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Merlier wins Tour de France seventh stage in sprint finish

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 22:50:00 +0000

Step’s Tim Merlier celebrates after winning Tour De France stage 7.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Belgian Tim Merlier won the Tour de France seventh stage in a sprint finish at the end of a 175km run from Hagetmau to Bordeaux on Friday (July 10, 2026).

Norwegian Soren Waerenskjold took second place with Eritrean Biniam Girmay third as reigning champion Tadej Pogacar held onto the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Merlier timed his effort to perfection, reeling in Jasper Philipsen and Girmay to secure a clear victory.

Philipsen was fifth behind Max Kanter in fourth.

Published – July 11, 2026 04:20 am IST

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Cycling | Denmark’s Pedersen wins Tour stage four, Norway’s Traeen takes yellow jersey

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 22:06:00 +0000

Denmark’s Mads Pedersen powered to victory from a big breakaway on stage four of the Tour de France on Tuesday (July 7, 2026), leading a Lidl-Trek one-two finish while Norway’s Torstein ‌Traeen from Uno-X Mobility claimed the yellow jersey.

Pedersen was the fastest from a lead group at the end of the ⁠gruelling 181.9-km hilly stage from Carcassonne to Foix, crossing the line ahead of teammate Quinn Simmons, while Spain’s Raul Garcia Pierna of Movistar finished third.

It was Pedersen’s third ‌victory in the Tour de France and his 12th in a Grand Tour.

The stage was shaped by an early breakaway ‌of 34 riders who built up a sizeable advantage over the ‌peloton ⁠on a route featuring four classified climbs. As the gap held ⁠deep into the stage, it became increasingly clear that the day’s winner would emerge from the escape group rather than the general classification contenders.

A reduced front group formed over the latter climbs, with Jan Tratnik, ‌Mathias Vacek and Alex Kirsch initially driving the pace before Pedersen, Simmons, Sean Quinn and Traeen bridged across on the Category Two Col de Montsegur, the day’s final climb.

Lidl-Trek’s numerical advantage proved decisive in the ‌closing kilometres. Vacek set a fierce tempo under the flamme rouge and although Kevin Vauquelin swept through the final corner in front after a late attack, Pedersen unleashed a powerful sprint ⁠to secure victory.

The win also moved Pedersen into the lead of the points classification, taking the green jersey from defending champion Tadej Pogacar.

Traeen takes yellow jersey

Traeen was another major beneficiary of the day’s breakaway, taking the overall race lead from Pogacar. The Norwegian, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer three years ago before making a full recovery, became only the third Norwegian rider to wear the Tour’s yellow jersey after Thor Hushovd and Alexander Kristoff.

“There isn’t that much to say right now. Right now I’m a ‌bit tired,” Traeen told TV2 after the stage.

Asked about the significance of the achievement, he added: “It is, of course, a bit of a boyhood dream coming true. A good day at work, as one would ⁠say.”

Pogacar, who claimed the 22nd Tour stage victory of his career on Monday, ⁠relinquished the race lead as the peloton rolled in well behind the breakaway.

The Slovenian remains level on time with chief rival Jonas ‌Vingegaard, while Remco Evenepoel is third overall. Isaac del Toro, Juan Ayuso, Paul Seixas and Florian Lipowitz are all within 53 seconds of the lead.

Published – July 08, 2026 03:36 am IST

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New cycling star Paul Seixas to race the Tour de France at 19, with a whole country watching

admin — Mon, 04 May 2026 20:22:00 +0000

Cycling’s rising star Paul Seixas will compete at the Tour de France in July, becoming one of the youngest riders ever to take part in the sport’s showpiece race.

An entire nation will be hoping he can end a four-decade drought for French male cyclists.

The 19-year-old Frenchman, widely regarded as a potential great and France’s best hope for a future Tour de France winner, announced his participation at cycling’s showpiece race in a video released by his CMA CGM Decathlon team.

Seixa’s precocity is rare. He has been in an impressive form this season, finishing runner-up to four-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar at the Strade Bianche and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. He also became the youngest winner of the Flèche Wallonne.

“It’s a childhood dream of mine, something I’ve often imagined, and now it’s very close to becoming reality,” said Seixas, a versatile rider with excellent climbing and time trialing skills. “I’m only 19, but as I’ve already said, age is neither a barrier nor an excuse.”

It has been nearly 41 years since a Frenchman last won the Tour de France, when Bernard Hinault claimed the last of his five titles back in 1985. Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt won the women’s Tour at her first attempt last year.

Over the past four decades, France has produced talented riders such as Thibaut Pinot, Romain Bardet, Warren Barguil or Julian Alaphilippe. All raised hopes but ultimately fell short, often facing rivals backed by stronger and better-funded teams.

That could change following Seixas’ announcement, who has a strong team. Decathlon, a global sporting goods company, has joined forces with CMA CGM, one of the world’s largest shipping firms, to invest in a French team with Tour-winning ambitions. The team said last year it aims to win the Tour de France within the next five years.

“We needed to take the time to carefully analyse all the data and also talk with Paul and those around him,” said Dominique Serieys, the team’s CEO. “He has had a remarkable start to the season and is already among the best riders in the world. And the best are meant to line up at the biggest race on the calendar: the Tour de France. With great humility and in a learning mindset, Paul will start in Barcelona with genuine ambitions to achieve the best possible result in the general classification.”

This season, Seixas also became the youngest winner of a WorldTour stage race at the Tour of the Basque Country. Seixas will take part in his first Tour at a younger age than Pogačar, who was 21 when he first appeared at the three-week race and went on to win. Hinault was also older, first lining up at 23.

“My results since the start of the season have given me a lot of confidence; I feel ready and I will have ambitious goals,” he said. “It’s not my mindset or my view of cycling to line up at the Tour de France with the sole aim of discovering it. I will aim for the best possible overall classification.”

If he lines up at the start of the Tour, Seixas will be 19 years, 9 months and 10 days old, making him the youngest participant in nearly 90 years. Even younger was fellow Frenchman Adrien Cento, who set off from Paris in the 1937 Tour at the age of 19 years, 3 months and 26 days, L’Equipe newspaper reported. Tour organisers Amaury Sport Organisation is a subsidiary of the Amaury Group, media and sport group that owns L’Equipe.

As part of his preparations for the Tour, Seixas will also compete at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in June. Following the Tour, he plans to ride in Canada before the world championships and the Tour of Lombardy.

The Tour de France starts on July 4 from Barcelona, Spain. The route is challenging, including two stage finishes at the Alpe d’Huez and a return to Paris’ picturesque Montmartre district on the final stage. Covering 3,333-kilometers (2,071-miles), the Tour will visit France’s five mountain ranges — the Pyrenees, Massif Central, Jura, Vosges and the Alps, featuring eight mountain stages including five summit finishes.

Pogačar, the best rider of his generation, could become only the fifth rider to win the sport’s most prestigious race five times after Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Induráin and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Hinault.

Published – May 05, 2026 02:42 am IST

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Sports Minister Urges Youngsters To Use Cycles As Commuting Option

admin — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 09:41:02 +0000

Mumbai:

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday urged the youngsters of the country to use cycles as a commuting option whenever possible to remain healthy and promote a better environment.

Mandaviya led Fit India Movement’s flagship programme, Sundays on Cycle, here this morning with an aim to create awareness among the masses to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle through cycling, while also promoting a solution for pollution.

“I urge everyone, especially younger people, to use cycles to commute whenever possible. This will not only make them healthy; it will improve the overall health of our environment,” he said.

The ride was flagged off from the Gateway of India with more than 500 cyclists constituting wellness experts, various cycle clubs and individual fitness enthusiasts joining from across the country.

Besides riding for good health, the message of this week’s Sundays on Cycle was #FightObesity.

The cycling event was also held simultaneously at the Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi with over 170 riders including Shivani Pawar, bronze medallist at 2024 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship and 2025 National Games gold medallist, joining along among others.

The Sundays on Cycle initiative was started on December 17 last year and has already been hosted in over 3500 locations across India.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Arshad Shaik, Jyoti Gaderiya Disappoint In Track Cycling Events At Paris Paralympics

admin — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 11:16:42 +0000

File photo of Arshad Shaik.© X/@PCI_IN_Official

Indian cyclists Arshad Shaik and Jyoti Gaderiya failed to make an impact in their respective track cycling events as they crashed out in the qualification round in the Paris Paralympics on Saturday. In the qualifying stage of the men’s 1,000m time trial C1-3, Shaik managed a disappointing bottom-place (17th) finish with a timing of 1:21.416, failing to make it to the final round. On Friday, he had also failed to progress in the men’s 3,000m pursuit C2 event, managing a bottom-place (ninth) finish in the qualifying round.

Jyoti too finished at the bottom (11th place) in the women’s 500m time trial C1-3 qualifying event, with a timing of 49.233.

On Thursday, she also finished at the bottom in the women’s 3000m pursuit C1-3 qualifying event.

Shaik had an auto accident in May 2004. He suffered multiple injuries leading to left leg above knee amputation.

He was a gold medallist in the Asian Para Track Cycling Championship held in New Delhi this year.

Meanwhile, Jyoti suffered a bike accident in May 2016, resulting to left leg above knee amputation.

She has won numerous gold medals in the Asian Para Track Cycling Championship and Asian Para Road Cycling Championship.

The two Indians will also be competing in road cycling events.

While Shaik will feature in men’s time trial C2 and men’s road race C1-3 categories, Jyoti will take part in women’s time trial C1-3 and women’s road race C1-3 divisions.

C1 to C5 are solo categories competed by athletes with prosthesis or limited movement of upper or lower limbs.

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Paris 2024 Paralympics LIVE Updates: Manasi Joshi In Action, India Eye 6 Medals Today

admin — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 06:09:31 +0000

Paris 2024 Paralympics LIVE: Here’s India’s Day 2 schedule!

Para Badminton

12 PM: Manasi Joshi vs Oksana Kozyna (Ukraine) in Women’s Singles SL3 Group Play Stage

1:20 PM: Manoj Sarkar vs Mongkhon Bunsun (Thailand) in Men’s Singles SL3 Group Play Stage

2 PM: Nitesh Kumar vs Jianyuan Yang (China) in Men’s Singles SL3 Group Play Stage

2:40 PM: Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj vs Kyung Hwan Shin (Korea) in Men’s Singles SL4 Group Play Stage

4:40 PM: Palak Kohli vs Leani Ratri Oktila (Indonesia) in Women’s Singles SL4 Group Play Stage

7:30 PM: Thulasimathi Murugesan vs Beatriz Monteiro (Portugal) in Women’s Singles SU5 Group Play Stage

8:10 PM: Sivarajan Solaimalai vs Man Kai Chu in Men’s Singles SH6 Group Play Stage

8:50 PM: Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan vs Yi-Lin Cai (Chinese Taipei) in Women’s Singles SH6 Group Play Stage

10:50 PM: Krishna Nagar vs Miles Krajewski in Men’s Singles SH6 Group Play Stage

12:10 AM (31 August, Saturday): Nitesh Kumar/Thulasimathi Murugesan vs Lucas Mazur/Faustine Noel (France) in Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 Group Play Stage

12:10 AM (31 August, Saturday): Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj/Palak Kohli vs Hikmat Ramdani/Leani Ratri Oktila (Indonesia) in Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 Group Play Stage

01:30 AM (31 August, Saturday): Sivarajan Solaimalai/Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan vs Natthapong Meechai/Chai Saeyang (Thailand) in Mixed Doubles SH6 Group Play Stage

Para Shooting

12:30 PM: Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Qualification

2:45 PM: Rudransh Khandelwal, Manish Narwal in Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 Qualification

3:15 PM: Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 Final (If qualified)

5 PM: Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna in Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 Qualification

5:30 PM: Rudransh Khandelwal, Manish Narwal in Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 Final (If qualified)

7:45 PM: Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna in Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 Final (If qualified)

Para Athletics

1:30 PM: Jyoti Karam, Sakshi Kasana in Women’s Discus Throw – F55 Final

4:45 PM: Preethi Pal in Women’s 100m – T35 Final

12:22 AM: Manu in Men’s Shot Put – F37 Final

Para Rowing

3 PM: Anita/Narayana Konganapalle in PR3 Mixed Double Sculls Heats

Para Archery

3:03 PM: Sarita vs Nur Jannaton Abdul Jalil (Malaysia) in Women’s Individual Compound Open 1/16 Elimination

Para Cycling Track

4:24 PM: Arshad Shaik in Men’s C2 3000m Individual Pursuit Qualifying

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