Ned Boulting and David Millar didn’t hold back in their post
stage wrap after one of the most thrilling days of the 2025 Tour de France.
From a huge breakaway, to the collapse of a top-10 GC rider at the finish, to
the madness of the Mont Ventoux crowds, the pair tried to make sense of a stage
that lived up to all of the pre-stage hype.
“Today was a day that I know lots of people were looking
forward to, and it didn’t disappoint,” Boulting opened. He noted that the
decision not to broadcast the full stage was made months ago, based on the
belief it might be “formulaic.” But, he said, “It couldn’t have been more
different.”
Millar, who rode Ventoux himself in the morning just to feel
the atmosphere, said the slopes were already clogged with cyclists. “I had to
stop at the bottom for five minutes. It was heaving,” he said. “Coming down was
good fun, not so much going up.”
While fans soaked up the spectacle, drama unfolded both on
and off the road. Daniel Friebe reported something more concerning from outside
the medical truck, where Tobias Johannessen, riding inside the top ten, had
been taken for checks after collapsing post-stage. “He had a big smile on his
face wrapped in foil on a stretcher,” Friebe said, adding Johannessen was en
route to hospital for further testing. His status for today’s stage remains
uncertain.
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Meanwhile, Vingegaard collided with a photographer after the
finish but emerged with only a few bruises and a thumbs-up. That summed up
Visma’s day, frantic, but not fruitless. “Visma Lease a Bike were stellar,”
Millar said. “Textbook racing, really. It’s starting to redeem some of the
criticism they received earlier in the race.”
Pogacar and UAE were another story. “It was telling today
that UAE are not looking good as a team,” Boulting added. “They used Neils
Politt but held back Tim Wellens. I think Pogacar maybe wasn’t 100% confident.”
Despite having Marc Soler and Pavel Sivakov in the break,
UAE couldn’t make the most of the situation. “Good on paper, not in practice,”
Millar said.
The win went to Valentine Paret-Peintre, who finished off a
dramatic finale with a punchy sprint atop Ventoux to give France their first
win of the Tour. “We saw Healey and him attacking each other, but the speed at
which Paret-Peintre got back on—it was clear he had the better jump,” Millar
noted. “He did a fantastic ride.”
Paret-Peintre himself admitted it was an emotional win for a
team that’s endured recent turbulence. “This last few days we went through a
little storm, I guess. And now the sun shines again,” he said, referencing the
team’s struggles since losing Remco Evenepoel earlier in the race. “It’s
amazing for me and for the team to win another stage, four now in this Tour.”
Their Sudal – QuickStep squad, somewhat quietly, has pieced
together one of the most well-rounded Tour campaigns: two sprint wins, an
individual time trial, and now victory in the iconic Ventoux breakaway. “On the
quiet, they’ve had a brilliant Tour,” Boulting said.
The duo also reflected on the chaotic nature of this year’s
race. “It was like a video game,” Boulting joked, referring to the sudden
appearance of Ilan Van Wilder in the final kilometre. “We thought he was 15
minutes back, then boom, extra power unlocked.”
The GC battle saw minimal change. Pogacar gained two
unnecessary seconds on Vingegaard, while Roglic edged ever closer to Oscar
Onley’s fourth place. “Onley’s going to have to keep looking over his
shoulder,” Boulting said. “Roglic is just rising through the rankings.”
Meanwhile, in the battle for the bottom of the top ten, Ben
Healy jumped back ahead of Carlos Rodríguez. But Boulting summed it up bluntly:
“That’s about it.”
As for what’s ahead, the next stage should favor the
sprinters, should being the operative word. “It should be a bunch sprint,”
Boulting said, before pausing. “But it’s going to be windy again… we’re very
bad at predicting the future.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- Fair enough. Everyone’s entitled to one and I respect yours! Nothing wrong with being a one week and GT guy if that’s his vibemij07-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas06-11-2026 - Thats only cause he rides for UAE. In any other team he would be captain in many races atleast. UAE is just to crazymiguel06-11-2026
- He seems to be the rare athlete whose passion and curiosity about life beyond his sport equals his extraordinary achievements in it. It would be great for him to risk less of that life. He seems very grateful and joyful for what he has already attained.
MarkFour06-11-2026 - As much as I admire and even revere Wout, the less I know about his backside the better.MidnightRider06-11-2026
- Ok, Walt 🤣... Vingegaard would be lucky to get on the poduim. He would not beat Seixas or Del Toro, let alone TP. Then there are the Americans...BD06-11-2026
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