Abrahamsen Claims Tour de France Stage 11 Amidst Pogačar Crash; Healy Retains Yellow
Norwegian rider Jonas Abrahamsen secured a dramatic victory on the 11th stage of the Tour de France, while race favorite Tadej Pogačar experienced a late crash but was aided by the peloton.
The stage, a 97.4-mile loop from Toulouse back to the “Pink City,” saw Abrahamsen launch an early attack, ultimately out-sprinting Swiss rider Mauro Schmid in a photo finish. Mathieu van der Poel of Belgium finished third, seven seconds behind the leaders.
The day’s narrative was substantially shaped by a crash involving three-time champion Tadej Pogačar with approximately 2.5 miles remaining. In a show of sportsmanship, Pogačar’s general classification rivals slowed their pace, allowing him to remount and rejoin the peloton without losing time. Pogačar, who appeared unhurt, expressed his gratitude for the gesture.
“I’m quite OK,a bit beaten up,but we’ve been through worse days,” pogačar commented to reporters. “Thanks to the peloton in front, they actually waited. Obviously, the race was more or less over back there, but still, they could have taken time.Really big respect to everybody in front. Thanks for your support, guys.”
Ben Healy of Ireland, who retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey, confirmed discussions with Pogačar’s main rival, Jonas Vingegaard, where both agreed to wait for the Slovenian cyclist.
For Abrahamsen, the victory marks a meaningful personal achievement, especially given his recent recovery from a broken collarbone sustained just four weeks prior. “I broke my collarbone four weeks ago,” Abrahamsen revealed. “I cried at the hospital as I thought I wouldn’t make it to the Tour de France. I hoped, and every day I did everything I could to come back. To stand here in the Tour de France and have won a stage is amazing.” This also marks the first stage win for his team, Uno-X Mobility.
Healy continues to lead the general classification by 29 seconds over Pogačar, solidifying his position as the fourth Irish rider to wear the coveted yellow jersey.
The stage, which featured an incline of 20% on the Côte de Pech David near the finish, was initially anticipated to favor sprinters. However,Abrahamsen’s early breakaway,joined by Schmid and Davide Ballerini,proved decisive despite late challenges from riders like Van der Poel,Wout van Aert,and Victor Campenaerts.The focus now shifts to Stage 12,which promises the Tour’s first high-mountain showdown with a summit finish on the iconic Hautacam.
