tour de france dog

The dog days aren't over at the Tour de France 2022: Canine chaos AND cuteness

‘That beast crossed the street and I couldn’t go anywhere’ - stray dog causes Yves Lampaert to crash on stage 12, while other riders bring their own pooches to the peloton

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Early on in yesterday’s stage 12 at the Tour de France , an inattentive owner allowed their dog to wander into the peloton causing a small crash involving stage one winner , Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl).

Lampaert, who took this year’s first yellow jersey , was left with a large bleeding wound on his right thigh after the incident. Crashing early on in the stage in unfortunate circumstances was far from ideal on a long day of climbing in the Alps for the Quick-Step rider. 

The Belgian rider finished more than 40 minutes behind the stage winner on Alpe d’Huez , Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), and the effects of the incident were very visible. 

Reflecting on the incident Lampaert said: "Suddenly that beast crossed the street and I had no way out, I went crazy. Especially at the start of such a tough ride I could miss that.”

Stage 12 for Lampaert was meant to be about shepherding the winner of stage two, teammate Fabio Jakobsen , across the high mountains but instead he was forced to ride at his own pace and nurse his injuries hoping to make the time-cut. 

After crossing the finish line, the angry Belgian said: “After already many times; please keep your dog at home!!!!!”

The Tour de France has previously seen crashes caused by dogs wandering into the action. In 2007, German rider Marcus Burghardt of T-Mobile was unhurt after a dog caused him to fly over his handlebars. 

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Apart from the incident involving Lampaert, no other crashes have been caused by negligence from those on the road side at this year's Tour. 

After the horrific pile-up last year involving the notorious ‘Allez Opi-Omi’ banner , spectators have, on the whole, respected the race this time around. Although, of course, climate change protesters did bring stage 10 to a temporary halt with a sit-down protest on the road.

POOCHES OF THE PELOTON

Unlike the instigator of Lampaert's crash, two well-behaved canines have been spotted amongst different team entourages at this year’s race. 

EF Education-EasyPost’s Alberto Bettiol had his beloved pooch, Piumo , at the stage 12 finish on Alpe d’Huez. 

Piumo came along to offer barks of encouragement to his master on the difficult stage. He was being looked after by former Paris-Roubaix winner, Andrea Tafi, at the finish line. Bettiol’s partner is the daughter of the famed Italian classics specialist. 

At the Arkea-Samsic team bus, another very well behaved boy has been spotted at this year’s Tour de France. 

Petrus, a black and tan Rottweiler cross belonging to sprinter Hugo Hofstetter, has made a cameo on three stages at the race, keeping his master company before and after long days in the saddle. 

Petrus has been the epitome of calm at the world’s biggest bike race, handling the pressure like the most experienced of pros as he keeps Hofstetter company outside the bus. Hopefully he offered up a cuddle of consolation to Hofstetter's teammate, poor old Warren Barguil, after he was caught on Wednesday’s stage to Col du Granon by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). 

The amount of people at the Tour isn’t a problem for Petrus. Hofstetter’s partner has brought him along to races before enabling him to cope with the crowds from an early age. 

Petrus really is a 21st century boy- he even has his own instagram profile . 

On his own social media channel he can be seen snoozing on the sofa, celebrating his birthday and playing in Christmas socks last December. 

"DON'T STAND ON MY DOG!" 

Former Tour de France champion Cadel Evans used to enjoy bringing his beloved dog Molly to races during his career. 

Molly hit the headlines at the 2008 Tour de France, becoming famous after a reporter very nearly trod on her tail. 

Evans, who was being interviewed after losing the yellow jersey on stage 15, famously shouted at the journalist after spotting the incident. 

“Don’t stand on my dog! I’ll cut your head off!”, the 2011 Tour de France winner said as he leapt to Molly’s defence. 

Multiple grand-tour winner Alberto Contador is another former rider who enjoys company from two giant grey dogs. 

The Spanish rider regularly posts videos and photos on social media of him enjoying walks and playing in the garden with his two pet Weimaraners. 

Meanwhile at this year’s race, if Hugo Hofstetter completes every sprinter's dream of winning on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, keep an eye out for Petrus joining in the final stage celebrations. 

Come on ASO, he’s been a good boy all race. Let him on the podium. 

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Tom has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine. 

Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered races elsewhere across the world. 

As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and helps with coverage of UK domestic cycling. 

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A dog ran into the peloton yesterday. 😬 #TDF2022 📹: TikTok/herveesser pic.twitter.com/a5Sx16s89k — CyclingTips (@cyclingtips) July 15, 2022

The Tour de France devolved into chaos after a dog made its way into the peloton during the 12th stage of the race. The dog was struck by a rider and subsequently took two other riders off of their bikes.

The stage was tightly compacted at the time, and it was a miracle that more riders didn’t get taken out as the pack nearly came to a halt during the incident. It is still unclear how the dog was able to get onto the road.

Among those who were taken out in the canine chaos was Belgian rider Yves Lampaert. He was left raging after the accident.

“I don’t remember a lot,” he said. “I just saw the dog at the last moment and then the guy in front of me braked really hard. I didn’t expect that and then I came down. We’ve seen this happen before in the Tour and it’s not funny when it happens to you. I wasn’t a dog lover before and this certainly hasn’t helped.”

He also posted to his Instagram stories saying: “Crash because of a dog. After already many times; please keep your dog at home!!!!!”

Lampaert also posted a picture of his injury, which included a major gash in his right thigh, a major blow after already dealing with leg and back injuries during the event.

“The good legs have gone but I hope that they return fast because my back is still struggling and so are my legs,” Lampaert said. “Having some wounds is taking a long time to recover and this wasn’t the easiest stage on which to recover. I hope that I can get better fast but I have doubts.”

The riders get a rest day on Monday after the end of the 15th stage, a perfectly timed break for Lampaert.

The event has one week left after beginning on July 1.

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VIDEO: Near miss at the Tour de France as dog runs into the road

Remco Evenepoel was a casualty of the canine community at the Giro d'Italia earlier this year and on stage 2 of the Tour de France disaster nearly struck again.

As a breakaway trio of Neilson Powless , Remi Cavagna and Edvald Boasson Hagen continued to roll through and try to put time into the peloton, a dog decided to try its luck crossing the road. Thankfully for all involved the dog managed to escape unscathed, narrowly missing a race motorbike.

Check it out in the video below!

PREVIEW | Tour de France 2023 stage 2 - San Sebastián hosts hilly finale where sprinters, climbers and classics specialists will all eye victory

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Five times fans (and dogs) caused race-changing crashes at the tour de france, saturday's crash is just the latest in a long history of over-eager fans and too-close spectators causing chaos on the tour de france..

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CLERMONT-FERRAND, France — Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) was licking his wounds overnight, and Steffan Cras (TotalEnergies) was riding the Tour de France of his life before an inattentive fan ruined it all.

The Belgian was 13th overall when he clipped a spectactor leaning into the race course Saturday, sending him to the hospital and knocking Yates from fourth to sixth in his quest for the final podium.

Also read : Fan provokes crash that knocks Tour de France podium contenders down and out

Saturday’s incident isn’t the first nor will it be the last when fans and over-eager spectators shape the outcome of the Tour de France.

Having the fans so close and so near to the racing action is part of the charm and allure of the Tour, so it’s inevitable that things can and will go wrong.

Here are five times fans (and dogs) changed the Tour de France:

5. Dogs on the loose: Yves Lampaert steamed

Dogs causing crashes at the Tour is nothing new. There have been numerous occasions of the years with a dog off the leash creating havoc in the Tour peloton.

One of the most striking examples happened in the 2007 Tour involving Marcus Burghardt, whose carbon wheel completed folded from the impact.

Last year’s opening yellow jersey Yves Lampaert, who snatched the maillot jaune in Copenhagen to open the 2022 Tour, later crashed in stage 12 when a dog got off the leash.

“Leave your dog at home!” barked the Belgian rider on Soudal Quick-Step.

Despite the high number of dogs and pets being strutted around the paddock in this year’s Tour, so far, none have strayed onto the race course.

4. Eddy Merckx sucker punched in 1975

Fans can be partisan at bike races, so much so that Eddy Merckx was famously punched in the guts during the Puy du Dome stage in 1975 in famous clash with Bernard Thévénet.

Also read : Five times the Tour de France GC imploded on the first stage

Though the next day was a rest day, Merckx remains convinced that the incident prevented him from winning a sixth yellow jersey. The next road stage was a real brute, with five climbs over the Alps ending at Pra Loup.

Merckx claims he felt searing pain in his abdomen on the final climb and he cramped up, allowing the attacking Thévénet to gap him and take over the yellow jersey. Merckx stayed stuck at five crowns.

3. Wilfried Nelissen strikes a policeman in 1994

Wilfried Nelissen provoked a horrible crash in the 1994 Tour de France when he struck a French police officer at full speed.

During that year’s Tour, police officers were stationed alongside the barriers at about 100m intervals on the finishing straight. It appeared that officer might have been taking a photo as the peloton sped in for the sprint finale.

Nelissen was sprinting along the barriers and struck the officer at full speed, also taking down Laurent Jalabert, who was left with a bloodied nose from the brutal high-speed impact.

Hundreds of police officers line the Tour route each day, from motorcycles patrolling the route, to others posted along the route at every road crossing in each stage.

There was another horrible crash involving Djamolodine Abdoujaparov on the Champs-Élysées in the 1991 Tour reveals just how close the fans can get to the action.

The “Terror from Tashkent” was opening up his attack for the prestigious final sprint in Paris when he veered straight into the sideline fencing, and provoked a massive pileup that took down riders on the right side of the road. Dazed and confused, he eventually was helped across the finish line by teammates, and claimed the first of three green jerseys he’d win.

Though he was crumpled on the road 100 meters from the finish, rules required that he cross the finish line to have the official result.

2. Opi-Omi provokes worst mass crash in modern Tour de France history

The 2021 Tour de France started off in the worse possible way with what was the worst mass crash in race history.

The most infamous opening day crash happened just two years ago with a sign that was seen around the world.

A fan holding a poster meant to say hello to her grandparents — the infamous opi and omi — provoked one of the most horrible high-speed mass crashes in recent Tour history. Riders fell like dominoes as the peloton buckled from the shock of the impact. One rider went down, then 10, then dozens.

Despite the horrific consequences, only three riders crashed out, and one more did not start the next day.

The woman holding the sign later went into hiding as the incident went “viral” across global media. She finally turned herself in to local police after growing pressure. Despite threats of millions of dollars of lawsuits from teams, sponsors, and race organizers, she paid a relatively minor fine.

No word if she’s back at the race this year.

1. Lance Armstrong tangles handlebars with feed bag

Perhaps the most notorious incident involving a too-close-fan came in the 2003 Tour de France with Lance Armstrong.

That year’s Tour was full of ups and downs for the now-disqualified Armstrong, who was racing that year to match the five-straight yellow jersey record held by Miguel Indurain.

Armstrong was attacking in the Pyrénées when his handlebar got tangled up with a fan holding a souvenir musette feed bag handed out by the publicity caravan.

Armstrong was whiplashed to the ground, also taking down Iban Mayo of Spain along with him. Rivals Jan Ullrich and Tyler Hamilton later slowed when they heard Armstrong crashed, who later remounted and won the stage. Those results were later disqualified as part of the USADA case.

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Dog in Tour de France peloton causes Yves Lampaert's stage 12 crash

'Please keep your dog at home' says stage 1 winner alongside picture displaying large wound on right thigh

Thursday’s stage of the Tour de France was meant to be all about nursing sprint contender Fabio Jakobsen up the climbs within the time cut for QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, but a dog on the course meant Yves Lampaert also had to nurse his injured body through almost the entire stage finishing on top of Alpe d’Huez.

Lampaert , who also came off dramatically at Paris-Roubaix when he clipped a spectator applauding on the roadside, again had an unexpected encounter which sent him crashing to ground on stage 12 of the French Grand Tour.

The 31-year-old rode across the finish line on the top of Alpe d’Huez in 156th place – just ahead of Jakobsen and nearly 40 minutes behind stage winner Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) – with a big hole in his kit along with a big red wound on his right thigh.

“Crash because of a dog,” was the comment Lampaert added to an image on his Instagram story which clearly displayed his injury. “After already many times; please keep your dog at home!!!!!”

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There was no further information provided on Lampaert's injuries or whether there was any contact with or injury to the dog, however a report in Het Laatste Nieuws said the incident occured close to the start of the race, with Wout van Aert among those avoiding the dog while just behind Lampaert fell. "Suddenly that beast crossed the street and I couldn't go anywhere," Lampaert said in the Belgian newspaper.

This is not the first crash of the Tour for the QuickStep-AlphaVinyl rider, who also came down on stage 2 while wearing yellow after a touch of wheels in the peloton on the Great Belt Bridge . In that incident he was quickly back on the bike with no obvious injuries. This time, though, there was no missing the consequences of the dog's foray into the peloton.

It is also far from the first time an incident like this has occurred in a bike race, or at the Tour de France. Among them was a dog running into the bunch on stage 18 of 2012, with Philippe Gilbert, Denis Menchov and Arthur Vichot all coming down and in 2007 there were two notable incidents.

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Marcus Burghardt came off on stage 9, fortunately with no injury to him or the dog. Later in that edition of the race on stage 18 Sandy Casar also went sliding across the road after an unrestrained dog walked straight in front of his wheel, but then the French rider went on to win the stage.

QuickStep-AlphaVinyl will be hoping that the surprise winner of stage 1, who now sits in 156th place overall, will bounce back just as quickly as Casar did, so Lampaert can slot back into his place on the lead-out train for the team's stage 2 winner, Jakobsen. With the high mountains of the Alps behind them, the 192.6km stage 13 from Bourg-d'Oisans could offer an opportunity for the Tour de France debutant to quickly yield a reward for the effort he and the team made to get through the mountains.

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Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg . Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.

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Watch: Tour de France 2022: Dog trips up peloton riders early in Stage 12 | Cycling on NBC Sports

An unleashed dog ran across the road early in Stage 12 of the 2022 Tour de France, backing up the peloton and unseating two riders.

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When Animals Take the Field: Trespassing Creatures Cause Chaos at Sports Events

By amanda dingyuan hou • published july 1, 2013 • updated on july 2, 2013 at 8:02 pm.

A tiny dog nearly caused a massive crash at the Tour de France this weekend, but it wasn't the first time an animal threatened to wreak havoc on a sports spectacle.

A few miles from the finish line of the bicycle race's second stage Sunday in Corsica, the little dog can be seen in viral video dashing away from its owner and onto the pavement.

The owner sprinted onto the course to grab his pet, but the startled animal ran back into the path with the chasing pack of cyclists fast approaching.

Luckily, the little dog ran back to the other side of the street — and narrowly escaped being run over by a cluster of cyclists.

Watch how the dog made its last-second escape:

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Such high-profile near-misses with animal at sports events aren't unusual, even at the Tour de France. Birds have been known to take a fancy to baseball games, while dogs have also shown their moves on the soccer pitch. Take a look at other past animal interruptions that have upstaged the main event. Dog causes bicycle crash: A dog showed up on the course of the 2007 Tour de France out of nowhere and caused two cyclists to crash on the course.

Cows at Tour de France: A herd of cows trotted onto the road where the cyclists were riding during a warm-up leg of the 2011 Tour.

Dog interrupts soccer game: A dog invaded a soccer field in Turkey, and the attempts to take it off the field turned into a belly massage session.

Cat runs onto soccer field: A cat sprinted onto a soccer field during a soccer match in the Netherlands in April and was even eventually tracked down and taken away before half-time.

Pine marten invades football game: A Swiss soccer match was thrown into chaos when the pitch was invaded by a small, feisty pine marten — similar to a weasel — that charged onto the field and bit one of the players.

Bird hit by baseball: Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson threw a fastball that struck and killed a flying dove during a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants in 2001.

Baseball fells stray seagull: Another infamous bird-killing incident: Dave Winfeld, then a New York Yankee, accidentally killed a seagull by throwing a ball while warming up in Toronto in 1983.

Squirrel takes over baseball game: A squirrel interrupted a Chicago White Sox game and had a lot of fun playing hide-and-seek with the players before it was taken off the field.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the game pictured in the last video clip as a college basketball game. It is a Chicago White Sox game.

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Unrestrained Dog Nearly Causes Tragedy at the Tour de France

10.32.010 Dogs — Running at large prohibited No person owning or having charge, care, custody or control of any dog shall cause, permit or allow the same to be or to run at large upon any highway, street, lane, alley, court or other public place, or upon any private property or premises other than those of the person owning or having charge, care, custody or control of such dog, in the unincorporated area of the county of Los Angeles, unless such dog be restrained by a substantial chain or leash not exceeding six feet in length and is in the charge, care, custody or control of a competent person.

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Dog Causes Huge Pile-Up By Running Onto Tour De France Track

The pedigree pup's actions have left one rider in particular fuming, saying: i wasn’t a dog lover before and this certainly hasn’t helped.”.

Riders have vented their frustrations after an innocent dog accidentally caused a huge pile-up during the Tour de France.

The pooch, clearly lost and a little confused, ran into the middle of the peloton at the 12th stage of the prestigious cycling event.

After seeing the cute pup at the very last minute, a bunch of riders were forced to slam on their brakes and swerve out of the way to try and avoid hitting it.

Some weren't so lucky.

Judging by the footage, the dog was struck by at least two riders – one of which went over his handlebars and hit the road at some force.

Turns out it was Belgian cyclist Yves Lampaert who is absolutely fuming with what unfolded.

“I don’t remember a lot,” he said, according to  VeloNews .

“I just saw the dog at the last moment and then the guy in front of me braked really hard. I didn’t expect that and then I came down. We’ve seen this happen before in the Tour and it’s not funny when it happens to you. I wasn’t a dog lover before and this certainly hasn’t helped.”

Lampaert also took to social media shortly after to vent some more.

In an Instagram story, he said: “Crash because of a dog. After already many times; please keep your dog at home!!!!!”

Lampaert also posted a picture of the large wound on his leg as a result of the fall.

To be fair to him, it does look like it would sting.

He added: “The good legs have gone but I hope that they return fast because my back is still struggling and so are my legs.”

“Having some wounds is taking a long time to recover and this wasn’t the easiest stage on which to recover. I hope that I can get better fast but I have doubts.”

Topics:  Australia , Cycling , Tour De France

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

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Tour de France 2010: David Millar felled by dog during stage one

A dog disrupted David Millar's progress from Rotterdam to Brussels on the second day of Tour de France . The 33-year-old Scot, who finished third in yesterday's opening prologue, was in a borrowed green jersey as the 97th Tour embarked on the first road stage, the 223.5 kilometres from Holland to Belgium.

But on the Dutch coast, with 165km to go to the Belgian capital and with a three-man break further up the road, a dog was off its lead and ran into the peloton, felling Millar and forcing the Briton to change his bike. The progress of Liquigas's Ivan Basso was also interrupted.

Millar was soon back in the peloton, after tucking in behind the car of his former team Cofidis to be dragged back to the pack. He appeared to show no ill-effects from his canine collision.

The three riders in the breakaway were the Dutchman Lars Boom – in 32nd place following the prologue – of team Rabobank, the Belgian Maarten Wynants (Quick Step) and Spain's Alan Pérez Lezaun (Euskaltel-Euskadi). From the original start list, Spaniard Xavier Florencio was missing after being withdrawn on Friday by his Cervelo Test Team after he used a product containing a banned substance.

Two riders involved in crashes yesterday – BMC Racing's Mathias Frank, who broke his right thumb, suffered a torn muscle in his left thigh and badly cut his lip, and Footon-Servetto's Manuel Cardoso, who suffered a fractured jaw and shoulder – were unable to start today's stage, which went out to the North Sea from Rotterdam, before entering Belgium.

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Adam Yates beats twin brother Simon Yates to win first stage of Tour de France

Britain’s Adam Yates celebrates after crossing the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Britain’s Adam Yates, left, pedals followed by his brother Britain’s Simon Yates, on his way to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar celebrates at the end of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Cyclists pedals through fans at the end of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Peter Sagan of Slovakia pedals at the end of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Britain’s Adam Yates wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Britain’s Adam Yates wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, celebrates on the podium of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, right, and Britain’s Adam Yates celebrate after the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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BILBAO, Spain (AP) — The Tour de France began with a family celebration in Basque Country.

Adam Yates pulled away from his twin brother Simon Yates to win the Tour’s first stage on Saturday, with race favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard finishing not far behind.

The Yates brothers escaped to the front with about seven kilometers (four miles) to go and Adam had the strongest finish to take the initial yellow jersey in the three-week race that began in Basque Country territory in northern Spain.

Adam and Simon Yates ride for different teams but joined forces to break away from the pack. Adam eventually pulled away in the final uphill stretch with about 400 meters (last quarter of a mile).

“We worked together,” Adam Yates said. “I speak to him every day, we are close. To share this experience with him was really nice. I’m speechless, super happy.”

Adam Yates has never won a Grand Tour race but also held the leader’s yellow jersey during the 2020 Tour de France. Simon Yates won the 2018 Spanish Vuelta.

Cycling’s biggest race is taking place amid continued unrest in France after a fourth night of riots triggered by the deadly shooting of a 17-year-old by police.

Pogacar, the two-time Tour de France champion who is teammates with Adam Yates at UAE Team Emirates, finished third after leading a group of chasers that also included Vingegaard, the defending champion of team Jumbo-Visma.

“It’s a superb team victory and it’s even better than when I win myself,” Pogacar said. “This guy works for me and today I have the pleasure to see him winning. It has worked out very well and Adam attacked and managed to go clear. It’s even better than what we hoped for. We can be proud of this work. We’ve showed that we’re strong and we have a good tactic.”

Pogacar had a strong start to the season but had to undergo wrist injury after a crash two months ago. Vingegaard, the former fish factory worker from Denmark, was runner-up to Pogacar in his first Tour two years ago then came out on top in a thrilling battle with his Slovenian rival last year, building his triumph on two big rides in the Alps and the Pyrenees.

Pogacar appeared to have most of the crowd support in Bilbao after pleasing them in the race presentation with some words praising the city and local club Athletic Bilbao.

The first two stages are taking place in Basque Country, with the opening day taking riders through a hilly 182-kilometer (113-mile) route that started and finished in the city of Bilbao.

Two of the top riders in the race — Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz — had to pull out after crashing with just over 20 kilometers (12 miles) to go. Both were attended by doctors but Carapaz was able to finish the stage despite a left knee injury, while Mas withdrew immediately with what looked like a shoulder problem.

The EF Education-EasyPost team later announced that Carapaz would not continue after a scan showed he sustained “a small fracture in his left kneecap. He also needed three stitches to close the cut on the same knee.”

The first crash of this year’s edition came nearly 100 kilometers (62 miles) into the race when Torstein Traaen went down.

American Neilson Powless of team EF Education-EasyPost took the red polka dot jersey for best climber.

Former champion Egan Bernal, returning to the Tour for the first time since a life-threatening crash early last year while training in Colombia, finished 23rd with the main pack.

Veteran sprint specialist Mark Cavendish, who needs one more stage victory to break the race record with 35, finished toward the end of the pack. Cavendish is competing in his last Tour before retiring.

Sunday’s second stage will be a hilly route of more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastian. The Tour will cross into France on Monday with a flat stage that will start in the Spanish city of Amorebieta-Echano.

The 110th edition of the Tour de France has only one time trial and four mountain-top finishes. It will include a record 30 difficult climbs over the 3,405 kilometers (2,116 miles) featuring eight mountain stages across five mountain ranges.

This year, riders who test positive for COVID-19 won’t be automatically expelled from the race.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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'Keep your dog at home!' - Yves Lampaert furious after dog 'suddenly' causes nasty crash at Tour de France

Updated 15/07/2022 at 13:32 GMT

“Crash because of a dog,” Yves Lampaert said alongside an image of the injury posted on his Instagram story during the Tour de France. “After already many times, please keep your dog at home!!!!!” Lampaert was also quoted by Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws as saying after Stage 12: "Suddenly that beast crossed the street and I couldn't go anywhere."

Watch scary moment dog causes nasty crash in peloton during Stage 12

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15 Elegant French Dog Breeds That Make Great Pets

W hen you think of French dogs, you probably think of poodles first, but did you know they’re not really French? The Frenchest of all dogs is actually from Germany. Its name, poodle, comes from the German pudel , meaning to splash. It was popularized as a society and circus dog in France, so we include it here as an honorary Frenchie! The curly-haired poodle  was one of the  most popular breeds  in the United States for years, but now the most popular breed is another Frenchman, the French Bulldog.

And here’s a surprise: Not all French dogs are lap dogs bred for the court at Versailles or for sitting quietly under the table at a Parisian sidewalk café. There are French dogs used for hunting, herding, sailing and other tasks, and they come in all sizes—even giant dog breeds . And for the right owner, they make delightful pets. Here are 15 of our favorite French dog breeds just waiting for you to say “ oui .”

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Standard, miniature or toy, the poodle has been one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States since the 1960s and consistently ranks among the top ten most beloved breeds. But here’s some poodle trivia: The official dog of France actually originated in Germany , though it was French nobility who took a special interest in the breed. They were originally bred as duck hunters, and today poodles still do best when they have a job to do. These alert, super-smart dogs take well to training and need to be engaged in activities; leave them to their own devices, and they can get destructive. Poodles have hair, not fur, so while they require regular grooming, they may make great pets for some people with allergies. Smaller sizes tend to live longer.

French bulldog

Move over, poodles. There’s a new dog on the block. In a 2022 American Kennel Club (AKC) survey of the most popular dog breeds in the United States, French bulldogs ranked No. 1, while poodles came in fifth place. And like poodles, the Frenchie is a transplant—the breed originated in England and was imported to France in the 1800s, where it became one of the most popular French dogs. Frenchies are loved for their friendly, playful temperament, and they’re great with kids. Since they don’t need a lot of exercise, they’re also great apartment dogs , though they might suffer from some separation anxiety if left alone for too long. You also need to watch for health issues with these sweet pups, especially respiratory disorders and conditions associated with overheating.

You might say that the papillon is all ears—it sure looks that way, at least. Its large, erect ears have cascading tufts of fur, so it’s easy to see where the toy breed got its name: In French, “papillon” means butterfly. This is another one of the French dog breeds with somewhat murky origins, though papillons were regulars in the French court since at least the 1600s. Marie Antoinette is even said to have walked to the guillotine clutching her pet papillon. (Don’t worry. The dog’s life was spared.) Smart and active papillons need a lot of attention and distraction, whether from learning to do tricks, obeying commands, or simply fetching a ball. They’re also low shedders and, other than regular brushing, don’t need much in terms of grooming.

The barbet is a rare breed indeed: There are only about 600 of this webbed-foot French water dog in the world. Bred as duck hunters and companion dogs, barbets may date back to the 700s BCE and, as such, are considered one of the oldest dog breeds. Barbets are about the size of a standard poodle, and with their thick fur coats, they look a little like the poodle’s unkempt cousin. That coat requires regular brushing and combing, though barbets don’t shed much. This French dog breed also needs regular exercise and tasks to perform, and it especially loves retrieving a stick or toy from the water. If you have a swimming pool, you’ll likely have one very happy barbet. They’re good with children and other dogs, too.

Great Pyrenees

Also called the Pyrenean mountain dog, this gentle giant is a close relative of the Maremma sheepdog, one of our favorite Italian dog breeds . Raised in the Pyrenees mountains that straddle France and Spain, the breed was long used for the protection of sheep from hungry wolves and bears. Today, the Great Pyrenees is still used as a guardian of flocks in France and Spain, though most Pyrenees lead lives of leisure. They don’t need a whole lot of exercise, but because of their size—they can weigh more than 100 pounds—they’re not suited for apartment living. Great Pyrenees make affectionate family pets, though their predisposition to serving as guard dogs may make them somewhat wary of strangers. These big, white fur balls shed routinely and “blow” their coats once a year.

If the Beauceron looks a little like a more robust Doberman, that’s no accident. These French dogs are predecessors of the Doberman and have similarly been used as protectors of livestock and property and as working dogs in times of war. It gets its other names, Berger de Beauce and Bas Rouge (red stockings), from its distinctive red paws and lower legs. Beaucerons also have another defining feature: double dewclaws with two “thumbs” on each hindfoot. Despite their short, smooth coats, they do shed regularly, so brushing with a hand mitt or similar item is recommended. These loyal, strong-willed dogs are best for experienced dog owners. Gentle obedience training will help curb bad habits, such as jumping and mouthiness.

Basset hound

Would you have guessed that the basset hound is a French dog breed? We didn’t! But this droopy-eyed, floppy-eared, jowly breed was developed in France, though it likely originated in ancient Greece. Traditionally used for hunting rabbits, the basset’s extra-sensitive nose and short legs make it a top choice for tracking, whether it’s on the hunt for a missing child or a criminal at large. They’re also wonderfully docile with children and enjoy a good walk or play session. They shouldn’t be allowed to wander off-leash, though, because if they pick up a scent, they won’t stop until they get to the source! This unique breed is prone to eye infections, and its ears need to be cleaned regularly.

Berger Picard

A herding dog from northern France, the Berger Picard fell on hard times during both world wars, when the breed nearly went extinct. It’s still relatively rare, with only a few hundred of the French dogs in the United States, according to the AKC. Also called the Picardy shepherd, it has been in France since at least the first millennium and is considered the oldest breed of French sheepdogs. Today, they are increasingly popular family dogs that require human company and regular physical activity. This breed also has an independent streak that is best tempered with early socialization and lots of affection. Their wiry coats don’t need much in the way of grooming, though they will shed their undercoat once a year.

There’s more to the Brie region of France than just soft, creamy cheese. Berger de Brie , or the briard, is a shagalicious sheepdog that for centuries was used for herding and defending flocks. Briards also saw duty in both world wars, which nearly resulted in the breed’s extinction. Today, they’re known as trusty companion dogs that, while wary with strangers, are loyal to their family and good with children. True to its working-dog roots, the briard needs chores, whether that’s chasing a ball or accompanying you on a hike. It also needs a big, fenced-in yard in which to run off all that excess energy and regular brushing to keep its long coat from matting.

With its classic spaniel appearance, it’s easy to see why this breed was once called the Brittany spaniel. But the AKC dropped the “spaniel” part of the name in the 1980s, and now the breed is just the Brittany. Bred as bird dogs in the Brittany region of France, these pups are still popular hunting dogs but are likewise treasured as beloved family pets —for families that have lots of energy, that is. These working dogs need tons of exercise and activities, whether participating in relentless games of fetch or Frisbee or going on energetic walks. Given their bird-hunting instincts, they’re probably not well-suited to homes with pet birds. Their silky coats do well with weekly brushing.

Dogue de Bordeaux

The dogue de Bordeaux doesn’t have a very happy history: It was originally bred by the ancient Romans for use in wars and dogfights. Later, this large, stocky breed was used for hunting, herding and as a guard dog . Today, these powerfully muscular dogs with massive heads are still intimidating, though they’re also regarded as extremely loyal companion dogs who are good with kids. Dogues aren’t for inexperienced dog owners, though, as they’ll walk all over a passive handler. Oh, and they drool—big time. One drawback is their short lifespan; they typically only live for five to eight years.

Grand bleu de Gascogne

Long-legged, fleet-footed and always ready for a chase, the grand bleu de Gascogne was bred for hunting deer, wild boar and other large game in the Gascony region of France. These French dogs are still used as hunters in France. They are also reliable companion dogs and do well with other pups (or human family members) that are part of the “pack.” These animals are known for their distinctive howling , so they’re probably not suited for apartments or any place where they’ll be left alone for long periods of time.

Petit basset griffon Vendéen

Dogs don’t come much more cheerful than the petit basset griffon Vendéen, or PBGV for short. This compact dog bears some similarities to a long-haired dachshund, one of the most popular German dog breeds. Bred to hunt small prey, PBGVs still have a strong prey instinct and are prone to taking off after some particularly interesting scent. But they’ll happily burn up their energy playing ball or exercising with their family members, to whom they are loving and loyal. These are terrific family dogs for households that have a lot of attention to devote to them. PBGVs have wiry coats that require weekly brushing.

French spaniel

Among French dogs, the French spaniel might be the perfect all-around family dog. Bred for bird hunting, the French spaniel is also a calm and loving companion animal that’s great with children and other dogs. This bundle of energy needs a lot of exercise and, ideally, a fenced-in yard in which to run around. French spaniels are generally quite healthy and have smooth coats that are easy to groom. The breed’s temperament is mellow enough to make it a good choice for first-time dog owners.

Bichon frisé

We’ll let you in on a secret: The bichon frisé isn’t really a French dog. Instead, its origins probably point to Tenerife, one of Spain’s Canary Islands. Nevertheless, the adorably petite white pup became a favorite of the French court, and its French name stuck. Bichons top many a list of favorite dogs, including best for cuddling , best for people with allergies  and best for small apartments. And really, with their warm eyes, button noses and perpetually sweet expressions, there’s a whole lot to love about these little guys. Bichons don’t shed very much, but they do require constant grooming—as in, nearly daily brushing. For families with small children, dogs don’t come much more compatible than bichons.

Why trust us

At  Reader’s Digest , we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. For this piece, Elizabeth Heath tapped her experience covering dog behavior and health, and then  Caroline Coile, PhD, an award-winning journalist specializing in canine breeds, health and science,  gave it a rigorous review to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about  our team , our contributors and our  editorial policies .