"I’ve fulfilled a childhood dream" - Neilson Powless takes polka-dot jersey on stage 1 of the Tour de France
Cycling
In and amongst all the drama and excitement of the opening stage of the 2023 Tour de France, Neilson Powless impressed, taking the first polka-dot of the race.
"The Tour de France is the biggest bike race in the world and I grew up watching it, with the polka dot jersey always riding at the front of the race. Now I get to wear that jersey. I’ve fulfilled a childhood dream," said the delighted American post-race to the Tour de France's official website. "We knew it was a possibility, yet not an easy one as we needed many things to come together. The break had to be caught ahead of the Vivero climb, and then we had to get me in a good position to sprint at the summit. My DS had told me that whoever went first into the final few hundred meters of the climb would get away with the KOM points, so I hit the head of the group very early and maybe caught more wind than necessary… Yet it is worth it."
"This polka dot jersey might become a goal from now on, but as of now I will just enjoy it for as long as I have it. I feel in really solid shape right now," continues Powless. "It took me a while to recover after a heavy Spring. I spent several weeks at home with my wife, and on an altitude training camp. Now I’ve found back my best shape, just in time for the Tour de France."
It wasn't all good for Powless and EF Education-EasyPost however as team leader Richard Carapaz crashed hard alongside Movistar Team leader, Enric Mas. "It’s been a mixed day for the team because of Richard Carapaz’s crash. I’m happy he got back on the bike and managed to finish the race. I hope he is okay because he is an amazing rider and can do a lot of things in this race if he is not too harmed."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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