Tadej Pogacar grabbed the yellow jersey with a remarkable ride on stage eight of the Tour de France as pretenders to his crown floundered.
On the 150-kilometre stage from Oyonnax to Le Grand-Bornand, won by Belgian Dylan Teuns, last year's champion Pogacar finished fourth and roared into first place in the general classification.
The 22-year-old Slovenian had trailed Mathieu van der Poel by three minutes and 43 seconds at the start of stage eight, but he now leads by 1min 48secs from Wout van Aert.
Van der Poel fell out of contention, trailing home 44th, 21:47 behind Teuns, to slide from first to 23rd overall, as the GC standings were given a vigorous shake-up.
The race turned as Van der Poel began to fall off the pace of a chasing group in the closing 35km and Van Aert initially followed, but Pogacar only grew in strength from that point.
Canadian Michael Woods had built a big lead as he reached the summit of the Col de Romme, over a minute clear of a chasing pack of four riders and three minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Pogacar.
Pogacar drew within 30 seconds of the lead with 15km remaining, passing Ion Izaguirre Insausti to leave Woods and Teuns as the only riders ahead of him, and soon only Teuns was denying him first place.
Teuns proved too strong, and Woods and Izaguirre Insausti edged ahead of Pogacar in the closing metres, but the defending champion had inflicted a brutal blow on a host of major rivals.
Pogacar said on Eurosport: "I just decided before the last three climbs and I said to my team-mates, 'Let's try to break the race', and we did it. Once I saw everyone was suffering... I just took off and tried to pace myself to the finish line and I'm pretty happy."
Pogacar was surprised there was little response from those with yellow jersey aspirations, who he claimed had tried and failed to break his challenge on the seventh stage, adding: "I thought they would show more today, but in the end I guess they were affected from yesterday and from today's cold and rain."
Teuns knew where Pogacar was in the closing kilometres and said his stage victory was a tribute to his late grandfather, touching his chest by his heart and point skywards.
He said: "We had the funeral just a few days before I had to go to the Tour so it was emotional for me, this last 10k."
Any hopes that Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Primoz Roglic had of GC success were wiped out as all three finished over 30 minutes off the pace.
STAGE RESULT
1. Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) 3:54:41
2. Ion Izaguirre Insausti (Astana-Premier Tech) +0:44
3. Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) +0:47
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +0:49
5. Wouter Poels (Bahrain Victorious) +2:33
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 29:38:25
2. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) +01:48
3. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Premier Tech) +4:38
Points Classification
1. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 168
2. Michael Matthews (Team Bikeexchange) 113
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) 103
King of the Mountains
1. Wouter Poels (Bahrain Victorious) 23
2. Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) 16
3. Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) 12
What's next?
The 144.9-kilometre ride from Cluses to Tignes will be another stiff test for the riders, with a mountain finish ahead of Monday's first rest day. Five major climbs await, including the 'hors categorie' ascent of the Col du Pre at around halfway.
Pogacar girlfriend's snub 'certainly didn't help' as Tour de France champion skips Olympics
Tadej Pogacar has acknowledged girlfriend Urska Zigart's Olympics snub contributed to his decision to withdraw from Paris 2024.
The three-time Tour de France champion had been scheduled to take part in the men's road race at the Games on August 3, but it was announced on Monday he would not take part.
While Slovenia's Olympic cycling coach Uros Murn attributed Pogacar's absence to "extreme fatigue" after claiming his latest Tour title last week, the UAE Team Emirates superstar was back in action the following day at a criterium race in Surhuisterveen.
Questioned about his Paris decision by Dutch broadcaster NOS, Pogacar revealed his frustration at Zigart missing out on a place in the Slovenian squad.
"It's not the main reason, but it certainly didn't help," he said. "I think she deserves her place. She's a two-time national champion in the road race and time trial."
Urska Pintar and Eugenia Bujak were preferred to Zigart for the women's road race. Zigart won the national title in that event ahead of Pintar last month.
Cavendish lauds 'incredible person' Murray as British tennis great nears retirement
Cycling great Mark Cavendish has hailed Andy Murray as an "incredible person" ahead of his impending retirement after the Paris Olympic Games.
Murray confirmed this week that the tennis tournament at Roland Garros, which begins on Saturday, will be his last before he hangs up his racket.
The three-time grand slam champion has endured an injury-hit few years and was unable to make a final appearance in the singles draw at Wimbledon this month, though he did team up with brother Jamie for one last match on Centre Court – a loss to John Peers and Rinky Hijikata.
Murray is the only men's player to have won two Olympic golds ahead of his Paris campaign, but Cavendish – who made history by claiming a 35th Tour de France stage win earlier this month – says his legacy goes beyond his results.
"What Andy has showed, whatever you do, just do it. It's not for anyone else to say what you can and can't do – just do what you love," Cavendish said.
"Aside from his incredible achievements on the court, what Andy has stood for off the court, is his fight for equality between male and female sportspeople especially, and his vocal criticism of people who criticise him and what he does.
"Absolute love of a sport and carrying the hopes of a nation for so long – he's an incredible person.
"Whatever he does, you know he's going to do it with passion and I wish him the best."
Ride of a lifetime: Paul targets Paris Olympics medal to reaffirm T&T's cycling talent on world stage
The rhythmic hum of wheels on the track, the exhilarating speed, and the fierce competition are nothing new to Nicholas Paul. Yet, as the Trinidad and Tobago cyclist prepares for a second-consecutive Olympic Games appearance, his excitement and determination are as fresh as ever.
At 25, Paul has already cemented his place as one of Trinidad and Tobago's premier athletes, as his dazzling career –filled with challenges, triumphs, and an unwavering commitment to excellence –has been nothing short of remarkable.
In fact, it is Paul’s relentless drive and unwavering passion that has brought him to this point where he not just races for medals, but more importantly, races to inspire a nation and leave a lasting legacy in the world of cycling.
“To compete at the Olympics Games is the pinnacle of every sport and one of an athlete’s greatest dreams. So it is really an incredible honour for me to qualify to represent my country Trinidad and Tobago on the world stage once again. It's definitely a proud moment and a great milestone in my cycling career that I am looking forward to,” Paul told SportsMax.TV.
“I firstly, always give thanks to God for the talents that he has given me, as well as my family, coaches, support staff, teammates and all my supporters for their support along my journey. It is the hard work, discipline and dedication combined with the assistance my support team that has attributed to my successes over the years and even now as I prepare to head to the Olympics,” he added.
A series of unstoppable performances on the International Cycling Union (UCI) circuits in Canada and Germany, followed by a classy display at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina, Paul's journey to the top has been marked by numerous milestones.
He also won three medals –gold, silver and bronze –at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with another double medal-winning performance –gold and silver –coming at last year’s Pan American (PanAm) Games in Chile.
For many, that would more than represent a successful cycling career, but for Paul, this is only the beginning.
Despite the many successes which showcased his exceptional, Paul still views his career as a work in progress, possibly because he is still hunting that one prize or moment to really define things and that is the Olympic Games medal.
During his debut performance at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Paul demonstrated his mettle by making the quarterfinals in the men’s sprint event, and while he missed out on a medal, his performance was a testament to his skill, speed, and resilience.
Having taken those lessons to heart, Paul is now hoping to write the wrongs when he again graces the global multi-sport stage in Paris this summer.
"The experience in Tokyo was invaluable. Competing against the best in the world always taught me so much about myself and so I’ve worked tirelessly to improve every aspect of my training and preparation,” Paul shared.
“Whenever I compete and represent my country Trinidad and Tobago, I always want to win and put my best foot forward. My mindset for this Olympic Games is the same as well, but it is all about targeting one race at a time,” he added.
That said, the modest twin island republic cyclist pointed that his charge towards Olympic success will be a blend of physical conditioning, technical refinement, and mental fortitude.
“The Olympic Games is the biggest goal scheduled on my calendar and so I have been working very hard on and off the bike preparing myself mentally and physically for the challenge at hand. My training has been going well and I'm looking forward to participating at the Games in the best form possible,” Paul declared.
"The key is to stay disciplined and keep pushing forward, no matter what obstacles come your way. Every race, every training session, is a step towards achieving my dreams, and like I said earlier, I’m grateful for the support of my coaches, my family, and my country – they motivate me to give my best every single day,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Paul is determined to build on his past experiences and deliver a performance that will make his country proud. With eyes set on the podium, Paul embodies the spirit of perseverance and excellence that defines Trinidad and Tobago’s sporting legacy.
“It’s just another set of races for me, I know I have been putting in the work, so I just have to believe in myself and execute to the best of my ability,” he said with an air of confidence.
“My overall ambition is to continue putting Trinidad and Tobago on the map in search of that historic Olympic medal in the sport of cycling, as the aim is to let the entire world know that we are a small island but we have a lot of talent,” Paul ended.
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