Tadej Pogacar crashes but holds onto second in Tour de France standings

In France, during the ongoing Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar, the defending champion, experienced a crash on stage 11, happening just 4 kilometers from the finish line in Toulouse. This stage was characterized as chaotic and fast-paced, leading Pogacar to fall outside the designated safety zone, which could have resulted in him losing time against his rivals. Fortunately, he was helped by a neutral service mechanic and managed to return to the group of favorites without losing any time, maintaining his position as second overall in the general classification, trailing yellow jersey wearer Ben Healy by 29 seconds. After the race, Pogacar expressed relief about his injuries, stating that he only suffered minor skin abrasions and thanked his rivals for their sportsmanship in waiting for him after the accident. Jonas Abrahamsen from Norway secured his first grand tour stage win in a dramatic sprint against Mauro Schmid, fulfilling his team’s goal to claim a stage victory. The race intensified as the general classification focused on upcoming challenging mountain stages leading into the Pyrenees. With critical climbs ahead, Pogacar's crash comes at a pivotal moment, indicating he must refocus quickly to maintain a competitive edge in this demanding Tour. Despite the setback, Pogacar remains optimistic about his team’s performance in the upcoming stages, underlining the necessity of recovery from such incidents in preparation for high-stakes climbs.