Confirmations and promises at the Tour de France. Tadej Pogacar wins in Mûr-de-Bretagne

At around 293 meters above sea level near the finish line in Mûr-de-Bretagne, the 2025 Tour de France enjoyed a high-altitude preview. Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar, and Jonas Vingegaard found themselves alone at the front . It didn't last long, just long enough to build some anticipation.

Those few hundred meters of limited company were above all a confirmation and a promise. The confirmation is that those three, the usual two plus the Olympic champion, have more strength and talent than anyone else; the promise is that those three, the usual two plus the Olympic champion, will do everything they can to make life impossible for the others.

Under the finish banner in Mûr-de-Bretagne, the usual image: Tadej Pogacar, relaxed and happy, ahead of everyone, and Jonas Vingegaard behind him, teeth clenched and a contrite expression. This time, however, almost without any strain. It had to be this way, it couldn't have been otherwise, given the energy left in Normandy yesterday by Mathieu van der Poel and the stiff legs of Wout van Aert . And indeed, that's how it went. Sprints on uphill climbs have always been situations in which the world champion thrives. Seeing Jonas Vingegaard so reactive is something not to be disliked .

The big climbs are still a long way off, however, and the Tour de France gives us a little more time to delude ourselves that first in the Pyrenees and then in the Alps , the Dane will be able to compete on equal terms with Tadej Pogacar (and who knows, maybe even with Remco Evenepoel).

The weekend will be dedicated to the sprinters , who have struggled a lot so far. Just look at the points classification: Tadej Pogačar has regained the green jersey, even though he won't wear it again, as tomorrow he'll once again be sporting the yellow jersey, the only color that suits him better than the world champion's rainbow jersey.

But the yellow jersey has more worries today than yesterday. João Almeida crashed six and a half kilometers from the finish. Sure, he got back up, sure, he finished the stage, sure, the next two stages are uneventful, and the mountains will only begin to unfold under the riders' wheels on Thursday. But blows, especially when taken at high speed, leave lasting after-effects. And the Portuguese was the man who should have been as close as possible to him.

Also crashing were Warren Barguil, Louis Barré, Santiago Buitrago, Valentin Madouas, Guillaume Martin, Enric Mas, and Matej Mohoric. Jack Haig also failed to reach the finish line—there's no race where the Australian doesn't encounter something wrong—and Ben Healy, who yesterday achieved an unforgettable feat , remained in the pack today: perhaps a sign.

In the morning, Ben Healy had only made a timid attempt to catch the right breakaway. When he realized it would end like yesterday—dozens and dozens of kilometers at absurd speeds, only getting tired—he gave up. Alex Baudin, Ewen Costiou, Ivan Garcia Cortina, Marco Haller, and Geraint Thomas managed to catch it, partly out of exhaustion. It didn't go well, though. They'll try again.

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