Groves surprised with a distant attack in the rain and took his first victory in the tour. Pogacar, without taking risks, maintained the absolute control of the general and will reach yellow to the Champs Elysees.
Foto: Efe – Christophe Petit Tesson
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The penultimate day of the Tour de France 2025 was not a procedure. Stage 20, 184.2 kilometers between Nantua and Pontarlier, served a menu loaded with rain, treacherous curves and repes that punished without mercy. A perfect land for brave. And the most determined was the Australian Kaden Groves, who signed his first victory in the Great Boucle with a powerful getaway and without looking back.
The half -mountain profile promised war, and did not disappoint. The combination of dimensions such as the Croix de la Serra, Thésy and Longeville dynamited the squad early. The weather did not help: intermittent rain and wet asphalt turned the day into a survival test both tactical and physical.
The attacks began almost from the zero kilometer. A large getaway with weight names such as Matteo Jorgenson, Tim Wellens and Iván Romeo was formed. But the smartest – and the strongest – was groves. A little more than 20 km from the end, he attacked decisively, opened hole and did not let anyone approach. Neither the last increases nor the desperate attempts to hunt him moved him from his way to glory.
He entered the finish line with almost a minute of advantage over his closest persecutors: Frank van Den Broek and Pascal Eenkhoorn. It was a coup of authority of a cyclist that until now shone more in the sprints than in hard days like this.
With 26 years, the alpecin-decok corridor opens in the big tour. This victory is not only a personal achievement – the number 21 of his career – but a claim of his versatility. Groves already knew what it was to win in Spain, but this time he showed that he can also dominate in difficult conditions, when the legs and head have to be in perfect tune.
Romeo tried and Pogacar controlled
The Spanish Iván Romeo was seen in the key moments, very active in the ports, until a fall took him out of the fight. Raúl García also gave signs of ambition in the first bars, confirming that there is a Spanish generation wanting more.
See the Fort of Romero Fall in the Tour de France 2025
As for the general, everything remains the same at the top. Tadej Pogacar arrived with the main group, without shocks, protected by his team and with an expression that already begins to savor the podium. Except for catastrophe, the Slovenian will be crowned in Paris this Sunday for the fourth time. He has gained stages, has resisted blows, and has once again demonstrated that his domain is not limited to the mountains or the stopwatch.
Stage 20 made it clear that the tour does not end until the cobblestone of the Elysee fields is stepped on. But the battle for yellow is determined. There is only the triumphal walk, the champagne on the drums and the last volat for the sprinters who still have some gasoline. Groves already has his. Pogacar is about to close another golden chapter.
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