Doha: Australian cyclist Ben O'Connor claimed victory in Stage 18 of the Tour de France, which spanned 171.5 kilometers between Vif and Courchevel. He secured first place in one of the toughest stages of the race, navigating the steep altitudes of Col de la Loze.

According to Qatar News Agency, this marks O'Connor's second career win in the Tour. Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar finished second, trailing by 1:45 minutes, but strengthened his overall lead in the general classification, widening the gap with Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard, who finished third in the stage, to 4:26 minutes. This comes just three stages before the race concludes in Paris.

Pogacar, 25, is now closer to securing his fourth Tour de France title after wins in 2020, 2021, and 2024, which would tie him with Britain's Chris Froome.

In the overall classification, German cyclist Florian Lipowitz retained third place despite finishing eleventh in the stage, while British rider Oscar Onley narrowed the gap to just 22 seconds after placing fourth.