Pogačar takes control, Vingegaard threatens, Ineos fade – 2025 Tour de France winners and losers so far

Four stages into this year’s Tour de France, the scene is set for a spectacular general classification battle, with long-standing rivals Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard separated by only eight seconds in the overall standings.

The pair, who have determined the first two positions on the podium in each of the last four editions of the race, went head-to-head for a brief moment on stage 4 after Pogačar launched a fierce late attack on the road to Rouen. Although Vingegaard was briefly left behind, he appears to be the only rider in this year’s race capable of challenging the three-time winner.

It was Pogačar who eventually emerged victorious on stage 4, claiming his 100th career win in the process. 

However, the stage 5 time trial in Caen could see Vingegaard take the coveted yellow jersey. With roughly 20 per cent of the race completed, there has already been plenty of drama, as I examine the winners and losers so far.

• Tadej Pogačar vs Jonas Vingegaard: can Pogačar be stopped?

Daniel Benson is a Tour de France veteran, having covered 14 editions of the race as editor-in-chief of Cyclingnews and Velo, and now running his Substack newsletter. Through the 2025 Tour de France, Daniel will be writing a series of dispatches exclusively for BikeRadar, bringing you his unique insight into cycling’s greatest race and, as the Tour develops, a behind-the-scenes view that only a reporter with his contacts book can bring.

Winners

Dream opening weekend for Alpecin

The first two stages couldn’t have gone any better for Alpecin–Deceuninck, with Jasper Philipsen winning the first stage in Lille and taking the yellow jersey in the process. 

The following day, it was the Belgian’s teammate, Mathieu van der Poel, who crossed the line first in Boulogne-sur-Mer to secure his second career stage victory. 

This provides the team management with a perfect boost as they continue to search for a new second sponsor after the news that Deceuninck would step back from their commitments to the team at the end of the season. 

Losing Philipsen to a crash in stage 3 was a significant setback for the team, but with van der Poel still in yellow and also in contention for the points jersey, there remains plenty for the Belgian squad to build on over the coming two weeks and more. 

Pogačar and Vingegaard shine

Pogačar’s win in Rouen was a special event, with the world champion once again showing that he’s the best rider in the world, with a searing attack on the final climb before the finish. 

Although he was caught soon after, he still had the legs to beat a stellar group of rivals in the sprint finish, and he sits eight seconds ahead of Vingegaard before Wednesday’s crucial time trial. His UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad look sharp, and it will take a considerable effort to knock the defending champion off course at this point. 

Vingegaard might not have won a stage yet, but he and his Visma-Lease a Bike squad can take a tremendous amount of confidence from the opening stages through northern France. 

The Dutch team have taken the fight to Pogačar at every opportunity, distancing several other key GC rivals in crosswinds and on the lumpy terrain that has characterised the profile of the first few days. Vingegaard could – and should – be in the yellow jersey come the end of the 33km Caen time trial.

One and Onley

Surprise package Oscar Onley – one of the Brits I highlighted going into the race – took a highly credible fourth place on stage 4, finishing just behind Vingegaard. 

The young Scott’s GC ambitions are still in their infancy, and while the TT will probably see him concede a chunk of time, the 22-year-old sits seventh overall and ahead of stars such as Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel. 

It’s early days, but a top-10 challenge from Onley could be on the cards. 

Merlier’s magic

It’s been a challenging start to the Tour for Soudal Quick-Step in many ways. 

Remco Evenepoel lost time in the crosswinds on stage 1, and he’s at the centre of a major transfer story, with growing speculation that he could be leaving the team at the end of the season. 

However, one rider the team can always count on for consistent results is Tim Merlier. The European champion didn’t make the front group either on stage 1, but two days later, he outpaced his sprint rivals with a win at Dunkerque. 

The victory relieved some pressure on Soudal Quick-Step and marked Merlier’s first Tour stage win since 2021. The green jersey might be a target in the coming weeks, but the Belgian will focus primarily on increasing his stage-win tally. 

Losers

Ineos Grenadiers stuck in first gear

It’s been a tough few days for Ineos Grenadiers. 

First, they lost their best shot at a stage win with Filippo Ganna, who was the first rider to abandon the Tour. The Italian, who would have been a favourite for today’s TT, crashed on stage 1 and was forced out shortly after. 

In the first four days, Carlos Rodríguez has regularly been dropped on the punchy opening stages. The Spanish rider currently sits 2:05 behind in the GC, which is far from a disaster but not the start he or his team hoped for. 

The Ineos rider will lose over a minute in the TT today, but his preferred terrain – long, steady climbs in the Pyrenees and Alps – should give him the chance to regain some ground on several of his main GC rivals. 

Roglič and Evenepoel lose ground

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) entered the Tour de France aiming for a place on the Paris podium, but they have been pushed onto the back foot in recent days. 

Both riders missed the front group in stage 1, Evenepoel experienced a minor crash in stage 3 and Roglič suffered a mechanical in stage 4, costing him further time. 

All isn’t lost, though. Evenepoel is the favourite for the time trial in Caen and should, at the very least, gain time on all his GC rivals, while Roglič needs to find his legs before his podium chances begin to falter totally. 

The rest of the sprinters

Philipsen’s crash on stage 3 was certainly not his fault, and while he did pick up a stage win and a day in yellow, the Tour could have been so much more for the Belgian, who was chasing the second green jersey of his career. 

At least he left the race with something to show for it. Merlier aside, several other sprinters have been left empty-handed so far, with Jonathan Milan and last year’s green jersey winner Biniam Girmay, Dylan Groenewegen and Tobias Lund Andresen ​​failing to make an impression on the sprint stages so far.