The battle for the yellow jersey ignited yesterday as Tadej Pogacar won a thrilling sprint finish in Rouen, moving level on time with race leader Mathieu van der Poel in the process.
Today’s time trial is likely to really kick off the general classification battle. Olympic time-trial (and road race) champion Remco Evenepoel is the big favourite to win on a largely flat course ideally suited to specialists like him, while an intriguing battle is once again shaping up between Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, who sits eight seconds off the defending champion in the overall standings.
All three should be among the best performers on the loop in and around Caen, although with the departure on stage one of Ineos Grenadiers’ Filippo Ganna, there are fewer obstacles in Evenepoel’s way from an important victory - and with it, the yellow jersey.
Follow all of the latest from Stage 5 with our live blog below:
Tour de France 2025 stage 5 LIVE
- Remco Evenepoel leads contenders for time-trial victory - and yellow jersey
- Evenepoel obliterates field to seal victory on stage five, while Pogacar takes yellow
- Stage 5: 33km from Caen to Caen | Live on TNT Sports and ITV4
- How to watch the Tour de France
- Stage 5 route map and profile
Stage six start time
18:21 , Flo CliffordAn earlier start tomorrow: the neutralised start will be at 12.35pm local time, 11.35am BST, with the finish expected at 5.15pm local time (4.15pm BST).
Remco Evenepoel surges to victory on stage five time trial as Jonas Vingegaard loses time
17:42 , Flo CliffordRemco Evenepoel won the stage five time trial at the Tour de France as Tadej Pogacar seized yellow and saw his rival Jonas Vingegaard lose more than a minute on the roads around Caen.
Evenepoel, the world and Olympic time trial champion, had talked up his chances of victory on this stage and delivered, if not by the margin needed to make good on his suggestion he could take yellow himself.
The Belgian completed the largely flat 33km course in 36 minutes and 42 seconds, at an average speed of 54kmh, to win by 16 seconds from Pogacar.
With Mathieu van der Poel, who started the day on the same overall time as Pogacar, 18th on the day, Pogacar pulled on the yellow jersey with Evenepoel his closest challenger, 42 seconds down in the overall standings.
Remco Evenepoel wins stage five time trial as Jonas Vingegaard loses time
Pogacar back in yellow
17:28 , Flo CliffordThe defending champion is back at the top of the standings and will be in yellow at the start line on stage six.
Tim Wellens will sport the polka dots for him, as the man can’t feasibly wear three jerseys at once, while Jonathan Milan will be in the green of the points leader.
Evenepoel leads the best young rider standings so will be in white.
All smiles on the podium
17:20 , Flo Clifford
Visma-Lease a Bike weigh in
17:14 , Flo CliffordGrischa Niermann, Visma-Lease a Bike sports director, tells TNT Sports, “We didn’t expect a loss [for Vingegaard] that much but it happened and we have to go from here. We will fight again tomorrow.”
He downplays the wind, “that’s not an excuse” as it still affected Evenepoel and Pogacar.
“Also beforehand we knew Remco’s the favourite, he won and rightfully so. But certainly with Jonas and Matteo we hoped for a better time.”
Winners and losers of stage five
17:08 , Flo CliffordThe big winner of today, obviously, is Tadej Pogacar, back in yellow (although he may be happy to concede it back to Van der Poel in the hilly terrain to come this week, to avoid the attendant duties for a little while), and having put more than a minute into biggest rival Jonas Vingegaard.
Remco Evenepoel has the stage win and dominant performance he was after, and moves up to second overall, shaving 16 seconds off his deficit to Pogacar.
Kevin Vauquelin has had another brilliant day out and moves up into provisional third, although he loses the white jersey.
But Primoz Roglic has lost another minute, having been 1’27” down at the start of the day and now 2’30”, while the big concern is Jonas Vingegaard, who did a frankly poor time trial by his own high standards, never looked remotely comfortable, and is now 1’13” off Pogacar’s pace.
Pogacar moving up in all classifications
17:01 , Flo CliffordPogacar is back in yellow for the first time in this Tour, and now also leads the points classification as well as the KOM, which he led at the start of the day.
Amazingly Remco Evenepoel still qualifies for the best young rider jersey and with that TT win he’s back in white tomorrow.
Pogacar 'the guy to beat' - Evenepoel
16:57 , Flo Clifford“Tadej did a very strong time trial as well, 17 seconds is pretty close,” Evenepoel continues. “About half a second per kilometre so compared to the Dauphine time trial, he really made a step forward and shows that he’s in big form, and that’s the reason why he’s the guy to beat in the Tour de France.
“I did what I had to do to take as much time as possible and step up in the GC. It’s kind of the same situation as last year after the TT, so super happy with that. It’s a big step forward to the podium, but of course there’s still a long way to go in this Tour.
“Today was the first step for me to put a good GC result in towards Paris, but everybody knows what’s coming up [in the mountains]. It’s already very nice to take a stage win, it means the two guys that are here to take stage wins won from our team [him and Tim Merlier], so we’re kind of relaxed now and all focused on this podium in Paris.”
'Everything was on point' - Remco Evenepoel
16:53 , Flo CliffordRemco Evenepoel, in full rainbows, speaks after his win: “You never know because big guys like Edoardo can do these courses very well, they can save a little bit more in the finals like yesterday. I knew I had a good chance but the legs still have to be there and everything has to go as the plan is. In the end I didn’t really feel like I could go any faster. A second stage win for our team, it’s super nice.
“I kind of pushed pretty steady, very slightly uphill part I pushed harder than the downhills, but my strongest point is I kept the same pace in the end as in the first 10k. That’s also what we saw in the intermediates that I was always going up and gaining time in the last 7-8km. Everything was on point, so super happy.”
Stage five results
16:50 , Flo Clifford1) Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in 36’42”
2) Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +16”
3) Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike) +33”
4) Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) +35”
5) Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +49”
6) Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2’31”
7) Ivan Romeo (Movistar) +1’02”
8) Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +1’14”
9) Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) +1’17”
10) Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) +1’18”
General classification after stage five
16:46 , Flo Clifford1) Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in 17:22:58
2) Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) +42”
3) Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) +59”
4) Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1’13”
5) Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1’22”
6) Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +1’28”
7) Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +1’53”
8) Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2’30”
9) Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2’31”
10) Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) +2’32”
Remco Evenepoel wins stage five
16:41 , Flo CliffordThe world and Olympic champion against the clock is a clear winner today, 16 seconds ahead of Pogacar, who moves into the yellow jersey. Edoardo Affini, who led for so long, finishes 33 seconds down in third.
A French one-two to round out the top five, French national champion Bruno Armirail ahead of Kevin Vauquelin.
Mathieu van der Poel crosses the line
16:39 , Flo CliffordYellow jersey Mathieu van der Poel has had a good day out, defending his jersey with honour, but he’ll lose it to Pogacar today.
He crosses the line in 38’26”, 1’44” down on Evenepoel which is really not bad at all, and 18th overall.
Remco Evenepoel wins stage five!
Pogacar puts a minute into Vingegaard
16:36 , Flo CliffordPogacar nearly comes a cropper on a corner but reels away just in time. He won’t win the stage, but he’ll take yellow, a fraction shy of 17 seconds down on Evenepoel in 36’58”, second overall. Most importantly, he’s a minute clear of Vingegaard.
The Slovenian pulled back two seconds on Evenepoel in the final kilometre, but not enough. Still, a phenomenal day out for the defending champion.
Vingegaard and Pogacar into final 2km
16:34 , Flo Clifford20 seconds between Pogacar and Evenepoel, and the Belgian will take the stage!
Vingegaard is haring for the finish but the clock has been red against him all day. He crosses the line in provisional 12th, but it’s the time gap that’s significant: 1’21” down on Evenepoel in 38’03”.
Could Pogacar win the stage?
16:30 , Flo CliffordBarring a ludicrous last few kilometres by Pogacar, it seems safe to say Evenepoel has won the stage. But the Slovenian is riding an excellent TT and is putting some serious time into Vingegaard, which no doubt is his main priority, and he’ll move into yellow today.
Kevin Vauquelin crosses the line in provisional fourth on home roads: 39 seconds down on Evenepoel, in 37’31”.
Vingegaard struggling at third checkpoint
16:26 , Flo CliffordAlmeida crosses the line 1’14” down on Evenepoel, in 37’56”, provisional sixth place. A solid performance without being sparkling, but he has been Pogacar’s top lieutenant so far, delivering him to the stage win on stage four, so that’s perhaps to be expected.
Vingegaard is 1’05” down on Evenepoel at the third timecheck! That’s an enormous gap, and he’s rocking and rolling still. Not looking comfortable at all.
Favourites in action
16:24 , Flo Clifford
Remco Evenepoel into the hot seat
16:22 , Flo CliffordAffini tips his cap, and that’s all you can do with a performance like that. An absolutely absurd time trial.
Remco Evenepoel obliterates Affini's time
16:21 , Flo CliffordEvenepoel is still launching himself around this course, timing his leans into the corners perfectly. What an absolute masterclass from the world and Olympic champion, travelling at 60km/h at some points.
He beats Affini by 33 seconds, with a time of 36’42”!
Vauquelin in brilliant form
16:19 , Flo Clifford“You’re faster than Roglic, you’re faster than Vingegard, you’re faster than Matteo Jorgenson. Go boy!” shout the Arkea sports directors to Vauquelin on the radio. What a way to spur their man on, and what a way to cheer the French fans.
He’s having a great day. Although he will lose the white jersey today to Remco Evenepoel.
Pogacar takes 30 seconds on Vingegaard
16:18 , Flo CliffordPogacar has taken half a minute on Jonas Vingegaard at the second timecheck, putting himself in sixth place provisionally, 20 seconds down on the fastest time at this point.
Roglic finishes in provisional seventh place
16:16 , Flo CliffordPrimoz Roglic is over the finish line in Caen in 38’01”, 46 seconds down on Affini, in seventh place provisionally. It’s not bad per se, but Roglic was already 1’27” down on the yellow jersey at the start of the day, and this won’t help.
Vingegaard is in 12th place provisionally at the second time check, 50 seconds down!! Not good at all for the Dane. We’re in for a thrilling finish to this one...
Evenepoel sets fastest time at final checkpoint
16:14 , Flo CliffordSoudal Quick-Step tell Evenepoel on the radio that he’s gained 20 seconds on Vingegaard. “Come on, keep working,” they urge their star.
The Belgian has gained the best part of 20 seconds between time checks two and three, and is 11 seconds quicker than Affini at the final check.
Nothing to separate Pogacar and Evenepoel
16:10 , Flo CliffordPogacar is through the first timecheck, three seconds down on Plapp, less than a second separating him from Evenepoel.
But Vingegaard was seventh at the first timecheck, 22 seconds off Plapp’s pace, and he’s nowhere near as aero, just shifting side to side a little more.
Pogacar flying
16:06 , Flo Clifford“Find a good rhythm, get your head down and push it,” Visma instruct Vingegaard on the radio. Sounds simple enough.
How is Pogacar doing? Two seconds quicker than Evenepoel and 15 seconds quicker than Vingegaard, heading towards the first timecheck... has polka-dot Pogi gone out too fast, or is he just on fire?
Evenepoel slips further back
16:04 , Flo CliffordFlorian Lipowitz has just set a great time at the finish, 25” seconds down on the specialist Edoardo Affini, in more difficult conditions, in 37’40”. That’s a strong time.
Ooh, Evenepoel is nearly nine seconds down on Plapp and four seconds down on Affini at the second checkpoint. Robbie McEwen says he’s just done the worst part of the course, headwind-wise, so should have time to bring it back. And of course, Plapp went out flying but lost time later on. Let’s see...
Yellow jersey van der Poel sets off
16:01 , Flo CliffordOff goes Mathieu van der Poel in head-to-toe yellow (well, not quite, he’s in white socks). Can he keep yellow today? It seems unlikely, but he’ll give it his best shot.
Top two: Pogacar on the road
15:59 , Flo CliffordBig cheers as Tadej Pogacar rolls down the start ramp, absolutely flying. He’s in the polka-dot skinsuit today as king of the mountains, rather than his standard UAE suit - what effect will that have? You’d imagine it will have been fitted within an inch of its life, so probably not much.
Top three: Vingegaard heads out
15:57 , Flo CliffordJonas Vingegaard is next to go, in provisional third overall. Another brilliant time-triallist, but better at the uphill stuff. He’s only eight seconds off Van der Poel and Pogacar overall so could well be in yellow by the end of the day.
Evenepoel second at checkpoint 1
15:56 , Flo CliffordRemco Evenepoel has set the second-quickest time at checkpoint 1, a fraction off three seconds slower than Luke Plapp, five seconds quicker than Affini at this point.
He’s got the most superb aero position, it really is a work of art. Pics when we get them.
Roglic is ninth at timecheck two, 49.2 seconds down on Luke Plapp. Oh dear.
Top five: Vauquelin, Jorgenson underway
15:54 , Flo CliffordInto the top five, and big cheers for the white jersey of Kevin Vauquelin, Arkea-B&B Hotels’ star man (who will surely be heading off to a bigger team soon) as he rolls down the ramp.
Oscar Onley and Enric Mas are also on the move.
Matteo Jorgenson is next down the ramp. The American is in the form of his life and will give this a good go today.
Affini to take the win?
15:52 , Flo CliffordJens Voigt, on the TNT Sports motorbike, says the wind has picked up and changed to a headwind coming out of the city, which favours Affini massively.
But all the big names for the GC have the same conditions, all setting off in the same 10 minutes or so.
Wout van Aert, by the way, finished a little while ago, in provisional 70th place. As we knew, he wasn’t going for the win today.
Roglic update
15:50 , Flo CliffordPrimoz Roglic is in 10th place provisionally, nearly half a minute down on Luke Plapp’s time at the first checkpoint, just 8km in!
That is not what the Slovenian would like to hear.
Ben O’Connor crosses the line a minute and 14 seconds down on Affini in 38’29”, 11th place provisionally.
Evenepoel, Almeida set off
15:47 , Flo CliffordEvenepoel absolutely floors it around the first corner and there’s no doubt this man means business.
A reminder that he was doored by a postal van in training in December, missing months of training and competition, and returned to action in the spring still with nerve damage in his shoulder. To even be in shape to ride the Tour, let alone win the stage today, is remarkable in itself.
Joao Almeida, another phenomenal time triallist, is next off the ramp. He’s a support rider for Pogacar but should be rewarded for his teamwork with the chance to ride for the stage today.
Remco Evenepoel in action
15:44 , Flo CliffordIt’s Remco Evenepoel time. He’s the out and out favourite for today’s stage, and every TT he enters, but anything can happen...
He’s in the world champ’s rainbow bands, the Olympic champion’s golden helmet with rainbow stripes, and golden bike. Absolutely resplendent.
Geraint Thomas speaks
15:40 , Flo CliffordGeraint Thomas has a word at the end of his penultimate Tour de France time trial (there’s another one to come, on stage 13).
Asked about any differences to his recon, the Welshman says, “It’s more just the corners are a bit sharper when you’re going quite a bit quicker. When I did the recon I wasn’t like I was in 2018, put it that way. It’s grippy on the way out and on the way back it’s fast but it’s still got a push - it’s harder than it looks on the profile.
It’s put to him that his numbers are probably better now than they were when he won the Tour in 2018. “That’s sport, innit, it always moves on, with innovation, with training, nutrition. If you didn’t move forward, you’re going back.”
Primoz Roglic down the ramp
15:37 , Flo CliffordFive-time grand tour champ Primoz Roglic is next to go. The Slovenian is 1’27” down and has been in indifferent form in the last couple of months.
He’s already downplayed his chances of winning the Tour, saying he just wants to get to Paris. But he’s a brilliant time-triallist, so should still set a good time.
His teammate/protege Florian Lipowitz is already out on the course too.
Martin, O'Connor underway
15:33 , Flo CliffordA huge roar goes up from the crowd as French journeyman Guillaume Martin rolls down the ramp.
Ben O’Connor is out on the road, over a minute down on teammate Luke Plapp at the second checkpoint. He’s nursing some war wounds from a crash earlier in the week and isn’t the speediest against the clock anyway, so might be prepared to lose some more time to his GC rivals here.
We’re into the top 16 now, with these chaps heading off in two-minute intervals.
Scenery check
15:26 , Flo CliffordAs ever the atmosphere is brilliant by the roadside as the spectators camp out to cheer the riders on.
Geraint Thomas crosses the line
15:20 , Flo CliffordGeraint Thomas crosses the line, two minutes down on Affini, in provisional 16th. Not the best day for the Welshman, but I don’t think he was planning on contesting the stage win today.
Wout van Aert gets underway
15:02 , Flo CliffordSimon Yates finishes an entire four minutes down on teammate Affini, wearing the ludicrous spaceship of a Visma TT helmet.
And now it’s the turn of superstar Wout van Aert to get his race underway. He’s a phenomenal time-triallist - but is he going for the win today, or just going to cruise round? He hasn’t set off at the most blistering pace, that’s for sure, so I think we can probably rule the former out.
Dumoulin backs Evenepoel for the win
14:56 , Flo Clifford“I’m quite convinced this has Evenepoel all over it,” former Giro winner and a phenomenal time triallist in his day Tom Dumoulin says on TNT Sports. “The question is by how much, and is it enough for yellow?”
Tobias Foss sixth overall
14:50 , Flo CliffordNot Tobias Foss’ day today. The Norwegian champ, a former rainbow jersey in this discipline, finishes 52 seconds down on Affini’s time in 38’07”. Ineos’ wait for a Tour stage win goes on.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe lieutenant Aleksandr Vlasov has overtaken his 1:30 man Victor Campenaerts, to the Visma man probably isn’t going flat out today.
Geraint Thomas sets off
14:43 , Flo CliffordKasper Asgreen has crossed the line in provisional ninth place, so will no doubt fall significantly further down the rankings by the end of the day.
Tobias Foss is in provisional eighth place at the third checkpoint, so no win for him either today.
And Geraint Thomas, riding his final ever Tour de France, is next down the ramp.
Julian Alaphilippe has just finished, three minutes down on Affini.
Ones to watch
14:30 , Flo CliffordStill a while to go before most of the real contenders for today’s stage win get underway (current leader Affini aside, obviously).
All times here are in CET. Wout van Aert is the next to go, at 2.58pm BST.
Ones to watch for the TT 💨
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 9, 2025
Les favoris pour le chrono du jour ⏱️#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/rWDJRTLl5h
Spectators out in force
14:24 , Flo Clifford
Two big contenders underway
14:13 , Flo CliffordTobias Foss, a somewhat surprising former world time-trial champ, is underway for Ineos Grenadiers, with Visma-Lease a Bike’s Victor Campenaerts following him down the ramp three minutes later.
The pair are both huge engines but Foss, clad in the Norwegian national champ’s skinsuit, hasn’t quite reached the same heights since that surprise win in 2022. Campenaerts may be keeping his powder dry as he’s a major domestique for Jonas Vingegaard on the flat.
Armirail two seconds short
14:07 , Flo Clifford“You really did a number, just two seconds down on Affini,” Decathlon encourage poor old Bruno Armirail, who probably won’t feel very happy with that.
Huge cheers now on the start line for perennial favourite Julian Alaphilippe as he rolls down the ramp.
Kasper Asgreen, a former Danish TT champ, is also underway.
Bruno Armirail just misses out on top time
14:00 , Flo Clifford“You’re one of the best in the world!” the Decathlon hypeman shouts to Bruno Armirail, but the French champ still has a fair bit of time to make up... but he’s second-quickest at the final checkpoint, 14 seconds off the pace.
He’s into the final kilometre and with a little over 36 minutes on the clock... He’s got a minute to play with. This is going to be tight... the crowd roar him on - and he misses out by 2.4 seconds!
Affini can breathe a sigh of relief in the hot seat.
Adam Yates underway
13:49 , Flo CliffordAdam Yates, a fine time-triallist in his own right, is the first of the real big guns to get underway - although it seems clear already that he isn’t going for his own GC result, having finished third overall in 2023.
Robbie McEwen, on TNT Sports comms, thinks the wind has picked up a little and is likely to continue to do so over the afternoon before dropping off towards sunset. That’s likely to benefit Edoardo Affini and his speedy early time.
Armirail losing time
13:42 , Flo CliffordGerman TT champ Max Schachmann is way down the rankings and looks like he’s just cruising. Problem perhaps, or just saving his legs to help team leader Remco Evenepoel later in the Tour?
Bruno Armirail is 18 seconds down on Plapp’s quickest time at the second checkpoint, which feels like a lot to make up in the final 16km or so.
Soudal Quick-Step pair cross line together
13:36 , Flo Clifford“You’re going to do an amazing TT,” the Decathlon team car shouts to Bruno Armirail, the French national champ as he nears the 10-minute mark. “Allez, allez, allez!” Need a hypeman like that in my life.
And it’s working: Armirail has gone four seconds quicker than Affini at the first check.
A little earlier Tim Merlier and Valentin Paret-Peintre crossed the line almost in unison, the big sprinter having overtaken his lightweight climber teammate.
Edoardo Affini into the hot seat
13:30 , Flo Clifford“Best time by a big, big margin,” Visma enthuse over the radio to Affini, who was 20 seconds quicker at the final checkpoint.
He’s looking on for a fabulous time - although he put his foot out around one of the later corners, oooh, nervy moments.
It’s the elite European champ who goes quickest, taking half a minute out of Romeo: 37:15:08 is the new fastest time. Average speed of 53km/h, which is ludicrous.
Young Romeo salutes and prepares to vacate the hot seat.
Edoardo Affini approaches finish
13:26 , Flo CliffordIs the European champ going to set a new fastest time? He was fastest at checkpoint 3, rattling around at nearly 53km/h, but has this tricky finishing segment full of corners still to go.
Robbie McEwen mentions on TNT Sports comms that Luke Plapp “is not known for his cornering prowess,” which explains the time he lost there, but how about Affini? Into the final couple of kilometres...
Scenery check
13:19 , Flo CliffordSome quite trippy photography coming out of today’s race. Here’s what the roadside spectators see:
Luke Plapp: 'I flew a bit too close to the sun!'
13:12 , Flo CliffordTNT Sports has a quick chat with Luke Plapp, who currently sits in second.
“I flew a bit too close to the sun and got burned!” the Aussie champ says ruefully. “I really just tried to attack it and go out as hard as I could and see how hard I could hold on, hopefully on my best day I could have held on a bit more but I just blew a bit towards the end.”
Compared to the recon, he says, “It just bites you a bit more in the end, I thought it was going to be a lot faster finish. Maybe the wind changed since the recon, I’m not sure. I definitely felt the end of the race was a lot longer than I thought [it would be].”
Asked his favourite for the stage, the answer is decisive: “Remco by a country mile, a long way!”
Edoardo Affini second-quickest at first checkpoint
13:05 , Flo CliffordEuropean champ Affini has set the second-fastest time at the first checkpoint, faster than our current leader Ivan Romeo. “This looks like a really good rhythm,” the Visma team car encourages him.
Romeo into hot seat as Plapp loses time
12:54 , Flo CliffordLuke Plapp doesn’t quite hurl himself around the corners in the same risky manner as Romeo.
He’s hit the 37 minute mark as he comes under the flamme rouge, and I think he’s not got enough left ro overhaul Romeo...
He’s slowing down a lot compared to Romeo and is losing time in these corners. He goes flat out into the final straight, but not enough, and Romeo is into the hot seat. 37’59” for Luke Plapp, 15 seconds down on the young Spaniard.
Ivan Romeo sets quickest time
12:52 , Flo CliffordKazakh national champ and four-time Asian continent champ crosses the line in 42’24”, but he’s immediately overhauled by Spain’s Pablo Castrillo, who’s over in 38 minutes flat.
Ivan Romeo positively launches himself around these corners in nerve-jangling fashion, and is rewarded with a new best time of 37’44”.
It’s quite a technical finish, with a few chicanes in quick succession.
Weather check
12:35 , Flo CliffordIt’s an absolutely delightful day for a ride: bright sunshine and clear skies in northern France.
Luke Plapp fastest of early starters
12:29 , Flo CliffordLuke Plapp has put 11 seconds into Romeo, crossing the first time-check in 9’40”. 20km remaining for the Aussie - this is a comparatively long TT by recent Tour standards, at 33km.
TT specialists making their mark
12:25 , Flo CliffordIvan Romeo is flying. The 21-year-old has just stormed past one of his Movistar teammates. Luke Plapp has just overhauled his minute man Michael Storer too.
Romeo is quickest at the first time-check, passing in 9’51”.
'Brings back good memories' - Van der Poel on wearing yellow
12:21 , Flo CliffordHere’s what race leader Mathieu van der Poel had to say at the end of the day yesterday. Today is likely to be his last day in yellow for this race but the stage two winner is looking on the bright side.
🎙 🇳🇱@mathieuvdpoel: "I'm proud to keep the Yellow Jersey one more day but I'm realistic, there's a good chance I'll lose it tomorrow. But it's nice to do a time trial in yellow again, like I did 4 years ago. It brings back good memories and I'm going to enjoy it." 💛
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 8, 2025
💛 The… https://t.co/LAQdIXRdy5
Luke Plapp next to go
12:17 , Flo CliffordAustralian TT champ, and recent Giro stage winner, Luke Plapp is underway for Jayco-AlUla. You can’t miss him in his day-glo green and gold skinsuit.
Ivan Romeo underway
12:14 , Flo CliffordMovistar’s brilliant young talent Ivan Romeo, under-23 world champ last year, is next down the ramp.
Key start times today
12:11 , Flo CliffordHere are the start times of some of the big contenders for today’s stage to keep an eye on:
- Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla): 12.15pm
- Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike): 12.49pm
- Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers): 2.06pm
- Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike): 2.58.30pm
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): 3.36pm
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): 3.44pm
- Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): 3.46pm
- Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike): 3.54pm
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike): 3.56pm
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): 3.58pm
Stage five underway!
12:06 , Flo CliffordYevgeniy Fedorov, the lanterne rouge at the moment, is first down the ramp.
Stage five is on!
Pogacar going for yellow today?
12:00 , Flo CliffordHere’s what Pogacar had to say after his stage win yesterday: “I think today I got very, very close to the limit. I tried with an attack on the last climb and then Jonas followed me and everything came together.
“Joao [Almeida] did such an amazing job to lead me out until the very end, even if people were attacking so I'm super happy and proud of the team today, it's amazing and I'm just without words, it's such a nice victory.
“To win at the Tour is incredible, to do it in this jersey even more so and to win 100 victories is amazing...
“We will see, tomorrow [the time trial] is the real test. Already to win a stage in this jersey for me it's enough, I just go on enjoying this race. Of course we aim for yellow and we will see.”
The defending champ is in prime position to take yellow today, level on time with Van der Poel but not actually in the jersey on countback.
Winners and losers on stage four
11:53 , Flo CliffordThe big winners, obviously, were Pogacar and Vingegaard, the Dane a little less so as he struggled to keep pace with his rival’s attack on the Rampe Saint-Hilaire - but did manage to make it back on, distancing all the other contenders in the process.
Remco Evenepoel lost another three seconds in the dash for the line but won’t be too concerned as that’s time he can make up in today’s specialist-friendly time trial.
Roglic fell off the back by 20 seconds in the final kilometres and now sits 1’27” down, with Felix Gall, Ben O’Connor, and Florian Lipowitz all losing time too.
But Oscar Onley has had another fine outing today, fourth on the stage and moving up to seventh overall. The young Scot is racing a ‘relaxed’ GC, according to his team, but is working nicely so far.
Five key stages where the Tour de France may be won or lost
11:47 , Flo CliffordThis year’s Tour de France is a real ‘Tour of France’, taking place entirely within French borders for the first time since 2020.
There are pitfalls throughout the route for any yellow jersey hopefuls to avoid, with crosswinds threatening to wreak havoc in a tricky, punchy opening week in the north of France, before the real mountains begin almost halfway through the race.
We’ve taken a look at five crucial stages the general classification contenders will have to escape unscathed in order to mount a real challenge - and which could spell the end of a tilt at the title.
Prediction for stage five
11:40 , Flo CliffordIt’s hard not to back Remco Evenepoel for this one. The Soudal Quick-Step leader will have bookmarked this stage from the minute the route was published as a golden opportunity to take the stage win, and amass such a margin of victory as to take the yellow jersey, too.
The world and Olympic time-trial champion is the fastest man in the world against the clock, and he didn’t look troubled yesterday by a minor crash on stage three, so should be in prime position to take the win today. Yellow might be a steeper ask as he has 58 seconds to make up on Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, but the Belgian is an absolute demon on a flat course like this one. His task has also been made easier by Filippo Ganna’s untimely exit from the race after a crash on stage one.
General classification after stage four
11:33 , Flo Clifford1) Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), in 16:46:00
2) Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), at same time
3) Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), +8”
4) Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), +19”
5) Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels), +26”
6) Enric Mas (Movistar), +48”
7) Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) , +55”
8) Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), at same time
9) Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), +58”
10) Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), +1’02”
Who is leading the Tour de France? Yellow jersey and general classification standings
11:27 , Flo CliffordMathieu van der Poel remains the overall leader of the Tour de France - but only by a whisker as defending champion Tadej Pogacar won stage four, his 100th career victory, to move level with the Dutchman on time.
The world champion bested van der Poel in an uphill sprint to the line in Rouen, with two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard coming third as the general classification favourites vied for the stage win.
The trio remain on the provisional overall podium, with last year’s third-placed finisher Remco Evenepoel losing another handful of seconds as a gap opened up at the finish, to now sit ninth, 58 seconds back. Primoz Roglic - the final member of the so-called ‘Big Four’ - was also distanced in the closing stages and sits 13th, 1’27” back.
Who is leading the Tour de France? Yellow jersey and general classification standings
Stage five start time
11:20 , Flo CliffordNo neutralised rollout today as it’s a time-trial. The first rider will roll down the ramp at 1.10pm local time, 12.10pm BST, with the final arrival into Caen scheduled for 5.42pm local time (4.42pm BST).
Yevgeniy Fedorov, the 181st of 181 remaining riders, will be the first to set off, with Mathieu van der Poel starting his race against the clock last.
How to watch the Tour de France
11:15 , Flo CliffordThe 2025 Tour de France will be 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 will 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 four results
11:09 , Flo Clifford1) Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), in 3:50:29
2) Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
3) Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike)
4) Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL)
5) Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ)
6) Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), all at same time
7) Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), +3”
8) Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), +3”
9) Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), +7”
10) Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels), +10”
Tadej Pogacar seals century of wins with thrilling sprint victory on stage four of the Tour de France
11:06 , Flo CliffordTadej Pogacar claimed the 100th victory of his professional career to move level on time with Mathieu van der Poel in the yellow jersey on a thrilling stage four of the Tour de France in Rouen.
In the hometown of the Tour's first five-time winner Jacques Anquetil, Pogacar took a stride to what he hopes will be his fourth title with a show of strength on another classics-style stage, beating Van der Poel and his great rival Jonas Vingegaard in an uphill sprint.
It was Pogacar's 18th career Tour stage win and one that put him on the same time as Van der Poel - who retains yellow on countback - with Vingegaard eight seconds back going into Wednesday's time trial. Pogacar, 26, became the fourth youngest rider to reach 100 professional wins.
Stage five route map and profile
11:03 , Flo Clifford
Good morning
11:00 , Flo CliffordHello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of stage five of the Tour de France!
We’re against the clock today as the riders tackle 33km starting and finishing in Caen.
It’s flat, fast, and ideal for the Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel... could he haul back his 58-second time defict and take yellow today?
