Tadej Pogacar won an “unforgettable” mountainous 14th stage of the Tour de France amidst huge crowds in the Vosges on Saturday to extend his lead over Jonas Vingegaard to four-and-a-half minutes.

It was the world champion’s fourth stage win in this 113th edition of the Grande Boucle as his team-mate Isaac Del Toro pipped teenager Paul Seixas to second place, with Vingegaard fourth at the end of the 155km stage from Mulhouse to Le Markstein Fellering.

“I must say thanks to all the fans that came to the side of the road, it was really something unforgettable,” the 27-year-old Slovenian said.

“To see all the crowds on the hills, over the mountain… I (have) never seen something like this.

“All the riders, we have such a massive respect towards each other.

“I think we all put on a great show. It’s nice to see this kind of racing.”

Four-time champion Pogacar had already stamped his authority on this Tour in the previous mountain stages but once again he emphasised his superiority with another devastating late attack.

This was his 25th Tour stage victory in total since his debut in 2020.

Read morePogacar wins Tour de France 10th stage in Bastille Day showdown

Behind him, the battle for the minor placings produced some thrills.

Frenchman Seixas took four bonus seconds on the line, 38sec after Pogacar, which proved enough to move him up to fourth in the overall standings, and strip Spaniard Juan Ayuso of the best young rider’s white jersey — but only by three seconds.

Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel held onto third place overall after finished strongly to come home only four seconds behind Vingegaard despite having been the first of the top seven contenders to be dropped on the final climb, the 11.2km-long Col du Haag.

He leads Seixas by just 15 seconds in the final podium position.

But the gap between Vinegegaard in second overall and Del Toro in seventh is now just 1:20, with Evenepoel’s Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team-mate Florian Lipowitz in sixth.

Inevitable attack

A group of more than 30 riders went on the attack from the opening climb of the stage, the 21.5km-long Grand Ballon — the big ball, so named for the rounded shape of its summit.

But by the summit, six riders had detached themselves from the group and four of them would stay out in front until the Col du Haag.

The rest were swallowed up by the peloton led by Pogacar’s UAE Emirates-XRG team on the Ballon d’Alsace climb in inclement weather alternating between warm sunshine and heavy showers — a welcome change from the heatwave that made the opening 10 days of the race so gruelling.

The six stretched out a maximum lead of three minutes, but UAE kept that leash well under control.

Irishman Ben Healy was the first rider to drop out of the break before Norwegian Anders Johannessen, whose twin brother Tobias remained, did likewise.

By the foot of the final climb, the four leaders had a gap of about 1:20 over a peloton of around 35 riders.

Johannessen and Richard Carapaz dropped their two companions within a kilometre of the start of the climb but an acceleration by Vingegaard saw them caught 2.5km from the summit.

Pogacar then launched his inevitable winning move 1.5km from the top, with only a fast 6km run to the finish line after that.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

First Published: Jul 18 2026 | 10:36 PM IST

(L-R) Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs of India; Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary BAI; Himanta Biswa Sarma, President, BAI and CM of Assam; Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports; Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Coach, BAI; and Hari Ranjan Rao, Secretary, MYAS & DG, SAI along with BWF World Championships 2026 official mascot Peacko. (Photo credit: BAI)

NEW DELHI: With 30 days remaining for the BWF World Championships to kick-off, organisers on Saturday promised a trouble-free tournament after last year’s India Open was marred by pigeon droppings, a monkey intrusion, dust and facility concerns. TOI has learnt that cost-effective hybrid shuttlecocks will also be used, amid soaring feather shuttle prices.Badminton Association of India (BAI) general secretary Sanjay Mishra said the shortcomings exposed during the India Open have been comprehensively addressed ahead of the Aug 17-23 event, which is expected to cost the federation anywhere between Rs 15-20 crore to host.“The issues that came up during the India Open have been rectified and I am confident this will be one of the best World Championships in every aspect,” Mishra said. Calling the India Open a “test event”, he thanked the sports ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) for extensive upgrades.To eliminate the pigeon menace, heavy-duty overhead polyethylene bird netting will be installed beneath the roof structure to prevent birds from nesting while allowing normal lighting and ventilation. “The existing nests have also been removed,” Mishra said. On the monkey intrusion, he said the previously open overhead gates have been sealed, a triple-door entry system created and a 24×7 security guard deployed. To tackle stray dogs, BAI has coordinated with the Delhi govt and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to shift dogs to shelter homes, while dog-catching teams will remain on duty to ensure a dog-free venue.The stadium has also undergone renovation, including a new false ceiling, upgraded toilets, drainage improvements to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon and powerful glare-free LED lighting for enhanced player and spectator experience.Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, while unveiling the official mascot ‘Peacko’ and championship anthem, said, “India is moving towards becoming a sporting nation,” adding that the event will mark another milestone in the country’s sporting ambitions. BAI president and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the tournament’s return after 17 years “a landmark moment” that would leave a lasting legacy for Indian badminton.

TimesofIndia.com in London: There were plenty of chants as Rohit Sharma walked into the iconic Lord’s cricket ground on Saturday. The mood remained the same as he walked out nearly three hours later.“The most important man in all of India!” yelled one fan. Another declared, “Ek century pakka kal! (One century tomorrow for sure!),” as Rohit smiled and took his place in the luxury black bus. The runs may not be flowing for the ‘Hitman’. The naysayers may be pushing him out of the side rather than backing him to stay. But fans do not see things that way. Rohit Sharma has scored 891 runs since the start of 2025, behind Shubman Gill‘s 974 and Virat Kohli‘s 961. This year, he has scored 241 runs, behind Gill’s 484 and Kohli’s 310. The pressure, even if the team management denies it, must be playing a role.As Rohit and Kohli prepare for what could be their last bilateral game in England, their contributions to the game have not been forgotten.“They’ve obviously been phenomenal players for many years, and it’s good to see them still playing the game,” England skipper Harry Brook said ahead of the third ODI, with the series locked at 1-1.Rohit has scored only 37 runs in the ongoing series, 11 in Birmingham and 26 at Cardiff, prompting questions over whether the 39-year-old’s place in India’s ODI team is under threat. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak insisted there was no pressure to speak of.On Saturday, Morne Morkel added another proverbial arm around Rohit’s shoulder.“It is hard work with the new ball upfront. We have seen that throughout the series. The ball is moving around.“So batting upfront is not easy. No doubt Rohit will work it out. He has done it in the past. He is experienced, and he brings calmness to the batting line-up. So, without a doubt, there are no worries or concerns at all about the way he is going about things,” the South African added.His record at Lord’s does not inspire much confidence. The right-hander has played five matches at the venue and scored just 133 runs, including an 83 in a Test in 2021. In four white-ball matches, he has managed only 29 runs, with a top score of 15 in 2018. In fact, his last outing here ended in a 10-ball duck as England thrashed India by 100 runs.Hoping to change that, Rohit took part in the optional practice session ahead of the third ODI alongside Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav and Prince Yadav.During a batting stint that lasted just over an hour, Rohit faced Kuldeep, Mayank Yadav and the sidearm specialists. He looked largely in good touch and in control. During breaks, he joked and laughed with members of the support staff. After finishing, he walked to the bench, took off his gear and had a lengthy chat with coach Gautam Gambhir. Even before the nets session, Rohit was seen standing alongside Gambhir and Kotak on the Lord’s balcony, sharing a hearty laugh.Even if this turns out to be the last ODI of Rohit Sharma’s illustrious career, the crowd will undoubtedly turn up in large numbers for one final glimpse of one of India’s greatest white-ball cricketers at one of the game’s most iconic venues.

India bowling coach Morne Morkel on Saturday downplayed Rohit Sharma’s struggles, underlining the “calmness” the experienced batter brings to the batting line-up, and said he will find his feet soon in English conditions. Rohit’s scores of 11 and 26 in the first two ODIs have accentuated the talk around his future ahead of the third and final match against England at Lord’s on Sunday.

“It’s is hard work with a new ball up front. We have seen that in the entire series. The ball is moving around. So batting up front, it is not easy. No doubt Rohit will work it out,” Morkel said in the pre-match press conference.

“He has done it in the past. He is experienced and he just brings that calmness to the batting line-up. So, without a doubt, no worries and concerns at all with the way he is going about things,” he added.

Going into the series decider, India have other concerns too in the batting department.

The middle-order could not exploit the launch pad given by Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in the second ODI, getting restricted to a below par 233 as England won the match by four wickets.

Morkel said Indian batters should get used to the pace of the Lord’s pitch before unleashing their shots.

“I think for them it is just to sum up the conditions, we have seen of late that it can be a tricky surface here at Lord’s. So, maybe, to give yourself that extra 5-10 balls just to get used to the pace of the surface, is going to be important.

“But, if you look at our top-order, top middle-order, they have played a lot of cricket. They are very well aware of the conditions and how to form partnerships and that is going to be the key.

“As a team we always look to push that 10 per cent and look for ways to get better and we know in the 50-over game, it is about partnerships and if we can form that with bat and ball, it will be an exciting game for us,” he detailed.

The former South African pacer also exhorted the Indian quicks to work out ways to get breakthroughs in the middle-overs.

“To be honest, the way we bowled in the last game was exceptional. Just looking at the numbers, the high speeds that the boys are generating, the areas that we have bowled in were great to see.

“We have gone with the thinking that we wanted to use Prasidh and Gurnoor Brar with that extra bounce in that middle phase.” Morkel reminded the importance of wickets in the middle passage.

“But it is crucial to get those wickets in the middle phase. So, we will keep on working on ways and trying to find how we can make those breakthroughs. I thought Joe (Root) played exceptionally well, classy innings (99 not out) there,” he said.

However, Morkel said he does not want to cloud the thinking of bowlers with excessive tips.

“It is a bit of a tricky one because one thing is you can share about past experiences about the (Lord’s) slope. You can give a lot of ideas. But also you need to be mindful that it is a day out before a game. You don’t want to add too many things for the bowlers to think about,” he added.

There has been some chatter around Morkel wanting to quit after the ongoing ODI series against England, but he sounded keen to help India bowlers in the 2027 50-over World Cup to be held in his home country.

“Living in South Africa and playing 20 years of cricket in SA… my experience counts for something. There are definitely conversations about the World Cup and planning that potentially we can take forward, once we reach there or getting closer to the World Cup time.

“But for sure, I have learned my trade in South Africa. I understand the surfaces. I understand that the wickets can play differently in certain times of the year. Yeah, definitely I will put that forward to the team and to the table,” he noted.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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