SLOVENIA'S POGACAR WINS TOUR DE FRANCE FOR RECORD-TYING FIFTH TIME

 

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium after winning the 113th edition of the Tour de France in Paris, France, July 26, 2026. /VCG

Tadej Pogacar claimed a record-tying fifth Tour de France title, while Mathieu van der Poel won a sensational 21st and final stage around Paris to close out the 113th edition of the race on Sunday.

Two-time world champion Pogacar joined Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain as the most successful riders in the history of cycling's most famous event.

The Slovenian had all but secured his historic title during the previous two mountain stages that finished on the iconic Alpe d'Huez.

Pogacar, who won five stages, had held the overall leader's yellow jersey since topping the sixth stage in the Pyrenees during the race's first week. With 26 stage victories in his career, he now ranks fourth on the all-time list behind Mark Cavendish (35), Merckx (34) and Hinault (28).

The 27-year-old also surpassed both Indurain and Chris Froome for total days spent in the yellow jersey with 70, and now trails only Hinault (75) and Merckx (96).

Pogacar is the youngest rider to win five Tours, and is more than a year younger than Merckx was when he achieved the same feat. He is also the first competitor to finish on the podium seven times in a row.

His ninth consecutive Grand Tour podium marked another historic first.

The UAE Team Emirates XRG cyclist appeared to relish his part in a stunning final stage, which was shortened to 88.7 kilometers due to wildfires in southwest France.

Van der Poel and Pogacar pulled away together on the final climb up Montmartre with 10 kilometers remaining, before fighting to the finish with a group of chasing sprinters closing in.

As Pogacar's strength sapped in the last 700 meters, and with the pack just seconds behind, Dutch rider Van der Poel went at it alone.

The cobbled classics specialist held on to win by a length of just half-a-wheel, in a photo finish alongside Alpecin Premier Tech teammate Jasper Philipsen of Belgium, while Denmark's Mads Pedersen took third place.

Source(s): AFP

- CGTN

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BRUISED AND BLOODIIED POGACBAR WINS STRADE BIANCHE

Tadej Pogacar, of Slovenia, celebrates winning 19th edition of the Strade Bianche (White Roads), a 213 km (132-mile) one-day race route through Tuscany in Siena, Italy, on Saturday. AP

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar won the Strade Bianche on Saturday for the third time in his career, after recovering from a fall 50km from the finish.

Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG topped the podium by 1min 24sec ahead of Briton Tom Pidcock, with Belgium’s Tim Wellens a further 48sec adrift.

After victory in the Tuscan one-day race in 2022 and 2024, 26-year-old Pogacar now equals Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara’s record of three victories in the Strade Bianche.

“Pretty good race today. The race was super fast. It was a really strong breakaway and our guys did super amazing work in the front,” said Pogacar who completed the 213km race in 5hr 13mins and 58secs.

“We just went fast and it was a really hard race.”

After falling off his bike at a corner on a descent, Pogacar displayed several cuts to his body with blood notably visible on his left shoulder.

“I enjoyed it until I crossed the finish line. Now I’m in adrenaline wear-off and I start to feel a lot of pain,” said the reigning world champion and Tour de France winner.

“Not the best way to win a race, but a win is a win. Let’s hope it’s nothing worse than it looks and all should be fine.

“I went too fast I guess. I know this road very well. I rode it already 20 times in my life,” added Pogacar, who had been leading at the time of his fall.

“For a moment I didn’t know if I was OK. The bike was not working so I had to change the bike.

“I was a bit worried because when you crash the body takes a lot from you. But still I had enough to finish it off.”

Pogacar saw his rear wheel give way and ended up in a ditch after a spectacular spin. But the three-time Tour de France champion quickly got up and resumed the race, with his jersey and shorts ripped.

He then found himself 32 seconds behind Team Q36.5’s Pidcock, but after a change of bike, he finally caught up with the 2023 winner 45km from the finish in Siena, after Pidcock had sportingly stopped to wait for him.

“When he crashed, of course, I carried on. I didn’t know what was happening, but then he was back on his bike, he was coming back, so of course I waited,” said Paris 2024 Olympic mountain bike gold medallist Pidcock.

“He’s a competitor, he’s a world champion, you respect that, you wait, regardless of whether he’s a world champion or not.

“You know, he made a mistake. This is not how you take advantage in a race.”

Pogacar dropped Pidcock at 18.8km thanks to a lightning-fast acceleration on one of the last difficulties, the Colle Pinzuto.

“Of course I wanted to try and win. I think I did a good performance, let’s be honest. I came pretty close,” said Pidcock.

“But he (Pogacar) was still too strong in this last attack of his. I’m happy, but at the same time, of course, disappointed.”

Pogacar will have to put any lingering pain from the fall swiftly behind him as his schedule starts to heat up, with Milan-San Remo two weeks away on March 22.

Alongside Paris-Roubaix, it is one of the two Monuments that the Slovenian has yet to win and is his main objective at the start of this 2025 season.

- Agence France-Presse

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EURO 2024 FIXTURES | 1 JULY

 

EURO 2024: ENGLAND FAMILIES HIT WITH CUP AIMED AT SOUTHGATE

 The friends and families of England players were hit by beer cups in the stands after England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia on Tuesday.

England had already qualified from Group C ahead of the game but fans rounded on Southgate following a disappointing performance.

Defender Ezri Konsa said the families were hit "from all angles," getting covered in beer. It is reported that the families were not targeted and the plastic cups were aimed at manager Gareth Southgate.

"We were aware of it because I think some of our family members got hit with a few drinks." Konsa said.

The matter has not been discussed between Southgate and the players after the match in Cologne.

"We check on them. There's kids in the stands with family so we always have to check on them, reassure them and ask if they're all right.

"In football stuff like that happens."

The cups had come from fans all around the English end of the stadium after Southgate's side failed to score in 90 minutes.

"It was coming from all angles," Aston Villa's Konsa said after his brother got hit.

"We try not to think about it too much so we move on."

Southgate said in a postmatch news conference: "I understand the narrative towards me and that's better for the team than it being towards them.

"It is creating an unusual environment to operate in, I've not seen any other team qualify and receive similar [treatment]."

England topped Group C with five points and will face Slovakia in the round of 16 on Sunday.

- ESPN 

ENGLAND BOOED AFTER SLOVENIA QUALIFY WITH 0-0 DRAW

 

ENGLAND VS. SLOVENIA | POST MATCH ANALYSIS | EURO 2024

FRUSTRATED FANS POKE FUN AT ENGLAND AFTER ANOTHER DULL EURO 2024 PERFORMANCE

England fans © Getty Images

While England won their group at Euro 2024, their humdrum scoreless draw against Slovenia on Tuesday, the third dull performance in as many games, had frustrated supporters poking fun at coach Gareth Southgate and his team.

Even Irish-owned airline Ryanair got in on the heckling, writing in a post to the team on X: "That's enough, let's get you home."

The tepid draw launched numerous amusing memes, including a photo of a man sitting facing a brick wall under the words "Watching England play football."

Another showed Southgate planting an England flag at the top of a manure pile, with the words "Group C."

England, who could muster only two goals in three games, enjoyed 70 per cent possession on Tuesday but despite boasting four of the best attackers in European football this past season, had just four shots on target.

BOOS AND BOOZE

Many England fans in Cologne beat a hasty exit well before the final whistle, and many of the ones who stayed angrily booed the team off the pitch. A few hurled empty beer cups in Southgate's direction, which had the manager looking shell-shocked in the post-game press conference.

"When there's such a strong association with what the national football team represents in so many ways, and when you don't have success there's always going to be a love-hate relationship," Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou said during Tuesday night's television broadcast.

"Everyone talks about history and the group that win something will leave that behind," he added. "It is natural to feel hurt when criticism comes your way."

Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville said Southgate's men "looked so basic in the first half."

"It was a struggle to watch but it moved forward a lot in the second half even though we didn't get the result but there were glimpses of what we can be," he said during the broadcast.

"England have Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Phil Foden – massive, massive talents and we cannot afford to mismanage them."

DREARY NIGHT

Neville believes the 19-year-old Mainoo will start in Sunday's last-16 game in midfield in place of Conor Gallagher, who had started on Tuesday in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Second-half substitutes Mainoo, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer were among England's bright spots on an otherwise dreary night.

Southgate, who guided England to a place in the 2020 Euro final where they lost to Italy in a shootout, said he understands supporters' frustration and will bear the brunt of the criticism, but made a plea to fans to at least support the players.

"I understand it. I'm not going to back away from it. The most important thing is the supporters stay with the team," Southgate said.

"I understand the narrative towards me and that's better for the team than it being towards them. But it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I've not seen any other team qualify and receive similar."

England's last-16 opponent is yet to be determined.

- Supersport

UEFA EURO 2024 | GERMANY

SLOVENIA SET UP BLK CUP SEMI-FINALS AGAINST ITALY

Kaja Juvan. Reuters 

Slovenia reached the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time despite Tamara Zidansek retiring hurt during the second singles against Kazakhstan in their Group B clash in Seville on Friday.

Slovenia will face Group D winners Italy on Saturday.

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