The Domestiques

Jonas Vingegaard was woken at 2am. Tadej Pogačar at 5am. Hours later, Vingegaard’s Tour ended with a fractured collarbone.
Anti-doping testing is essential—but has cycling crossed a line? On the Tour’s second rest day, Tils, Marko and Lee unpack the overnight testing controversy and carefully separate what caused Vingegaard’s crash from what may have contributed to it. Tils and Marko also reveal the deeply personal reality of the whereabouts system, missed-test anxiety and producing a sample with someone watching.
Then it’s back to the racing: Remco Evenepoel’s breakthrough road-stage victory, Pogačar riding as Isaac del Toro’s domestique, Mauro Schmid and Luke Plapp delivering for Jayco-AlUla, and the increasingly fascinating battles for the podium, white and green jerseys.
Plus, predictions for the time trial, two ascents of Alpe d’Huez and the final week in Paris.
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The final 10 kilometres of a Tour de France sprint can look like chaos. To Greg Henderson, it’s a puzzle, and one he still wants to solve.
The former Grand Tour stage winner and one of the most respected lead-out riders of his generation joins Tils and Lee to dissect the Tour’s sprint stages. Greg explains what Olav Kooij got wrong, why Tim Merlier keeps finding a way to win, and how the disappearance of specialist sprint directors is leaving some of the world’s fastest riders without a proper plan.
They also get into questionable relegations, the speed and danger of modern racing, why today’s sprinters need to hit more than 70km/h, and what it takes to come back after a serious crash.
Plus: is Tadej Pogačar already the greatest of all time? Do Lance Armstrong’s seven Tours still count? And Greg shares three practical sessions for anyone wanting to become a faster, and hopefully better-looking sprinter.
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The Tour reaches its first rest day, but there is no shortage of talking points. Isaac del Toro continues to look completely at home on cycling’s biggest stage, while Tadej Pogačar and UAE keep everyone guessing with tactics that suggest they are ready to take control of the race.
Chris Hamilton joins Tils and Marko to unpack the brutal heat, Tim Merlier’s extraordinary sprint speed, Mads Pedersen’s relentless pursuit of green, the rise of Biniam Girmay, and what is really happening inside the bunch. Plus, the team previews a savage Bastille Day stage that could ignite the GC battle all over again.

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The Tour de France has delivered its first decisive mountain showdown, and Tadej Pogačar has wasted no time putting the race on notice.
The crew breaks down UAE’s Tourmalet demolition, Pogačar’s fearless 107km/h descent and the huge time he gained on Jonas Vingegaard. Is the Tour already over, or is there still enough road left for the race to turn?
They also unpack Remco Evenepoel’s public frustration with Florian Lipowitz, the emerging battle for the white jersey, Olaf Kooij’s chaotic sprint victory and why Mads Pedersen may be perfectly placed to take green all the way to Paris.
Plus, the heartbreak of crashing out in yellow, the UCI’s latest questionable rulings and a look ahead to two sprint stages before Sunday’s breakaway battle.
The Domestiques is live throughout the Men’s and Women’s Tour de France, breaking down the stages and bringing you inside the bunch with the riders. Powered by Black Sheep.

A Norwegian in yellow. A Dane winning the stage. And Lidl-Trek putting on a tactical masterclass.
Matilda Reynolds is joined by Mark O’Brien to break down a brutal opening week of the Tour de France, where the heat, the climbs and the relentless racing have already started to take their toll. We unpack Mads Pedersen’s brilliant breakaway win, Uno-X’s dream day in yellow with Torstein Træen, the suffering of the sprinters, and what UAE’s control of the race says about the battles still to come.
They also look ahead to the first true sprint showdown, debate whether Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier or Biniam Girmay has the edge, and preview the coming Tourmalet stage as the GC contenders prepare for their first major mountain test.