a fairly classic start from Muret where there will be, I think, a big fight because there is the opportunity to go for a stage victory for the adventurers," explains Thierry Gouvenou, the Tour's race director. "On the other hand, from Revel, we will have three climbs, Saint-Ferréol, Sorèze and especially the Pas du Sant, which is 3 kilometers at an average gradient of 10%. There, normally, the sprinters explode." There will then be 40 kilometers of slight descent to reach Carcassonne where we are therefore not at all sure to find the same scenario as during the last two finishes of the Tour in the medieval city.