Tadej Pogacar overcame past struggles on the Col de la Loze to extend his lead in the yellow jersey, while Ben O’Connor claimed victory in stage 18 of the Tour de France amid harsh weather conditions. On the same mountain where Pogacar faltered in 2023 as Jonas Vingegaard secured his second Tour title, the Slovenian rider gained time this year, pushing ahead in the final stretch to increase his overall advantage to 4 minutes and 26 seconds over Vingegaard.
Oscar Onley, the 22-year-old from Scotland, stayed with the top contenders until the last 500 meters of the grueling 171.5km stage from Vif, which included three punishing climbs. The young rider gained 39 seconds on Florian Lipowitz, narrowing his deficit to the podium to just 22 seconds with one mountain stage remaining.
O’Connor took the stage win after breaking away on the valley road between the Col de la Madeleine and the final ascent. He left Einer Rubio behind with 16km remaining on the steep 26km climb, battling hail and a narrow path to the summit.
The Australian had initially aimed for a high overall ranking but saw those ambitions fade after injuries from a crash on the opening stage. Adjusting his focus, he secured his second career Tour stage win, his first since 2021.
Vingegaard’s team sought to challenge Pogacar on the penultimate mountain stage, launching their strongest effort on the Madeleine. Although Pogacar’s teammates struggled early, they regrouped before the climb through Courcheval.
Vingegaard attempted a late attack, but Pogacar responded, strengthening his bid for a fourth Tour victory. “Today was brutal,” Vingegaard said. “Five hours of racing. I’m not sure I’ve ever faced such a tough stage in the Tour. We had strong plans, but we couldn’t gain time. My team was exceptional, and although Pogacar took seconds at the end, the race isn’t over.”
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