The 2025 edition of the Tour de France cycle race begins in the northern city of Lille on Saturday, with title contenders Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard set to renew their sporting rivalry.

Lille

The latest edition of the Tour de France has commenced in Lille, France, with teams such as Cofidis making final preparations for the three-week cycling event. Mechanics are ensuring bikes are in optimal condition, while team managers emphasize the importance of recovery and discipline throughout the race.

Cofidis riders have set their sights on winning a stage, with detailed planning for each of the 21 stages. The opening stage covers 185 kilometres through northern France, as riders and teams seek early opportunities to make an impact in the prestigious event.

Tour de France cycle race kicks off in Lille

I'm going to install the chain, the anti-derailleur, and we'll be in the required configuration. Jérôme is one of five mechanics on the Cofidis team. In the workshop, located just a few kilometres from the starting line, a real advantage for this team from northern France, Jérôme is preparing the bikes for three weeks of competition. These are the bikes for the time trials on the 9th of July. They will be loaded into a different track. In a race where every second matters, nothing is left to chance. While the mechanics fine-tune the equipment, the team's general manager and former pro cyclist Cédric Vasseur offers some words of wisdom. The long hours on the Tour de France demand a flawless lifestyle. If on just one day you don't follow all the rules of recovery, you'll pay for it on the following days. It's inevitable. Inside the Cofidis bus is where much of that recovery will take place. Within built showers and kitchens, riders will have their time to relax here as they're driven between stages. After months of preparation, the eight Cofidis riders are ready. They've studied all 21 stages, down to the last detail. The team's goal is to win a stage. That's my personal goal too, something I've never managed to do in my career. I've always finished second. So I'd really like to win before I retire from the Tour de France. That's clearly the goal this year. There are a few stages where there's a chance to get into a breakaway, the second, fourth or seventh stage. First I'll have to try to be part of it and then have the legs to go all the way. Ahead of the start of the Tour de France, the riders are out in Lille again, filling out the first few kilometres of the race. Stage one spans 185 kilometres through this northern region of France.

Ukraine has appointed a new prime minister, 39-year-old Yulia Svyrydenko, as part of a sweeping government reshuffle announced by President Volodymyr Zelenkskyy. This marks the most significant political shift since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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Rio de Janeiro

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Los Angeles

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London

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Washington

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Moscow

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Trump denies writing crude letter to Jeffrey Epstein

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Jerusalem

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Tennessee

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Ahmedabad

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Damascus

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz makes his first state visit to the United Kingdom to sign a historic defence cooperation treaty—the first of its kind between Germany and Britain since the Second World War. The agreement includes plans for joint defence efforts, boosting economic collaboration, and tackling illegal migration.

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Mexico City

Global Tariffs

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Former President Barack Obama joined his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, on her latest podcast episode with her brother Craig Robinson to address divorce rumors.

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Israel struck Syrian military targets as well as central Damascus on Wednesday (July 16) as it continued its campaign to protect Druze minority communities in southern Syria.

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday (July 16) at an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in what the U.S.-backed group said was a crowd surge instigated by armed agitators. This video contains graphic images.

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Police in Los Angeles have arrested a 22-year-old suspect in the double homicide of American Idol executive Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca. The couple, both 70 years old, was found shot to death in their home earlier this week.

Encino

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Hollywood

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Breakdown