The opening week of the Tour de France has delivered high drama, with defending champion Tadej Pogačar emerging as the rider to beat after a series of commanding performances. Following an early challenge from Jonas Vingegaard, who claimed the first yellow jersey in the opening team time trial, Pogačar responded with a dominant mountain-stage victory to seize control of the general classification.
Sprint stages also provided excitement, with Tim Merlier powering to victory in Bordeaux after a chaotic final dash to the line, while the battle for the green jersey remains fiercely contested. As the race heads into its second week, Pogačar holds a comfortable lead, but with major mountain stages still to come, his rivals will be looking for opportunities to close the gap.