Tadej Pogacar was once again at his brilliant best on stage 13 of the Tour de France, becoming the youngest rider to ever record 21 stage wins at cycling’s biggest race as he hammered his rivals once more.
The Slovenian rode the 10.9km mountainous time trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes in 23 minutes flat, extending his advantage over Jonas Vingegaard to more than four minutes, with the Dane second on the day, 36 seconds back.
Pogacar obliterated the competition yesterday to storm to victory atop Hautacam and seize the yellow jersey, and has another brutal day in the Pyrenees to follow on Saturday to further stamp his authority on the race.
Primoz Roglic rolled back the years with a vintage performance to finish third atop Peyragudes, while Remco Evenepoel had a torrid day, losing more than two and half minutes to Pogacar.
Follow all the action on stage 13 with our liveblog below.
Tour de France 2025 Stage 13 live
- Stage 13 sees the riders tackle a brutal 10.9km mountainous time trial
- Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory atop Hautacam on stage 12 to win back the yellow jersey
- Tadej Pogacar wins fourth stage of this Tour with blistering TT
- Stage 13: 10.9km from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes | Live on TNT Sports and ITV4
- Key riders to watch - start times
Who is leading the Tour de France? Yellow jersey and general classification standings
18:15 , Flo CliffordDefending champion Tadej Pogacar has stamped his authority on the 2025 Tour de France, wrestling back the yellow jersey from previous leader Ben Healy and demolishing all his rivals on stage 12 of the race.
Stage 12 saw the first real mountain test of the Tour and Pogacar - despite suffering a late crash in the closing kilometres of stage 11 - passed with flying colours, powering away from his rivals on the lower slopes of the infamous hors-categorie Hautacam.
And Pogacar continued his masterclass with back-to-back stage wins as he won stage 13’s mountainous time trial, extending his gap over Vingegaard to more than four minutes despite a better performance from the Dane.
The defending champion became the youngest rider to reach 21 Tour de France stage wins with his victory atop the Peyragudes category-one climb, and looks set to continue smashing records and his rivals all the way to Paris.
Who is leading the Tour de France? Yellow jersey and GC standings
Stage 14 preview
18:00 , Flo CliffordThe Tourmalet! Col d’Aspin! Superbagneres back at the Tour for the first time since 1989! There are plenty of contenders for ‘queen stage’ of this Tour de France and tomorrow certainly is one of them. The race hits the 2,000m mark and after two tough days in the Pyrenees, they’ve got the toughest one of all still to come.
Here’s what the riders will face:
Winners and losers of stage 13
17:50 , Flo CliffordNo more superlatives for Tadej Pogacar, who won yet another stage and extended his lead over his rivals. He’s now more than four minutes clear of Vingegaard and no-one else is within seven minutes of him.
Vingegaard had a much better day today and had the morale boost of catching his two-minute man, Remco Evenepoel, proving he’s clearly the best of the rest.
Evenepoel was the big victim of today, never looking comfortable on the bike, unable to stay in his aero tuck, and baffled as to what went wrong. Here’s hoping he can bounce back tomorrow.
But Primoz Roglic, the last of the ‘Big Four’, had a superb day, third on the stage and looking brilliant on the TT bike. Florian Lipowitz also had a great day out, narrowing the gap to Evenepoel to six seconds, on a phenomenal stage for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and their TT setup.
And Oscar Onley leapfrogged Kevin Vauquelin into fifth overall with another fine performance; he sits 10 seconds off Lipowitz and the battle for the final podium spot, and the white jersey, is looking fascinating.
'No explanation' - Remco Evenepoel
17:40 , Flo CliffordPoor old Remco Evenepoel, 11th on the stage and just about clinging onto third overall, says, “It was bad. With a normal feeling I should be in the top three on a day like this. I was really bad, [there is] no explanation.
“My start was good [but] five minutes in I wasn’t feeling good and couldn’t push the power. It was a very bad from me.”
Pogacar in yellow
17:31 , Flo Clifford
Pogacar to win every jersey?
17:25 , Flo CliffordAs Pogacar keeps winning stages, and obviously picked up maximum KOM points on today’s cat-one finish, there’s a real risk he will run away with not just the yellow jersey but the green points and polka-dot KOM jerseys too.
The only one he mathematically cannot win is the white jersey for best young rider, as he is over the age limit.
Young riders' classification after stage 13
17:19 , Flo Clifford- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in 45:53:15
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +6”
- Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) +47”
- Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +51”
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) +9’33”
KOM classification after stage 13
17:13 , Flo Clifford- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 37 pts
- Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) 27 pts
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) 27 pts
- Michael Woods (Israel-PremierTech) 22 pts
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) 16 pts
Points classification after stage 13
17:08 , Flo Clifford- Jonathan Milan (Lidl‑Trek) 231 pts
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 203
- Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin‑Deceuninck) 173
- Biniam Girmay (Intermarché‑Wanty) 154
- Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick‑Step) 150
'I did everything I could' - Jonas Vingegaard
17:01 , Flo Clifford“I think I can be happy with my performance today. I did probably my best ever performance, Tadej was just stronger and he deserves to win, so congrats to him.
“Yesterday was really disappointing, I hoped for more, but at the end I was just a bit empty. Yesterday was probably one of my worst performances and today was one of my best, so it’s nice to come back like this. I did everything I could.
“We bounced back today, yesterday was a terrible day for us, until the final climb I actually felt quite good but all of a sudden lights went out. I also know that the level I showed yesterday was not my normal level, so it’s not like I lose the belief in myself. Today was just back to normal. I just have to keep on trying.”
'We're all suffering' - Oscar Onley
16:50 , Flo Clifford“It was okay,” Oscar Onley says of his ride. “I was suffering a bit after yesterday which is normal, I think. Just looking at the times now and it looks like we’re all suffering a little bit. I did what I could.
“The steep runway at the end, you really had to hold back a bit which is quite difficult because the rest of the climb was an uncomfortable gradient. It wasn’t an easy TT to manage.”
He says he made the right choice to go for his road bike. “I struggle quite a bit on the TT bike, for sure I can’t put out the same bike as my road bike position, so when you can get this down as light as possible, it makes quite a big difference.
“Thanks for reminding me,” he smiles, when the interviewer mentions tomorrow’s stage.
General classification after stage 13
16:47 , Flo Clifford- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), in 45:22:51
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), +4’07”
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), +7'24”
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +7’30”
- Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), +8’11”
- Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels), +8'15”
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +8’50”
- Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), +10’36”
- Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), +11’43”
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), +14'15”
Pogacar the new Merckx?
16:44 , Flo CliffordThat’s Pogacar’s fourth stage win of this Tour, two back-to-back after yesterday atop Hautacam, bringing him to 21. Just 14 off Mark Cavendish’s record. Time to come out of retirement, Mark.
'I almost blew up' - Tadej Pogacar
16:39 , Flo CliffordTime for a chat for today’s winner, and every day’s winner, Tadej Pogacar, as he warms down.
“Super happy, this time trial was quite a big question mark already in December for me,” he says. “I wanted everything to be perfect and the team delivered. I started the day good, had an easy day in the good, nice preparation and I was really targeting to do from start to finish all out and try to smash as much as possible on the pedals. I almost blew up in the end but I saw the timer on the top and it gave me an extra push because I saw that I’m gonna win.
“This was the biggest decision to make, which bike today. Obviously we’re racing on road bikes most of the year, 99% of the time, so in the end we did calculations and I decided to be more comfortable, riding the last 12 stages on the same bike.”
Stage 13 results
16:35 , Flo Clifford- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 23’00”
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), +36”
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +1’20”
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +1’56”
- Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), +1'58”
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +2’03”
- Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) +2’06”
- Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +2’15”
- Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) +2’21”
- Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +2’22”
Pogacar leads GC by over four minutes
16:33 , Flo CliffordThat astonishing ride has extended Pogacar’s lead by 36 seconds to 4’07” over Vingegaard, while Remco Evenepoel is clinging onto third place overall by just six seconds, ahead of Florian Lipowitz.
Evenepoel lost 2’39” to Pogacar today.
Tadej Pogacar wins stage 13
16:29 , Flo CliffordTwo stages in a row for Tadej Pogacar, who smashes Vingegaard’s already-impressive time, putting another huge chunk of time into both the Dane and absolutely everybody else.
The yellow jersey finishes in 23 minutes flat, 36” quicker than Vingegaard.
Vingegaard catches Evenepoel
16:28 , Flo CliffordThis is astonishing. The world and Olympic time trial champion is having an awful day. Vingegaard is just metres behind him and the Dane started two minutes behind him...
Vingegaard catches him with mere metres to go and comes off his wheel. Poor Evenepoel. Vingegaard smashes Roglic’s time, 44” quicker than Roglic.
Lipowitz, Onley flying
16:25 , Flo CliffordVauquelin finishes eighth, 1’22” down on Roglic, and that means Oscar Onley leapfrogs the Frenchman into fifth overall!
Florian Lipowitz has been absolutely flying and he finishes 35” down on his teammate Roglic, in provisional second, and the German is making real gains on Evenepoel in both the white jersey and podium battle.
Evenepoel is having a terrible time and Vingegaard is gaining on him; the Soudal Quick-Step car has been pulled out and that means Vingegaard may make the catch.
Tomorrow's climbs
16:23 , Flo CliffordToday’s climb features tomorrow as well, at least partially: rather than swinging off to the altiport at Peyragudes, the riders tackle the whole Col de Peyresourde.
It’s a cat-one at an average of 7.8% for 7.1km, and it comes after the Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aspin. Ouch. Let’s see if Quinn Simmons will look quite so cheery on that climb.
Evenepoel struggling
16:22 , Flo CliffordEvenepoel has been seen shaking his head and now looks to have a gear problem too. An unusually bad TT for the Belgian but we knew this wouldn’t suit him.
Oscar Onley has crossed in fourth, 46” behind Roglic, 3” slower than Jorgenson, so that’s a good time.
Pogacar fastest
16:21 , Flo CliffordNo sooner has Vingegaard smashed Roglic’s time at the second checkpoint, Pogacar does the same, 23” quicker than the Dane, and you’d expect him to only increase that in the final 3km as they’re so incredibly steep.
Roglic is now 52” down. Evenepoel is 41” down on that as he enters the final 2km.
Primoz Roglic moves into hot seat
16:19 , Flo CliffordApologies for that, error with the timestamps there, and in fact Roglic has more than a minute and half on Plapp as he reaches the steepest gradients. The Slovenian crosses 37” quicker than Plapp, 24’20” is the time to beat. Vintage Roglic.
Evenepoel has conceded 26” to Roglic at the second checkpoint and that’s not a good sign.
Now Vingegaard has taken 30 seconds off Roglic at the second timecheck!! What!?
Roglic approaches the finish
16:16 , Flo CliffordKevin Vauquelin has lost 22 seconds on Oscar Onley between checkpoint 1 and 2, and that’s great news for the Scot.
Florian Lipowitz comes through the second checkpoint eight seconds down on teammate Roglic’s blistering time, and the Red Bull chaps are flying. Both holding their aero TT positions wonderfully.
Roglic is 38” seconds up on Plapp as he enters the final kilometre - but it’s a brutal, brutal kilometre.
Pogacar fastest at first checkpoint
16:13 , Flo CliffordPogacar has stormed through the first checkpoint, five seconds quicker than Evenepoel, contrary to all expectations. He clearly has gone for full power rather than aerodynamics.
Onley is 31” down on Roglic at the second checkpoint, but that’s the same time as Plapp and Jorgenson, so that’s a good ride.
Roglic is holding his TT position beautifully but neither Vingegaard nor Evenepoel are doing that on their TT bikes, which feels like it slightly defeats the point of using one.
Jorgenson finishes second, 3” off Plapp’s time, and the Australian lives to fight another day in the hot seat.
Evenepoel first at first checkpoint
16:11 , Flo CliffordRemco Evenepoel, unsurprisingly, has set the fastest time at the first checkpoint, 10” quicker than Jorgenson.
Vingegaard is 3” slower, but that’s a good time still.
Roglic smashes second checkpoint time
16:09 , Flo CliffordRoglic has gone 30 seconds faster than Jorgenson at the second checkpoint!
He’s absolutely flown through this middle section, and evidently the TT bike was the right choice for him.
Pogacar sets off
16:06 , Flo CliffordTadej Pogacar, in full yellow, now rolls down the ramp and that is everyone out on the course. Now we’re in for a tense half-hour as we wait for all the GC contenders to finish.
Pogacar still has a bandage on his left elbow after his crash in Toulouse. He’s on his funky modified road-bike set-up and he blasts down the ramp. Game on!
Vingegaard underway
16:04 , Flo CliffordBig cheers for second-placed Jonas Vingegaard as he heads down the ramp in a full aero TT setup, helmet and bike included. He’s got work to do to make time on Pogacar.
Jorgenson has again bested Plapp’s time at the second checkpoint, but only by nine-tenths of a second.
Remco Evenepoel sets off
16:03 , Flo CliffordThird-placed Remco Evenepoel floats down the ramp and is straight into his aero position.
It’s a beautiful, if very hot, day for a time trial with some absolutely stunning scenery.
Oscar Onley is 15 seconds down on Jorgenson’s time at the first checkpoint, which is not bad. Roglic - on his TT bike - has equalled Jorgenson’s time, with the American on a road bike.
Lipowitz underway
16:00 , Flo CliffordFlorian Lipowitz, fourth overall, is off now, with Kevin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley setting off two and four minutes before him.
The young German is now Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s leader, with Primoz Roglic suffering yesterday. What can he do as the race reaches its toughest stages?
Sepp Kuss catches Simon Yates
15:58 , Flo CliffordSepp Kuss went off a minute and a half behind Simon Yates but now catches his teammate and the pair reach the final 300m together, Kuss swinging past him, still in the saddle, while Yates toils on out of the saddle.
Kuss finishes in provisional eighth, Yates way down the standings but obviously not bothered by that. He’s keeping his powder dry to support this man tomorrow...
Riders opting for road bikes
15:56 , Flo CliffordWe’ve got into the top 10 without seeing a TT bike in action, with the majority of riders opting for some kind of aero road bike.
That changes now with Primoz Roglic opting for a TT bike, and Remco Evenepoel set to opt for one too to lean into his strengths - his aero position is simply remarkable. Jonas Vingegaard is also likely going for the TT setup.
The TT world champion warming up 🌈
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 18, 2025
Le champion du monde de chrono à l'échauffement ⚡️#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/MXyulP1s83
Jorgenson fastest at first time check
15:54 , Flo CliffordJorgenson clearly means business: he goes nine seconds faster than Luke Plapp at the first time-check.
Jonas Vingegaard warming up
15:50 , Flo CliffordVingegaard, warming up with his enormous aero TT helmet on, looks pretty relaxed, cracking a smile with someone off-camera.
That makes it seem likely that he’ll ride a TT bike, with that enormous spaceship helmet on his bonce.
His teammate Matteo Jorgenson has just set off and we’re into the top 10 now. The American goes off at quite a pace and may feel he’s got a point to prove after a bad day at the office yesterday.
Adam Yates threatens Plapp's time
15:46 , Flo CliffordAdam Yates has done a formidable ride, crossing 17” down on Luke Plapp in 25’15” for provisional second, and that’s a really aggressive TT from the Brit, considering his role as Pogacar’s key lieutenant in tomorrow’s behemoth of a stage.
Ben Healy now rolls off the start ramp and we’re nearly into the top 10.
Adam and Simon Yates underway
15:42 , Flo CliffordHarry Sweeny, who should have won teammate of the day yesterday for his work shepherding Ben Healy up those nasty climbs, sneaks into provisional third place - 55” seconds back on Plapp, nine seconds clear of Alaphilippe in fourth.
Adam and Simon Yates have both set off and we’re into the top 30 riders now, approaching the final 20. Not too long until the real big guns start.
Quinn Simmons nears the summit
15:35 , Flo CliffordQuinn Simmons, Lidl-Trek’s flamboyantly-moustachioed American national champion, has been making waves with his hair choices this week.
According to his teammates, if he’s got his hair tied back in an aero man-bun, that means he plans to go on the attack on that stage (and the data has borne that out).
Today he’s got his long locks flowing in the breeze, not particularly aero at all, but he just wants to get this stage over and done with.
He high-fives the supporters gathered along the left-hand side, grinning despite the gradients, and finishes in 28’28”.
Thomas weighs in on road vs TT bike debate
15:28 , Flo CliffordGeraint Thomas has a quick chat with ITV4 after that TT, and is asked what he’d opt for were he racing for a GC result. “I think the main thing is you want the bike to be light, for sure. I’d rather go on a road bike, but to each their own. Time wise I think you start the climb after 5 minutes in a 20 minute race. I’d go climbing comfort over anything else.”
Geraint Thomas signs off on final Tour TT
15:21 , Flo CliffordIt’s the final Tour de France time trial of Geraint Thomas’ long and illustrious career. The Welshman is a fine TT specialist but obviously hasn’t gone all guns blazing today, riding as a support rider for Carlos Rodriguez and hoping to sign off with one more stage win at the end of his last-ever Tour.
He crosses the line in 28’28”, 3’30” down on Luke Plapp’s time, which is still holding firm.
Armirail into fourth
15:14 , Flo CliffordBruno Armirail, resplendent in his tricolore, has finished in 26’12” - 1’14” down on Plapp to move above Buitrago into fourth as it stands.
Armirail was undone by those very steepest gradients at the top of the climb: he was three seconds off the fastest time at checkpoint one, 4km in; 22 seconds down at checkpoint two, 7.6km in; and 1’14” down at the finish.
Alaphilippe into third
15:07 , Flo CliffordJulian Alaphilippe is roared up to the top at Peyragudes, and he’s done a brilliant TT, finishing in provisional third - but still 1’04” down on Plapp in 26’03”. Good to see the flamboyant Frenchman on good form today.
Movistar’s GC hope Santiago Buitrago has had a tough time, crashing on stage eight alongside Joao Almeida and teammate Jack Haig. Both those two abandoned the race but Buitrago avoided the same injuries and he’s just crossed the line in provisional fourth, 1’17” down on Plapp.
Bike brands significant today
15:00 , Flo CliffordMatt Stephens, on TNT Sports/Eurosport, comments that the bike brand each team uses will also play a role in times today, as different brands produce TT bikes which are heavier or lighter than others.
Pogacar's mountain TT bike
14:53 , Flo CliffordCycling journalist Daniel Benson reports that Tadej Pogacar has opted for an aero road bike rather than a TT bike: a Colnago Y1RS “with some slight modifications, including stripped-down bar tape, no rider name badge on the frame, and no bottle cage,” for all the bike geeks to pore over.
He’s also riding on a TT-specific saddle setup which he’s never used before, Benson continues.
That seems a fascinating choice for a hugely significant TT - but he does have the cushion of 3’31” over Vingegaard, so maybe the team have decided now is the right time to experiment. I say experiment - I’m sure they’ve trialled this before, albeit not in a race setting.
Armirail underway
14:45 , Flo CliffordBruno Armirail has rolled down the ramp and has already overtaken his minute (and a half) man Nelson Oliveira.
Einer Rubio, the Movistar GC hopeful/climber, is fourth at the finish so far, 1’44” down on Plapp.
Champoussin takes third
14:38 , Flo CliffordClement Champoussin, a strong climber, is into provisional third, but these gaps at the top are still huge. He’s 1’22” behind Plapp in a time of 26’20”.
Wout van Aert underway
14:33 , Flo CliffordA few more of the peloton’s big names are underway now. Wout van Aert - who could, if let off the leash by Visma-Lease a Bike, do a brilliant ride today - is out on the course, as is Julian Alaphilippe.
Bruno Armirail, the French national TT champion, is next to go. He was in the breakaway yesterday so might be a bit shattered today, but was excellent on the stage five TT, finishing fourth.
1⃣6⃣ % 🥵🥵🥵#TDF2025 | @TISSOT pic.twitter.com/hCrPu3yHjC
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 18, 2025
Luke Plapp: winning time will be more than a minute faster
14:27 , Flo CliffordLuke Plapp adds, “I think the winning time will be 1’00” or 1’30” faster than mine, as the GC guys can push 20 watts more than I do.
“I’ve missed the break these last few stages, and that has enabled me to take it easy in the grupetto. I’ll definitely be feeling today’s effort in my legs tomorrow… But anyway, I wanted to represent the [Australian national TT champion] colours well and I’m happy.”
Weather check
14:20 , Flo CliffordA cool summer's day in the Pyrenees: sunny, but with temperatures ranging from 28ºC at the start in Loudenvielle to 22ºC at Peyragudes. The wind will be light and will actually die down throughout the day, blowing against the riders until Escadoux (km 4) and then in their favour from there to the finish.
Martinez slower than Plapp
14:12 , Flo CliffordLenny Martinez crosses the line 23” slower than Luke Plapp, in 25’21”. Plapp is still the only rider to finish in under 25 minutes.
Fred Wright has set the third-best time atop Peyragudes - but a whopping 2’42” outside Plapp’s time.
Sprinters at risk of missing time cut
13:57 , Flo CliffordLuka Mezgec and Tim Merlier at risk of the time cut today. Here’s what the Tour’s official site has to say
The riders with the two worst times at the finish line, with 31'27’’ and 31'28’’ respectively, are Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step) and Luka Mezgec (Jayco-AlUla). Given the 40% margin established for the time cut, the hypothetical winner of today's stage would eliminate them if he crossed the finish line with a time more than 9'00’’ faster than theirs: 22'27’’.
Luke Plapp weighs in on TT vs road bike debate
13:50 , Flo CliffordLuke Plapp is asked on Eurosport if he beat his record for a 20-minute effort... “I did by two watts! I was sprinting for the 20 minutes, counting down till 20 minutes, sprinted, saw the Garmin and was like, 150m to go, I made it! And that last 150m took about a minute to get to the top. It’s a horrible finish line when you can see the top, it looks so close but it takes so, so long to get there. But what a day this is, cows in the background, not a cloud in the sky, beautiful scenery, amazing place.
Asked about his setup, he says, “Usually I’m one of the most precise guys, and I cause a lot of pain for my mechanics, I’m always asking for little things to change here and there, and today I was super relaxed, I told the team whatever they suggest to use, I’ll put on, I don’t even need to know just get on my bike and go ahead as fast as I can. To be honest [the setup] was perfect.
“For sure the start, the TT bike will help, the likes of Jonas, Remco, these guys who are quite small and got really light time trial bikes, the time trial bikes are faster on this circuit. In the middle of the climb, you’ll probbaly be quite aero in the bars, so I think some of those guys definitely will use a TT bike. If Ben [O’Connor] was on GC I’d almost recommend the same thing. I think we’ll see a variety of bikes but I don’t think we’ll see any bike swaps, I don’t think that’s the fastest.” Fascinating stuff.
Lenny Martinez underway
13:43 , Flo CliffordFrench climber Lenny Martinez, in the KOM skinsuit, sets off at an absolutely blistering pace. He needs to pick up some points today to keep in touch with Pogacar in the classification standings.
Time limit extended today
13:37 , Flo CliffordAs a nod to the sheer difficulty of today’s route, the cut-off time for the slowest rider has been extended.
Here’s what the official Tour site has to say:
A special provision has been made today regarding the time limits for the individual time trial in Peyragudes. The maximum time will be calculated as 40% more than the winner's time, whereas the rules initially stipulated a rate of 33%.Assuming that the winning time is around 25 minutes, the margin allowed will increase from around 8 minutes to 10 minutes.
History on Pogacar's side...
13:31 , Flo CliffordAnd Pogacar won the last time a Tour TT finished on a cat-one climb: stage 20 of the 2020 Tour, best known as the day he snatched yellow off compatriot Primoz Roglic, on the contre-la-montre from Lure to La Planche des Belles Filles.
Plapp sets fastest time
13:24 , Flo CliffordLuke Plapp has powered round this course, 2’51” faster than Van Eetvelt! He heads to the hot seat after finishing in 24’58”.
Luke Plapp blows away the best time with a 24'58" at the summit in Peyragudes 💥
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 18, 2025
Luke Plapp explose le meilleur temps avec un 24'58" au sommet à Peyragudes 🇦🇺#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/b6nzGPjGm8
Plapp sets fastest time
13:24 , Flo CliffordLuke Plapp has powered round this course, 2’51” faster than Van Eetvelt! He heads to the hot seat after finishing in 24’58”.
Previous winners on Peyragudes
13:18 , Flo CliffordPeyragudes has become something of a Tour staple since its first finish here in 2012. All the big guns have won here: Alejandro Valverde with a 35km solo move that first year, Romain Bardet in 2017. Pogacar has won here previously too, beating Vingegaard to the line on stage 17 in 2022.
Loudenvielle is a stage start town for the sixth time today; its most recent appearance was on stage 15 last year. Tadej Pogacar won that stage, a hideous mountain behemoth to Plateau de Beille (not a plateau at all, instead a HC climb).
KOM points on offer today
13:11 , Flo CliffordA little subplot of today’s action is that there will be KOM points available for the six fastest riders over the summit, as Peyragudes is a cat-one climb. Imagine doing a cat-one climb, but at absolutely full tilt, and possibly on a TT bike totally unsuited to it too. Ouch.
The points range from 10 for today’s winner, eighth for second, six for third, four for fourth, then two for fifth and one solitary point for sixth place on the stage.
If, as expected, Pogacar wins this one, he’ll extend his lead in the KOM classification. He currently sits level on 27 points with Lenny Martinez, but leads on countback.
Today's time intervals
13:04 , Flo CliffordThe riders going 1st to 51st today will set off at one-minute intervals, with 52nd to 161st setting off at 1’30” intervals, and the last ten riders will all go off at two-minute intervals.
Key rider start times
12:58 , Flo CliffordToday’s TT is an odd one, so mountainous that it favours pure climbers over actual TT specialists (at least in theory).
The big guns are all clustered in the final 20 minutes or so, setting off at two-minute intervals, with Evenepoel, Vingegaard, and Pogacar the last three down the ramp as the Tour’s provisional podium (in reverse order).
All times in the graphic are CET.
Riders to follow 👀
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 18, 2025
Les coureurs à suivre 🔎#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/NpP1NGPIII
Affini, Plapp underway
12:52 , Flo CliffordEuropean TT champ Edoardo Affini and now Australian national TT champ Luke Plapp are underway. Affini is not really built for this sort of course and Plapp has looked off the boil this week, so not expecting great things from either of them today.
Lennert van Eetvelt is coming to the line now, the Belgian absolutely flew off the start line but may be paying the price for that very punchy start as he looks to have knocked off the pace somewhat.
However, he’s still taken a huge chunk out of the current leading time. He finishes in 27’49”, 57” quicker.
Vercher comes to the finish line
12:42 , Flo CliffordVercher is first over the line and the Frenchman delights the climb with a wheelie on the final ramp! He surging out of the heat haze, stopping the clock in 30’01”.
The last 300m looked absolutely hideous.
Jordi Meeus doesn’t look far behind him, powering over in 29’34”, but Roel van Sintmaartensdijk bests that time too: 29’12”.
Milan, Van Eetvelt in action
12:32 , Flo CliffordJonathan Milan, in the points skinsuit, is next to roll down the ramp. Lennert van Eetvelt is the biggest name so far out on the course at the moment. He’s already stormed past Arnaud Demare, who set off two minutes before him!
Time-checks
12:30 , Flo CliffordToday’s time-checks are at kilometre 4, at Escadoux, and the 7.6km mark, at Loudervielle (not to be confused with Loudenvielle, our start location).
The Escadoux check is just as the rolling start comes to an end and the gradients really sharpen, from 4.5% to an average of 8.1%.
The Loudervielle check is after the more even climb, before the gradients get even steeper; up to 9% for the subsequent kilometre and reaching 16% at the upper wall before the finish line.
Evenepoel on TT bike
12:23 , Flo CliffordApparently Remco Evenepoel is riding on a hybrid setup, with a modified time-trial bike with a modified saddle height, as Soudal Quick-Step believe he can gain time in the early, flatter section. Feels risky...
TT bikes or road bikes?
12:17 , Flo CliffordAny mountainous time trial in a grand tour means one thing... endless debate over whether the riders are better off on a TT bike or a road bike to conquer these gradients.
In the 2023 Tour, Pogacar changed bikes on the TT from Passy to Combloux, while Vingegaard did not. That was a different parcours - finishing with a steep climb rather than uphill pretty much all the way - but still it memorably did not go well for the Slovenian. Vingegaard finished 1:38 quicker than his rival en route to a stunning overall victory.
Lessons learned for today? We’ll find out.
Stage 13 underway!
12:12 , Flo CliffordMatteo Vercher is the current lanterne rouge and he rolls down the ramp first. This first section is rolling for the first three kilometres, with the next kilometre averaging 4.5%, before it then kicks up really steeply.
Romain Bardet previews stage 13
12:10 , Flo CliffordRomain Bardet had a chat with TNT Sports yesterday about stage 13. Having won a mountain stage from Pau to Peyragudes in the 2017 Tour, he’s a good man to ask.
“The last wall could be a climb in itself. It’s so steep, so wide also, due to the altiport, for the flights to take off. The guys will have to push before that more than 25 minutes over threshold, then you have to keep something in reserve for that last steep bit. Also you can never see the top, it keeps climbing and climbing, so it requires a lot of mental strength because you just have to keep going.” Delightful.
“It can mean winning or losing this time trial, the way you climb the last 300m,” he adds.
Prediction for stage 12
12:02 , Flo CliffordCould Tadej Pogacar do the double? The Slovenian has already won three stages of this year’s Tour, up to 20 career stages (watch out, Mark Cavendish) and looks in supreme form, even with that crash on stage 11. There’s every possibility that it may hamper him more today than it did yesterday, but he still looks a cut above Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, who would otherwise be among the favourites for today.
Evenepoel is of course the world and Olympic time-trial champion but the Belgian prefers a flatter, more specialist-friendly course and any aero benefits from his position on the bike will be rendered null by the climbing on the menu today. Vingegaard has serious time to make up on his rival but has had two bad days at this year’s Tour, one in the previous time trial and one yesterday, so combining the Pyrenean climbs with a race against the clock doesn’t seem likely to suit the Dane today.
None of the peloton’s other time-trial specialists, like Edoardo Affini, can climb as well as Pogacar; French national TT champion Bruno Armirail had a phenomenal day out yesterday but is not a pure climber and may well pay for those efforts. For all of those reasons, we are once again going with Tadej Pogacar.
Fallout from stage 12
11:54 , Flo CliffordElsewhere, Matteo Jorgenson lost 10 minutes, severely hampering his own GC challenge and meaning that UAE can take any attacks of his in the next road stage - on Saturday - less seriously, as he doesn’t represent a threat to Pogacar in yellow at the moment.
Remco Evenepoel suffered on the climbs but managed to limit his losses and is still third overall, but is left looking over his shoulder at the likes of Florian Lipowitz, Kevin Vauquelin, and Oscar Onley, who all performed brilliantly today and are hot on his heels in the white jersey standings today.
Lipowitz in particular was excellent, finishing third on the stage and moving up four places to third overall. He now sits two minutes ahead of his theoretical team leader Primoz Roglic. Will Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe now change tack, and go all-in for the German’s podium chances?
Fallout from stage 12
11:47 , Flo CliffordOf course stage 12 cemented that Pogacar is the man to beat, if indeed he is beatable at all. But it also exposed Visma-Lease a Bike, who looked like the strongest team by far after UAE lost Joao Almeida to a crash and several domestiques appeared to struggle in the last few days.
The tables were turned today and it was Jhonatan Narvaez, not, on paper, UAE’s best climber, who delivered the astonishing turn of pace that forced the entire GC group to disintegrate and set up Pogacar’s attack with 12km to go on Hautacam.
Tadej Pogacar dedicates Tour de France win to teenaged Italian cyclist who died in crash
11:41 , Flo CliffordTadej Pogacar dedicated his memorable victory on stage 12 of the Tour de France to Samuele Privitera, the young cyclist who died during a race in Italy this week.
Privitera, 19, crashed during the opening stage of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta in the Italian Alps. The Hagens Berman Jayco rider reportedly came off his bike during a descent, losing his helmet and colliding with a gate. He was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
“This stage can go for Samuele, to all his family,” Pogacar said. “It was really sad, it was the first thing I read in the morning, and I was thinking in the last kilometre about him and how tough this sport can be, and how much pain it can cause.”
Tadej Pogacar dedicates Tour de France win to teenaged cyclist who died in crash
Stage 12 report
11:35 , Flo CliffordTadej Pogacar delivered a display of pure dominance on the first true mountain test of this year’s Tour de France to retake the yellow jersey with a solo win.
On the Hautacam, where Jonas Vingegaard left Pogacar behind in a decisive attack in his 2022 Tour win, the world champion exacted revenge, attacking 12 kilometres from the summit finish and putting two minutes 10 seconds into his rival, who finished second on the day.
Pogacar's third stage win of this Tour, the 20th of his career, put him a big step closer to what would be a fourth overall title as he leads by three minutes 31 seconds from Vingegaard, with both men putting time into third-placed Remco Evenepoel, now four minutes 45 seconds down.
Tadej Pogacar storms back into yellow jersey with stunning stage 12 victory
General classification after stage 12
11:30 , Flo Clifford- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), in 45:22:51
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), +3’31”
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), +4'45”
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +5’34”
- Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels), +5'40”
- Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), +6’05”
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +7’30”
- Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), +7’44”
- Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), +9’21”
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), +12'12”
Stage 12 results
11:25 , Flo Clifford- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), in 4:21:19
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), +2’10”
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +2’23”
- Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), +3’00”
- Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), +3’00”
- Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels), +3’33”
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), +3’35”
- Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), +4’02”
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), +4’08”
- Cristian Rodriguez (Arkea - B&B Hotels) +7’26”
Stage 12 recap
11:21 , Flo CliffordStage 12 of the Tour de France really set the race alight as defending champion Tadej Pogacar stamped on the pedals on the lower slopes of the infamous Hautacam climb and simply took flight.
The Slovenian went solo with 12km to go, teed up superbly by teammate Jhonatan Narvaez, and while initially Jonas Vingegaard was the only rider who could stick with him, the Dane was quickly distanced and began rapidly shedding time.
By the summit finish at Hautacam - the toughest climb of the race so far - Pogacar had once again emphasised his superiority and his rivals were left licking their wounds and taking stock of their losses.
Vingegaard finished 2’10” down, falling to 3’31” behind Pogacar in the overall standings, while Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic also suffered on the brutal slopes and in the punishing heat.
How to watch the Tour de France
11:16 , Flo CliffordThe 2025 Tour de France is broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK, in what is the last year of free-to-air coverage of the race before it is exclusively shown on TNT Sports and Discovery+.
Viewers can also stream the race online via ITVX app and website, and subscribers can watch the action on the TNT Sports and Discovery+ apps.
Each stage is packaged into hourly highlights shows on ITV4, typically starting at around 7pm BST. The highlights can be streamed on ITVX with the website and app.
Stage 13 start time
11:12 , Flo CliffordThe first rider down the ramp on stage 13 will set off at 1.10pm local time (12.10pm BST) and the stage is expected to finish at 5.30pm local time (4.30pm BST).
Stage 13 preview
11:08 , Flo CliffordWhile stage 12 was a long and brutal day in the saddle, stage 13 is the shortest stage of this year’s race, a 10.9km time trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes. The race stays in the Pyrenees for yet more climbing, as while the stage is short, it may prove even tougher than yesterday’s effort.
After a rolling first three kilometres the road suddenly and sharply kicks uphill, with the 8km climb to the finish line at the altiport in Peyragudes averaging 7.9% and kicking up to 16% on its toughest upper slopes.
The final kilometre ramps up to the line at an average of 13%, making this a beast of a day that only gets more intense the further it goes on.
Stage 13 route map and profile
11:04 , Flo Clifford
Good morning
11:00 , Flo CliffordBonjour and welcome back to le Tour! Follow along here for our live coverage of stage 13 of the Tour de France.
Stage 12 really set the race alight; stage 13 is likely to be similar, as Tadej Pogacar hopes to put even more time into his rivals - and they frantically chase to keep their podium hopes alive.
