Dutch climber holds off yellow jersey in stunning solo raid through the Pyrenees
LUCHON-SUPERBAGNÈRES, France (19 July 2025) — In the theatre of the Pyrenees, where legends are forged and dreams are shattered, Thymen Arensman wrote himself into Tour de France folklore with a performance of breathtaking audacity and tactical perfection. The 24-year-old Dutchman, riding his maiden Tour for Ineos Grenadiers, held off the mightiest mountain train in professional cycling for 37 kilometers of pure suffering to claim victory atop Superbagnères.
Behind him, the script unfolded as expected: Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard trading vicious attacks in the rarified air of the final climb, the Slovenian ultimately prevailing by four precious seconds to extend his yellow jersey advantage. But on a day when cycling’s two titans were expected to deliver the decisive blow, it was Arensman who authored the most compelling chapter.
The final Pyrenean stage arrived with the weight of expectation. Four major cols—Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde, and the summit finish at Superbagnères—promised 4,950 meters of elevation and 182 kilometers of unforgiving terrain. With 170 riders remaining after Bryan Coquard’s withdrawal due to a hand injury, the peloton assembled in Pau under threatening skies.
The drizzle that greeted the riders seemed an ominous portent. This was terrain that could reshape the entire Tour, and every team knew it. UAE Team Emirates-XRG controlled proceedings early, content to let the break form while keeping Pogačar safely positioned. Visma-Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek also showed their hands early, the latter keen to position Jonathan Milan for the intermediate sprint despite the mountainous profile.
The first cracks appeared even before the mountains proper. At kilometer 53, Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek suffered a heavy fall that would end his Tour, the Danish climber forced to abandon his hopes on the roadside. It was an early reminder of cycling’s cruel lottery, where months of preparation can evaporate in a single moment of misfortune.
More shocking still was the sight of Remco Evenepoel dropping from the yellow jersey group on the opening slopes of the Tourmalet. The Belgian, third overall and considered a genuine podium threat, simply couldn’t match the pace set by UAE Team Emirates-XRG. His Tour would end in abandonment, another reminder of the ruthless arithmetic of Grand Tour racing.
“It’s sad that Remco Evenepoel had to quit the Tour,” Pogačar would reflect later. “I don’t know what happened exactly to him, but we were talking yesterday about how he shouldn’t get carried away by all the media surrounding him and focus on the moment instead. In cycling, you never know how you are going to wake up—or, as a matter of fact, when you will be fighting for the Tour de France podium again. I send him my best regards and hope he will recover quickly.”
The Break Takes Shape
As the Tourmalet’s slopes began to bite, the race’s narrative crystallized. A strong group featuring Arensman, Lenny Martínez in the polka dot jersey, Ben O’Connor, and several others had escaped, followed by a larger chase group containing dangerous names like Sepp Kuss and Simon Yates.
Martínez, the young Spaniard who had made the mountains classification his own, seized his moment with characteristic aggression. The Bahrain Victorious rider went solo for the final six kilometers of the Tourmalet, cresting with a lead of 1’45” over his closest pursuers and 3’30” over the yellow jersey group. The roar from the roadside crowds was deafening as the polka dot jersey disappeared into the mist, but behind him, the UAE locomotive was beginning to stir.
“In the Tourmalet, I managed not to go into the red, and it was incredible to do that climb alone with the polka dot jersey and all those people cheering me on,” Martínez would later explain. “We had a plan at the start this morning and we achieved it almost 100%. I wanted to take all the points except for the finish, and in the end I didn’t manage to get through at the front at Peyresourde, but I still took second place because Arensman managed to break away on his own. I didn’t have much left in my legs. I would have loved to win this stage, but I can see that there are more experienced riders who manage to be stronger at the end than at the start of the stage.”
But the Tourmalet was merely the opening act. On the descent and over the Col d’Aspin, the race’s dynamics shifted constantly. Martínez maintained his lead initially, but the pursuit from Kuss and Valentin Paret-Peintre materialized exactly as feared. The mathematics were brutal: every second counted, and the chasers had numbers. By the bottom of the descent to Arreau, the polka dot jersey had been caught, swallowed by the inevitable logic of pursuit racing.
The regrouping was swift and decisive. Eight riders entered the Col de Peyresourde together, but tensions were rising. Everyone knew this was the crucial moment—the last chance to gain time before the brutal finale at Superbagnères. The group eyed each other warily, calculating odds and measuring reserves.
Arensman’s Masterstroke
It was here that Arensman made his defining move. With 4.5 kilometers to the summit, the Dutchman attacked with the kind of explosive acceleration that separates the very good from the great. No words, no warning—just pure, devastating pace that split the breakaway like a thunderclap.
“When I heard the gap with the GC group on Peyresourde, I thought 3 minutes against Tadej [Pogačar] and Jonas [Vingegaard] was not enough, so I had to move,” Arensman explained. “Maybe it would prove to be suicide but I had to try. I can’t believe I pulled it off.”
Crossing the Col de Peyresourde with a 1’20” advantage over his breakaway companions and 3’30” over the yellow jersey group, Arensman faced the most daunting 37 kilometers of his professional career. Behind him, UAE Team Emirates-XRG had finally roused themselves for the chase, the distinctive white and black jerseys stringing out the peloton as they sought to limit the damage. The sight was terrifying: cycling’s most efficient machine in full pursuit mode.
The mathematics were brutal. Arensman, talented as he was, would have to maintain his advantage over two of the greatest Grand Tour riders of the modern era across terrain that had destroyed countless dreams before. The final climb to Superbagnères rose 1,804 meters, with sections touching 10% gradient—a merciless judge of condition and character.
Radio chatter filled the airwaves. Time gaps fluctuated wildly. The lone leader’s advantage began to erode as the chase intensified behind him. Three minutes became two and a half. Two and a half became two. The pressure was suffocating.
“I was fading on the second part of the climb but the spectators gave me extra watts,” Arensman would admit, his honesty as refreshing as his performance was remarkable.
The Titans Collide
Behind the lone leader, the GC battle unfolded with predictable intensity. Felix Gall launched the first significant attack with eight kilometers remaining, a move that served notice of the Austrian’s ambitions but failed to gain meaningful distance. The temperature rose immediately. This was the moment everyone had waited for.
The real fireworks began when Vingegaard made his bid four kilometers later, the Dane finally showing the form that had made him a two-time Tour winner. His acceleration was violent, sudden—the kind of move that has decided Tours. For a moment, it seemed the race might explode.
Pogačar’s response was immediate and emphatic. The Slovenian covered every move, his poker face betraying nothing of the effort required to match his rival’s accelerations. When Vingegaard attacked again, Pogačar was there. When the Dane surged once more, the yellow jersey held firm. It was a masterclass in tactical racing, but the tension was unbearable.
“Jonas [Vingegaard] tried today, and he was really good indeed. Actually, I was expecting him to attack a bit earlier,” Pogačar reflected. “Once I shut down his two moves, I realized I didn’t have the firepower to counterattack and go all in to the finish. This is why I chose to control the stage, stay on his wheel and then sprint at the finish. We have had a few mountain stages already, and this is probably the strongest I’ve seen him in the Pyrenees. I’m sure he will keep attacking me in the Alps.”
The final acceleration came in the closing meters, Pogačar finding that extra gear that has defined his career. The gap was small—just four seconds—but decisive. More importantly, the psychological impact was enormous. Once again, when the moment demanded it most, Pogačar had found a way to win.
“We came close to a stage win, but Thymen Arensman was really strong today and he fully deserved this victory – hats off to him,” Pogačar admitted. “We can be happy and satisfied with the Pyrenees. Today we did a super stage, riding at our own pace all day long with an incredible Nils Politt. It was a super hard day because of the weather and the climbs. Furthermore, the break didn’t go until the Tourmalet, and that meant the first 70 kilometers were super fast. Later on, the downhills were a bit scary – especially the Tourmalet.”
A changing classification brought new stories. Florian Lipowitz, the young German climbing sensation, rode himself into third place overall and claimed the white jersey in the process. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider finished fifth on the stage, but his consistent high-level performance has positioned him as a genuine podium contender.
“When I came to the Tour, I never thought about being on the podium or fighting for the podium,” Lipowitz admitted. “I knew I am in a good shape and now I’m third and I have the white jersey, I can only be happy. We are a team and we discuss things together. So far, I’ve showed that I’m in a good shape but Primož [Roglič] is the leader. We are super close. He will tell me what to do and what’s the plan for the coming days. He showed yesterday in the TT that he can perform really good and I believe that he is a guy for the third week and for sure we’ll see something great from him. It was sad to hear [about Remco Evenepoel retiring from the Tour]. He was one of the main favourites for the podium. I feel sorry for him but we need to focus on our ambitions. The team’s goal is to be on the podium of the Tour, and we have to see who will be fighting for it, Primož or me. Two weeks are almost done but everyone knows the third week is the hardest. The stages look very tough with a lot of climbing. We have to see how the legs are. I hope they stay the same.”
The Dream Realized
For Arensman, crossing the line at Superbagnères represented the culmination of a lifetime’s work. His maiden Tour participation had already exceeded expectations with second place at Le Mont-Dore, but this victory elevated him to an entirely different level. The emotion was overwhelming—tears mixed with sweat as the magnitude of his achievement sank in.
“I can’t really believe it. To be honest, I just wanted to experience the Tour, the biggest race in the world, after some good results in the Giro and the Vuelta,” he reflected. “Now, to win a stage in my first Tour, and to do it this way, it’s unbelievable, crazy. I was already at the Giro this year, and I got sick after the race. I still had a good preparation for the Tour. I had to be patient in the first week, waiting for the mountains. And on the first opportunity, I was 2nd at Le Mont-Dore, which was already an amazing experience in my first Tour, but this is unbelievable. I just had amazing legs. I have the shape of my life.”
The victory was built on patience and precision, but delivered with breathtaking courage when the moment demanded it.
As the Tour prepares to leave the Pyrenees and enter its final, decisive week, the battle lines have been clearly drawn. Pogačar holds a commanding 4’13” advantage over Vingegaard, but the Alps remain—and cycling history is littered with races that changed dramatically in the final week. The Slovenian’s dominance has been impressive but not overwhelming, and the hunger in Vingegaard’s eyes suggests this fight is far from over.
For riders like Arensman, moments like these justify every sacrifice, every training camp, every moment of suffering that brought them to this point. In a sport often dominated by predictable outcomes, the unexpected can still triumph, and dreams can still become reality on the mountains of France. But the question remains: can anyone truly resist Pogačar’s rule, or was this simply a beautiful anomaly in an inevitable coronation?
By the Numbers
1: ARENSMAN NEW WINNER
After finishing 2nd at Puy de Sancy five days earlier, Thymen Arensman finally triumphed in Superbagnères, claiming his first Tour victory and his 4th professional victory. He is the 68th Dutchman to win and gave the Netherlands their 169th victory, their second of the year after Mathieu van der Poel’s in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
41: INEOS ENDS ITS LONGEST DROUGHT!
Winning for the 22nd time, the Ineos Grenadiers team had not won a Tour stage since July 15, 2023, when Carlos Rodriguez conquered stage 14 in Morzine. A drought of two years and 41 stages, the team’s longest period without a victory. Before that, the previous “record” was 35 stages without winning: from stage 17 of the Tour 2020 to stage 11 of the Tour 2022, before Tom Pidcock’s success at L’Alpe d’Huez.
5: LIPOWITZ DOESN’T STOP
Ranked 3rd in Hautacam, 4th in Peyragudes, and 5th today, Florian Lipowitz has achieved a third consecutive top-5 finish. He is the first German to do so since sprinter André Greipel in 2012, 13 years ago! At 24, Lipowitz is also the first German to lead the young rider classification since Marcel Kittel in 2013 (stage 1).
3: A GENERAL CLASSIFICATION TOP-3 RETIRING
The leader of the young rider classification before the stage, Remco Evenepoel, is the first white jersey to abandon the race since Tom Dumoulin in 2015 (stage 3). The Belgian was also 3rd in the general classification, and this is the first time a podium rider has to leave the Tour since 2017. At that time, Geraint Thomas, who was second, crashed and abandoned on the road to Chambéry (stage 9).
22: THE “GIANT” FOR A YOUNG RIDER
At 22 years and 8 days, Lenny Martinez is the second youngest rider in history to conquer the Col du Tourmalet, after René Vietto in 1934 (20 years, 5 months, and 6 days). This achievement contributed to his reconquest of the polka dot jersey, which he won for the third time.
8: FRENCH FIGHTERS
Leading the race for over 70 kilometers, Lenny Martinez received the combativity award for the second time after winning it on stage 4. This is the 8th time a French rider has been awarded this year (Mattéo Vercher x2, Bruno Armirail x2, Lenny Martinez x2, Ewen Costiou, Mathieu Burgaudeau). The last time it happened was in 2013 (Jérome Cousin x2, Blel Kadri, Romain Bardet, Julien Simon, Sylvain Chavanel, Christophe Riblon, Pierre Rolland).
88: LEGENDARY PEAKS
Three peaks on today’s stage are among the four most climbed in the Tour history: the Col du Tourmalet (1st, 88th times today), the Col d’Aspin (2nd, 77 times), and the Col de Peyresourde (4th, 72 times). Frenchman Lenny Martinez dominated the first two, before Thymen Arensman became the second Dutchman to lead at Peyresourde. The first was Steven Rooks in 1988, 11 years before the day’s winner was born.
10: THE GREENEST OF THE ITALIANS
Still leading the points classification after winning the intermediate sprint at Esquièze-Sère, Jonathan Milan took his 10th green jersey. This is a new record for an Italian rider, although Italians have already won this classification: Franco Bitossi in 1968, Alessandro Petacchi in 2010.
1-2: THAT AVENIR PODIUM
This isn’t the first time that Thymen Arensman and Tadej Pogacar have shared the top-2 places in a ranking. They also finished 1st and 2nd in the Tour de l’Avenir 2018. A quite representative name for the race, as “Avenir” means “Future”!
163: DOWN TO THE DAY
Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Florian Lipowitz, Oscar Onley, are Kévin Vauquelin: the general classification top-5 has an average age of 25 years and 163 days. Last year, the general classification top-5 after stage 14 had… exactly the same average age! The five riders were Pogacar, Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Joao Almeida, and Carlos Rodriguez. Lipowitz, Onley, and Vauquelin are also the three riders of the best young rider podium.
Stage 14 Results
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- Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) 4h53’35”
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) +1’08”
- Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +1’12”
- Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +1’19”
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +1’25”
- Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) +2’09”
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) +2’46”
- Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +2’46”
- Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) +2’59”
- Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) +3’08”
General Classification After Stage 14
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- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) 50h40’28”
- Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +4’13”
- Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +7’53”
- Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) +9’18”
- Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) +10’21”
- Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +10’34”
- Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +12’00”
- Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) +12’33”
- Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) +18’41”
- Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) +22’57”
Jersey Leaders after Stage 14
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- Yellow Jersey (Overall Leader) – Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
- Green Jersey (Points Classification) – Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
- Polka Dot Jersey (King Of The Mountains) – Lenny Martínez (Bahrain Victorious)
- White Jersey (Best Young Rider) – Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
