'No legs left, but still had heart and lungs' - Young Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin lights up Tour de France time trial on home roads, moves to third overall

Arkea-B&B Hotels team's French rider Kevin Vauquelin wearing the best young rider's white jersey cycles to the finish line of the 5th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 33 km individual time trial starting and finishing in Caen, northwestern France, on July 9, 2025. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images).

"You're faster than Vingegaard. You're faster than Matteo Jorgenson. Go boy!" was the encouragement shouted across the Arkéa-B&B Hotels team radio and projected for the world to see on Eurosport for Kévin Vauquelin during the opening third of the 33km individual time trial on stage 5 of the Tour de France.

Clad in a white-and-black skinsuit as the best young rider in the race, the 24-year-old Frenchman finished fifth in Caen, just 49 seconds behind stage winner Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), and 33 seconds back of second-placed Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).