Tim Wellens saved for two minutes

A race against time, literally. Tim Wellens of UAE Team Emirates-XRG experienced a heart-stopping moment in stage eighteen of the 2026 Tour de France , managing to cross the finish line in Orcières-Merlette with a margin of just two minutes on the dreaded time cutoff. A feat of pure survival, more than cycling.

The Belgian rider finished the stage 43 minutes and 2 seconds behind the stage winner, when the maximum allowed was 45 minutes and 17 seconds. Pure thrills. Wellens rode most of the day in the small group of latecomers, only to have to tackle the final section with its fearsome Alpine walls completely alone.

"I received a lot of support from the peloton, then on the climbs I had to do a real time trial on my own, producing half the watts I usually use at double the speed," Wellens himself explained to reporters at the finish line. These words speak volumes about his precarious physical condition at this stage of the Grande Boucle.