Stage 16 DS Insights Review

🏁 Stage 16 Tour de France – Montpellier → Mont Ventoux (171.5 km)

🗓️ Date: 22 July 2025

🚵 Theme: Ventoux broke bodies—but not the Tour. Pogačar remains imperious.

✅ Top 5 Stage Results

Rank    Rider    Team   Time Gap

1️⃣         Valentin Paret-Peintre (FRA) Soudal Quick-Step     4 h 03′ 19″

2️⃣         Ben Healy         EF Education–EasyPost same time

3️⃣         Santiago Buitrago       Bahrain Victorious      +0′ 04″

4️⃣         Ilan Van Wilder              Soudal Quick-Step     +0′ 14″

5️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               UAE Team Emirates – XRG    +0′ 43″ 

🔻 Key Developments

Mathieu van der Poel withdrew due to pneumonia confirmed over the rest day.

Jonas Vingegaard attacked repeatedly – “four times” per live commentary – racing like he meant business, though couldn’t shake Pogačar.

Pogačar responded perfectly, extending his GC lead by 2 seconds, now standing at +4′ 15″.

A finish-line collision saw Vingegaard take out a photographer—no serious injury reported.

🥇 General Classification – Top 5

Rank    Rider    Time Gap

1️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               —

2️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        +4′ 15″

3️⃣         Florian Lipowitz            +9′ 03″

4️⃣         Oscar Onley    +11′ 04″

5️⃣         Primož Roglič +11′ 42″     

🟢 Points Classification (Green Jersey – Top 5)

Rank    Rider    Points

1️⃣         Jonathan Milan             251

2️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               240

3️⃣         Biniam Girmay              169

4️⃣         Tim Merlier       150

5️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        150   

🔴 King of the Mountains (Polka Dot – Top 5)

Rank    Rider    Points

1️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               60

2️⃣         Lenny Martinez             60

3️⃣         Thymen Arensman     48

4️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        45

5️⃣         Michael Woods            38     

🤍 Best Young Rider (White Jersey – Top 5)

Rank    Rider    Time Gap

1️⃣         Florian Lipowitz            —

2️⃣         Oscar Onley    +2′ 01″

3️⃣         Kevin Vauquelin          +4′ 17″

4️⃣         Ben Healy         +8′ 49″

5️⃣         Carlos Rodríguez        +11′ 42″     

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Team Classification – Top 3

Rank    Team   Time Gap

1️⃣         Visma – Lease a Bike —

2️⃣         UAE Team Emirates – XRG    +15′ 08″

3️⃣         Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe             +49′ 34″ 

🧠 DS Analysis

Pogačar’s uncontainable dominance: Despite relentless attacks from Visma, he matched every move—including that savage punch to the summit—and left the group for dead at 4’13”, then added 2 seconds here  .

Vingegaard rode like a contender: Four attacks showed intent and ambition. Though Pogačar neutralized each, Jonas proved he’s not here to roll over  .

Breakaway brilliance: Paret-Peintre and Healy launched perfectly timed attacks that Pogačar didn’t cover—allowing a French breakthrough on Ventoux  .

Van der Poel’s exit: Pneumonia robs the race of one of its most fearless competitors  .

Team ranking shake-up: With UAE second and Red Bull’s strong GC showing, the team competition is heating up  .

📣 DS Closing Thought

“Mont Ventoux laid bare the pecking order. Pogačar’s armour is untouchable. Vingegaard showed steel—but without elite cavalry, he’s still chasing shadows. And now, Ventoux’s victory lights a fire under the team contest, the KOM, the green jersey battle, and the GC finale. The final act is set—let’s get to it.”