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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

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Patrick Redford

Tour de France riders against a lovely mountain backdrop dappled with the shadows of fluffy clouds.

112th Tour de France 2025 – Stage 18

Cycling

Some More Stuff I Saw At The Tour de France

Tour de France riders pass as a blur of color through a narrow cobbled pass between throngs of fans on the Rue Lepic during the final stage of the 2025 Tour de France

112th Tour de France – Stage 21

The Tour de France’s New, Hardcore Paris Finale Was One For The Ages

Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium with the overall leader's yellow jersey after the 20th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race

CYCLING-TDF-2025-STAGE 20

Tadej Pogacar And The Boredom Of Perfection

A float for the Cochonou brand in the Tour de France caravan, with spectators reaching out to it as it passes.

tdf cochonou float

There Is No Tour de France Without The Tour de Brands

IMG_3452

My Tour de France Lunches, Reviewed

Valentin Paret-Peintre of France and Team Soudal Quick-Step and Ben Healy of Ireland and Team EF Education - EasyPost sprint at finish line to win during Stage 16 of the 112th Tour de France 2025.

112th Tour de France 2025 – Stage 16

France Finally Has Something To Smile About At The Tour

Spectators crowd the ascent of Hautacam during the 12th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 180.6 km between Auch and Hautacam, in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France, on July 17, 2025.

tdf crowd flags

The Tour de France Is For The Polyglots, For Now

Accredited media motorcycles and race direction vehicles precede the pack of riders (peloton) as they cycle during the 14th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 182.6 km between Pau and Luchon-Superbagneres, in the Pyrenees mountains of southwestern France, on July 19, 2025.

tdf stage 14 cars

Media Meltdowns

An Anatomy Of The Doping Story That Has The Tour de France Press Room Buzzing

Julian Alaphilippe of France and Team Tudor Pro Cycling (celebrating wrongly) and Wout Van Aert of Belgium and Team Visma.

112th Tour de France 2025 – Stage 15

Julian Alaphilippe Loses, Celebrates, And Learns To Smile About It

Markus Hoelgaard of Norway and Team Uno-X Mobility competes during the 112th Tour de France 2025, Stage 14 a 182.6km stage from Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres.

112th Tour de France 2025 – Stage 14

A Day Inside The Tour de France From The Neutral Service Car

Fans throng a rider on the way up the Hautacam during Stage 12 of the 2025 Tour de France.

Tour de France 2025 Stage 12

Feral Belgians, Superfan Gendarmes, And Tattered Cyclists At The Tour de France’s First Summit Finish

Stage winner Jonas Abrahamsen of Norway and Team Uno-X Mobility and Mauro Schmid of Switzerland and Team Jayco AlUla sprint at finish line during the 112th Tour de France 2025, Stage 11 a 156.8km stage from Toulouse to Toulouse

112th Tour de France 2025 – Stage 11

What It’s Like To Lose From The Winning Move

Ben Healy of Ireland and Team EF Education - EasyPost celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 112th Tour de France, Stage 6 a 201.5km stage from Bayeux to Vire Normandie

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Ben Healy Wins One For The Romantics

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the fourth stage of the 2025 Tour de France cycling, Amien Metropole - Rouen (173 km), on Tuesday 08 July 2025 in France. The 112th edition of the Tour de France starts on Saturday 5 July in Lille, France, and will finish in Paris, France on the 27th of July. BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS (Photo by JASPER JACOBS / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)

CYCLING TOUR DE FRANCE 2025 STAGE 4

Tadej Pogacar Strikes The First Blow With Some “Pure Racing”

SAINT-PAUL-TROIS-CHATEAUX, FRANCE - JULY 17: (L-R) Jonas Vingegaard Hansen of Denmark and Team Visma | Lease a Bike - Polka dot Mountain Jersey, Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates - Yellow Leader Jersey, Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Team Intermarche - Wanty - Green Sprint Jersey, Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team Alpecin - Deceuninck and Thomas Gachignard of France and Team TotalEnergies prior to the 111th Tour de France 2024, Stage 17 a 177.8km stage from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Superdevoluy 1500m / #UCIWT / on July 17, 2024 in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

111th Tour de France 2024 – Stage 17

Your Guide To The 2025 Tour de France

LE GRAND BORNAND, FRANCE - AUGUST 17: (L-R) Audrey Cordon-Ragot of France and Team Human Powered Health and a general view of the peloton competing during the 3rd Tour de France Femmes 2024, Stage 7 a 166.4km stage from Champagnole to Le Grand Bornand 1265m / #UCIWWT / on August 17, 2024 in Le Grand Bornand, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

3rd Tour de France Femmes 2024 – Stage 7

How Team Tactics Shape The Tour de France, And Vice Versa

The pack of the Tour de France cross a railway line during a stage of the Great Loop, in July 1933. (Photo by STF / AFP) (Photo credit should read STF/AFP via Getty Images)

RETRO-TDF-1933

How To Watch Cycling

Cyclists in a race are in the background. There is a house or wall on the left side of the road. There is a man in front, looking at the peloton, squatting halfway with his arms spread just past his knees. Next to him in the center of the road is a bicycle laid across the ground.

tim-krabbe-the-rider

Defector Reads A Book

Why ‘The Rider’ Is The Best Sports Book I’ve Ever Read

BORMIO, ITALY - MAY 28: Isaac Del Toro of Mexico and Team UAE Team Emirates - XRG - Pink Leader Jersey celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 108th Giro d'Italia 2025, Stage 17 a 155km stage from San Michele all'Adige to Bormio 1200m / #UCIWT / on May 28, 2025 in Bormio, Italy. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

108th Giro d’Italia 2025 – Stage 17

Isaac Del Toro Meets The Moment

Defector Reads A Book: Defector Rides A Bike

Team Visma-Lease a Bike's French rider Pauline Ferrand Prevot cycles in a breakaway during the fifth edition of the Paris-Roubaix women's race, 148,5 km between Denain and Roubaix, northern France on April 12, 2025. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

TOPSHOT-CYCLING-FRA-ROUBAIX-WOMEN

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s Quick Return Makes A Great Cycling Season Better

Team Visma-Lease a Bike's Belgian rider Wout van Aert (C) reacts at the end of the men's elite race 'Dwars Door Vlaanderen', 184,2 km from Roeselare to Waregem, on April 2, 2025. (Photo by DIRK WAEM / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT

CYCLING-BEL

Wout van Aert Tried So Hard To Win, He Forgot Not To Lose

SANREMO, ITALY - MARCH 22: (L-R) Mathieu Van Der Poel of Netherlands and Team Alpecin – Deceuninck and Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and Team UAE Team Emirates compete in the breakaway during the 116th Milano-Sanremo 2025 a 289km one day race from Pavia to Sanremo / #UCIWT / on March 22, 2025 in Sanremo, Italy. (Photo byFabio Ferrari - Pool/Getty Images)

116th Milano-Sanremo 2025

Mathieu van der Poel And Tadej Pogacar Tear Up The Script

SIENA, ITALY - MARCH 08: Demi Vollering of Netherlands and Team FDJ - SUEZ celebrates at podium as race winner during the 11st Strade Bianche 2025, Women's Elite a 136km one day race from Siena to Siena 320m / #UCIWWT / on March 08, 2025 in Siena, Italy. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

11st Strade Bianche 2025 – Women’s Elite

The Demi Vollering Revenge Tour Is Officially On

Eva Holland is a freelance writer and editor based in Whitehorse, Yukon. She&#8217;s a correspondent for Outside magazine and the author of the books Nerve and <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/no-sleep-til-fairbanks#/">No Sleep &#8216;Til Fairbanks</a>.

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Eva Holland

Lael Wilcox pedaling past a field of poppes in Spain