On a debut remake of the classic Champs Elysees finish in Paris, it was only fitting that Tadej Pogacar was the one to explode the finale of this year’s Tour de France – now his fourth overall victory in the space of five years since 2020.
Filthy conditions in the French capital on the cobbles of Montmartre made for epic racing. For a moment you’d think it was the Tour of Flanders in Paris, but a new climb that featured in the Olympic road race last year might be around to stick.
Sending prayers to the sprinters, it was Pogacar who ignited Stage 21, only for him to be distanced by Wout van Aert. Not just a vital part of Pogacar’s rival team Visma Lease a Bike riding for Jonas Vingegaard, but also a supreme stage win for the Belgian who reminded the peloton how world class he truly is.
Wet conditions on the cobbles neutralised the race meaning Pogacar’s Tour victory was already completed, but in truth the race was already won in week two. A chance to win in Paris in yellow was a unique opportunity not to be missed, but in the end, you cannot win them all.
Embed from Getty ImagesPogacar cements a fourth Tour
Previous yellow jersey victories in 2020, 2021 and 2024 had already made Tadej Pogacar a new legend of the Tour de France, coupled with the fact that the Slovenian is a multiple Monuments winner at Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Lombardy, as well as the first Giro-Tour winner since Marco Pantani in 1998.
A world champion in the rainbow bands, his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard was beaten by four and a half minutes, in what was arguably the toughest Tour parcours the organisers could have thrown at them both. Comfortable victory? You would have to say so. A different Pogacar this year? Yes.
Tadej Pogacar had already opened up time gaps, sealed his victory in the Pyrennes, and actually became a more conservative rider in the third week, unlike previous editions where he has flown out of the blocks to take more stage wins. In the Alps Pogacar was guarded, sensible and intelligent not to explode the race further. For the peloton it was good for the race that others got their chance for a stage win – Thymen Arensman’s two victories at Superbagneres and La Plagne the best examples.
Stage wins in Rouen, Mur-de-Bretagne, Hautacam and the Peyragudes time trial, sealed victory as one of the greatest riders of his generation. Is he the cycling GOAT? The comparison is made to Eddy Merckx, where the facts are clear in Pogacar winning the Giro, worlds, multiple Monuments, Strade Bianche and other stage races including Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine.
The greatest bike rider to ever lived? A question that is hard to answer as nothing will ever compare the legendary status of Merckx, but for this exciting generation of racing, Pogacar is one of the greats.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat next for Jonas Vinegaard?
Jonas Vingegaard winning two Tour de France titles is enough to place him in the legends slot. It is tough to win the yellow jersey once let alone twice, yet this year’s challenge to try and beat Pogacar and claim a third yellow jersey did not go to plan.
The Dane has every right to feel hard done by, but the Stage 5 time trial where he lost significant time and the devastating acceleration of UAE Team Emirates to set up Pogacar on Hautacam – the Pyrenees detonation was where this Tour was lost for Vingegaard.
Pogacar having a lead of around three and a half minutes after only one day in the Pyrenees, it was a stretch too far. Visma Lease a Bike will be scratching their heads as to how they lost this Tour, indeed fans as well. When Vingegaard said he would pledge to go all in and claim the yellow jersey, even if it cost him second place overall, that plan never really got going. Mont Ventoux did see him attack Pogacar but when you have a rider in such fine form glued to your wheel, distancing the best bike rider in the world is a tall order.
Tour de France stages go uphill and down dale, a metaphor to describe how Jonas Vingegaard performed at this Tour. A few bad days, a few good days as he said in his post-Stage 21 press conference. What is admirable is his acceptance in defeat as well as his motivation to win.
The Vuelta is confirmed to be his next destination, a chance to win a first Grand Tour in two years. It will not make up for his Tour loss, but to win a red jersey come Madrid would be a fine addition to his current palmares. Winning a Grand Tour is the prestigious crown Jonas Vingegaard will hope to achieve.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe best of the rest
Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe’s German climber Florian Lipowitz, in his debut Tour, finished third overall. It is a fine accomplishment for the youngster to also win the white jersey as best young rider aged 24, where he was also challenged by a new exciting British talent in Oscar Onley.
Riding for Dutch team Picnic Post NL, Onley may not have finished on the podium but has completed a wonderful Tour for him personally. Right from day one, the 22-year-old Scot was up and among the finish of uphill stages in Boulogne, Rouen and Mur-de-Bretagne. To see him keep contact with Pogacar and Vinegaard on the final stretches of the Col de la Loze on Stage 17 was a sight cycling has never seen before.
The future is bright for British cycling as well as for the Irish. Ben Healy winning Stage 6 in Vire and his spell in the yellow jersey albeit brief, has certainly made sure there are future ambitions at Grand Tours.
Already a Giro d’Italia stage winner, Healy made the top ten overall and can be safe in the knowledge that he’s had a magnificent Tour.
Embed from Getty ImagesA word on G
The youngest rider at the Tour in 2007, champion in 2018 and oldest participant in the race’s history aged 39 – Geraint Thomas is the only rider in Tour folklore to have been all three riders in the space of 14 Tour appearances.
A national hero for British and Welsh sport, he retires officially at the end of this year, but one final Tour has now been ridden. A likeable character, full of humour, and a Tour win that changed his life, it is only fitting that September’s Tour of Britain will finish in Cardiff to cap off a tremendous career.
On a personal note, my love of cycling really began in 2012 with a Tour win for Sir Bradley Wiggins coupled with a glorious Olympic Games in London. Geraint Thomas was part of the gold medal winning team pursuit on the track, hence the start of a journey watching him over the years.
From 2013 riding a Tour with a fractured pelvis, sacrificing himself for Chris Froome’s four Tour titles, to 2018 winning in yellow atop Alpe d’Huez and going on to win overall – it has been a delight to watch Geraint Thomas race.
It makes the fact that ITV are losing coverage of the Tour de France from next year even more galling.
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