Pogacar Accuses Rival's Team Car of Unnecessary Braking in Controversial Crash
Pogacar collided with Vingegaard's team car, alleging unnecessary braking, but remains the race leader after the 18th stage.
Key Points
- • Pogacar crashed into Vingegaard's team car before the 18th stage of the Tour de France.
- • He criticized the driver for hard braking without cause.
- • Ben O'Connor won the stage, maintaining Pogacar's lead in the overall standings.
- • The stage was described as brutal, marking one of the toughest races this year.
During the intense 18th stage of the 2025 Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar collided with a team car belonging to rival cyclist Jonas Vingegaard. The crash, which Pogacar described as unexpected, occurred as the race leader expressed frustration over the car's abrupt braking, stating, "There was no reason for the car to brake so hard." Despite the incident, Pogacar donned his yellow leader's jersey and continued the race.
Australian cyclist Ben O'Connor claimed victory in the stage, finishing 1 minute and 45 seconds ahead of Pogacar, while Vingegaard trailed by 1 minute and 54 seconds. The incident, occurring in a stage noted for its brutality and challenging conditions, did not hinder Pogacar's overall standing, as he maintained a 4-minute and 26-second lead over Vingegaard, with a total elapsed time of 66 hours, 55 minutes, and 42 seconds. Vingegaard later characterized the stage as extremely tough, underscoring the fierce competition in this year's event.