| 2021 UCI World Tour, race 21 of 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Route of the 2021 Tour de France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | 26 June – 18 July 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 3,414.4[1] km (2,122 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 82h 56' 36" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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← 2020 2022 → | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2021 Tour de France was the 108th edition of theTour de France, one of cycling's threegrand tours. Originally planned for theDanish capital ofCopenhagen, the start of the 2021 Tour (known as theGrand Départ) was transferred toBrest because of theCOVID-19 pandemic, with Copenhagen hosting four matches in theUEFA Euro 2020, which had also been rescheduled to 2021 because of the pandemic.[2][3] Originally scheduled for 2 to 25 July 2021, the Tour was moved to 26 June to 18 July 2021 to avoid the rescheduled2020 Summer Olympics.[4] This would have been the first occasion on which the Tour de France had visitedDenmark.[5] Denmark instead hosted theGrand Départ in 2022.[6]
The race was won for the second consecutive year byTadej Pogačar ofUAE Team Emirates, becoming the youngest rider to win the Tour twice.[7][8] Pogačar began to build his advantage with his win in thestage 5 time trial. He first took themaillot jaune onstage 8, when he gained almost three and a half minutes on the other contenders after attacking on the penultimate climb of theCol de Romme. He gained another half minute the next day on thesummit finish to Tignes. Pogačar rode defensively in the second week before winning bothmountaintopfinishes atCol de Portet andLuz Ardiden in the third week. He won by 5' 20" overJonas Vingegaard ofTeam Jumbo–Visma. Vingegaard was originally supposed to be a domestique for his team's original leader,Primož Roglič. After Roglič's crash and eventual abandon, Vingegaard became the team's leader and rode into form in the second week. He managed to finish second on both mountaintop finishes in the third week before finishing third in thefinal time trial. Third place went toRichard Carapaz ofIneos Grenadiers, becoming the first Ecuadorian to finish on the podium in the Tour.[9] He emerged as one of the three strongest climbers in the race, along with Pogačar and Vingegaard, before eventually finishing third on both summit finishes in the final week.
In the race's other classifications,Mark Cavendish ofDeceuninck–Quick-Step won thepoints classification for the second time in his career. Cavendish took the green jersey after winning his first Tour stage since2016 onstage 4. He proceeded to win three more stages to equalEddy Merckx's record for themost career Tour stage wins.[10] Aside from winning themaillot jaune, Pogačar also won themountains andyoung rider classifications for the second successive year. He clinched the win in the mountains classification after his back-to-back wins in the third week, adding 80 points to his tally as both stages' final climbs offered double points. He took the lead in the young rider classification afterthe first stage and held on to the lead until the end of the race.Team Bahrain Victorious won the team classification whileFranck Bonnamour ofB&B Hotels p/b KTM won the race's overall combativity award after being involved in several breakaways.
23 teams took part in the 2021 Tour de France. All 19UCI WorldTeams were entitled and obliged to enter the race, and they were joined by four second-tierUCI ProTeams.Alpecin–Fenix, the best performing UCI ProTeam in 2020, received an automatic invitation, while the other three teams were selected byAmaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the organisers of the Tour.[11] The teams were announced on 4 February 2021.[12][13] Usually, only twenty-two teams would participate in the race, but for the 2021 season, theUnion Cycliste Internationale is allowing the total number of riders to increase from the normal 176 to 184. With team sizes still set at eight riders, the decision allowsgrand tour organizers to invite one extra wildcard team.[14]
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In the lead up to the 2021 Tour de France,Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) andPrimož Roglič (Team Jumbo–Visma) were seen by manypundits as the top pre-race favourites for thegeneral classification. Their closest rivals were considered to be the trio ofGeraint Thomas,Richard Carapaz andRichie Porte fromIneos Grenadiers.[15]
Pogačar was thedefending champion and came into the 2021 edition with a successful start to the season, winning the overall classification atTirreno–Adriatico and theTour of Slovenia, finishing third at theTour of the Basque Country, and winning his firstMonument atLiège–Bastogne–Liège. After finishing as the Tour runner-up to Pogačar in 2020, Roglič went on to defend his overall title at the2020 Vuelta a España. In 2021, Roglič finished fifteenth atParis–Nice before claiming the overall classification at theTour of the Basque Country. Thomas, the2018 Tour champion, won theTour de Romandie before finishing third overall in the lead-upCritérium du Dauphiné which was won by his teammate Porte. Their teammate Carapaz, the2019 Giro d'Italia champion, won the other lead-up race, theTour de Suisse.[16]
The other riders considered contenders for the general classification wereRigoberto Urán (EF Education–Nippo),Movistar Team duoEnric Mas andMiguel Ángel López, French ridersJulian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck–Quick-Step),Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) andDavid Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ),2020 Giro d'Italia championTao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) and fellow podium finisherWilco Kelderman (Bora–Hansgrohe).[17]
Thesprinters considered favourites for thepoints classification and wins on the flat or hillybunch sprint finishes were seven-time green jersey winnerPeter Sagan (Bora–Hansgrohe),Caleb Ewan (Lotto–Soudal),Arnaud Démare (Groupama–FDJ),Tim Merlier andMathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Fenix),Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo–Visma),Sonny Colbrelli (Team Bahrain Victorious),Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) andMark Cavendish, who was a late replacement for the injured defending championSam Bennett at Deceuninck–Quick-Step.[18]
In February 2019, it was announced thatDenmark would host theGrand Départ of the Tour in 2021.[19] However, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, this was delayed to 2022.[20]
The route for the 2021 Tour de France was announced byChristian Prudhomme on 1 November 2020, duringFrance Télévisions'Stade 2 programme.[21][22] The race covered a distance of 3,414 kilometres (2,121 miles),[23] and saw its longest stage since the2000 Tour de France, with 249.1 kilometres (154.8 miles) on stage seven.[24]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 June | Brest toLanderneau | 197.8 km (122.9 mi) |  | Hilly stage |  Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) |
| 2 | 27 June | Perros-Guirec toMûr-de-Bretagne (Guerlédan) | 183.5 km (114.0 mi) |  | Medium-mountain stage |  Mathieu van der Poel (NED) |
| 3 | 28 June | Lorient toPontivy | 182.9 km (113.6 mi) |  | Flat stage |  Tim Merlier (BEL) |
| 4 | 29 June | Redon toFougères | 150.4 km (93.5 mi) | | Flat stage |  Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 5 | 30 June | Changé toLaval | 27.2 km (16.9 mi) |  | Individual time trial |  Tadej Pogačar (SLO) |
| 6 | 1 July | Tours toChâteauroux | 160.6 km (99.8 mi) | | Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 7 | 2 July | Vierzon toLe Creusot | 249.1 km (154.8 mi) | | Medium-mountain stage | Matej Mohorič (SLO) |
| 8 | 3 July | Oyonnax toLe Grand-Bornand | 150.8 km (93.7 mi) |  | Mountain stage | Dylan Teuns (BEL) |
| 9 | 4 July | Cluses toTignes | 144.9 km (90.0 mi) | | Mountain stage |  Ben O'Connor (AUS) |
| 5 July | Tignes | Rest day | ||||
| 10 | 6 July | Albertville toValence | 190.7 km (118.5 mi) | | Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 11 | 7 July | Sorgues toMalaucène | 198.9 km (123.6 mi) | | Mountain stage | Wout van Aert (BEL) |
| 12 | 8 July | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux toNîmes | 159.4 km (99.0 mi) | | Flat stage |  Nils Politt (GER) |
| 13 | 9 July | Nîmes toCarcassonne | 219.9 km (136.6 mi) | | Flat stage | Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 14 | 10 July | Carcassonne toQuillan | 183.7 km (114.1 mi) | | Medium-mountain stage | Bauke Mollema (NED) |
| 15 | 11 July | Céret toAndorra la Vella (Andorra) | 191.3 km (118.9 mi) | | Mountain stage |  Sepp Kuss (USA) |
| 12 July | Andorra la Vella (Andorra) | Rest day | ||||
| 16 | 13 July | El Pas de la Casa (Andorra) toSaint-Gaudens | 169 km (105 mi) | | Medium-mountain stage |  Patrick Konrad (AUT) |
| 17 | 14 July | Muret toSaint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet) | 178.4 km (110.9 mi) | | Mountain stage | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) |
| 18 | 15 July | Pau toLuz Ardiden | 129.7 km (80.6 mi) | | Mountain stage | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) |
| 19 | 16 July | Mourenx toLibourne | 207 km (129 mi) | | Flat stage | Matej Mohorič (SLO) |
| 20 | 17 July | Libourne toSaint-Émilion | 30.8 km (19.1 mi) | | Individual time trial | Wout van Aert (BEL) |
| 21 | 18 July | Chatou toParis (Champs-Élysées) | 108.4 km (67.4 mi) | | Flat stage | Wout van Aert (BEL) |
| Total | 3,414.4 km (2,121.6 mi) | |||||
The first stage featured a hilly course from Brest to Landerneau, with the finish situated atop the climb of Côte de la Fosse aux Loups. A group of six broke away from the peloton, taking a lead of four minutes beforeIde Schelling (Bora–Hansgrohe) attacked on the fourth climb of the day, the Côte de Stang ar Garront. The rest of the break were caught before the intermediate sprint, where Schelling took maximum points beforeCaleb Ewan (Lotto–Soudal) outsprintedPeter Sagan (Bora–Hansgrohe) for second. With 45 kilometres (28 mi) to go, time trial aceTony Martin (Team Jumbo–Visma) was brought down by a spectator who was holding a sign greeting her grandparents for TV cameras facing forward, and therefore unaware of the incoming peloton.[27] Triggered by the fall of Tony Martin, over 50 cyclists (most of the entire Stage 1 lineup) tripped over each other and crashed over the road, forming a massive pile-up that completely blocked the path for the ones at the back who didn't fall down. Of the remaining ones that finished Schelling was caught with 27 kilometres (17 mi) left, but the KOM points he gained ensured that he wore the polka-dot jersey at the end of the day. With 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) to go, a touch of wheels caused another massive crash, delaying some GC contenders and causing them to lose minutes. On the final climb,Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) attacked and immediately created a gap over the rest of the peloton. He kept his advantage all the way to the line, winning the stage and taking themaillot jaune and the green jersey.[28]
The second stage featured another uphill finish as the riders climbed the Mûr-de-Bretagne twice. Six riders broke away from the peloton, building an advantage of four minutes before Deceuninck–Quick-Step began to chase the break. On the third climb of the day,Edward Theuns (Trek–Segafredo) attacked from the break, withJérémy Cabot (Team TotalEnergies) the only other rider to respond to his attack. Both riders were eventually caught ahead of the first passage of the Mûr-de-Bretagne.Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Fenix) attacked from the peloton, allowing him to gain eight bonus seconds before being caught on the descent. On the second ascent of Mûr-de-Bretagne, van der Poel attacked again just inside theflamme rouge. He maintained his advantage to the line, winning the stage by six seconds overTadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) andPrimož Roglič (Team Jumbo–Visma).Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) was gapped on the climb, finishing 17 seconds behind the two Slovenians. As a result of his gap and bonus seconds, van der Poel took themaillot jaune as well as the polka-dot jersey.[29]
The third stage featured the first opportunity for the sprinters to come to the fore. The break included five riders, leading by as much as three minutes before being chased. 37 kilometres (23 mi) into the stage, a crash in the peloton brought downGeraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) andRobert Gesink (Team Jumbo–Visma), with the latter eventually having to abandon the race. Thomas suffered a dislocated shoulder but he managed to continue and eventually made it back to the peloton.[30] With 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to go, Roglič crashed in the peloton, suffering from road rashes on the left side of his body. Another crash took place with 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to go, causingJack Haig (Team Bahrain Victorious), who sat in sixth place on the GC, to abandon the race. The crash also held up some contenders, including Pogačar. On the final sprint to the line, Ewan went down following a touch of wheels, also taking downPeter Sagan (Bora–Hansgrohe) in the process. Ewan had to abandon the race while Sagan was able to finish the stage. In the aftermath,Tim Merlier (Alpecin–Fenix) won the sprint ahead of his teammate,Jasper Philipsen. Van der Poel escaped the crashes to retain themaillot jaune whileRichard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) also finished in the front group. Pogačar's group lost 26 seconds while Roglič lost almost a minute and a half.[31] The crashes led to the peloton staging a brief protest before the start of the next stage. The fourth stage featured another sprint stage, with the break featuringBrent Van Moer (Lotto–Soudal) andPierre-Luc Périchon (Cofidis). Van Moer dropped Périchon with 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) left and still led by a minute with 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) to go. Van Moer would be caught near the finish, whereMark Cavendish (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) outsprintedNacer Bouhanni (Arkéa–Samsic) to win his first Tour stage since2016. Cavendish took the green jersey while the GC remained unchanged ahead of the first time trial.[32]
The fifth stage featured a 27.2-kilometre (16.9 mi) individual time trial.Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) set the early benchmark time of 33' 01" before being beaten byMattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck–Quick-Step), who was six seconds faster than Bjerg. Cattaneo was immediately beaten byStefan Küng (Groupama–FDJ), who set a time of 32' 19". His time stood at the top until Pogačar set the quickest time at both time checks before beating Küng's time by 19 seconds. Pogačar kept the lead to win the stage and taking significant time from the other contenders. Themaillot jaune, van der Poel, took fifth place, 31 seconds behind Pogačar, to keep the race lead by eight seconds over the Slovenian.[33] The sixth stage featured another chance for the sprinters, where Cavendish outsprinted Philipsen to win his second stage of the race and his 32nd overall Tour stage win.[34]
The seventh stage featured the longest stage of the race with a 249.1-kilometre (154.8 mi) course from Vierzon to Le Creusot. A large 29-man break, including van der Poel andWout van Aert (Team Jumbo–Visma), went away with 200 kilometres (120 mi) to go. UAE Team Emirates tried to chase down the break but gap continued to gradually increase to more than six minutes. With around 87.5 kilometres (54.4 mi) to go,Matej Mohorič (Team Bahrain Victorious) attacked from the break together with Van Moer. They would be joined by other riders before Mohorič soloed off the front on the steepest climb of the day, the Signal d'Uchon. He managed to keep his lead to win the stage by 1' 20" overJasper Stuyven (Trek–Segafredo) as well as taking the polka-dot jersey. Van der Poel and van Aert finished in the third group at 20 seconds further in arrears as van der Poel kept themaillot jaune. In the peloton, Roglič began to struggle on the climb of Signal d'Uchon, eventually losing more than three minutes to the other contenders. Near the top, Carapaz attacked while Pogačar did not respond to the move. He led by as much as 40 seconds before Movistar Team chased him down, eventually catching him at the finish.[35]
The race went into the Alps on the eighth stage, with the riders tackling three first-category climbs before a descent into Le Grand-Bornand. At the start of the stage, Roglič and Thomas were unable to follow the pace, eventually conceding more than 35 minutes and ending their chances for Tour victory. A break was soon established with 77 kilometres (48 mi) to go. Just before the second category-one climb of Col de Romme, theTeam DSM duo ofSøren Kragh Andersen andTiesj Benoot attacked from the break. They were soon passed byMichael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation), who led by a minute over the chase group. In the peloton, van der Poel began to struggle on the Col de Romme as UAE Team Emirates started to set a furious pace. Four kilometres to the top of the Romme, Pogačar launched an attack, and only Carapaz could follow. Pogačar launched another acceleration a few seconds later, dropping Carapaz and gradually building his gap over the other contenders. Up front, on the final climb of Col de la Colombière, Woods started to fade and he was soon caught and dropped byDylan Teuns (Team Bahrain Victorious). From behind, Pogačar passed the remnants of the breakaway and he came to within 15 seconds of catching Teuns at the top of the Colombière. Pogačar avoided taking risks on the descent, allowing Teuns to increase his advantage. Teuns held on to win the stage while Pogačar gained almost three and a half minutes on the other contenders. As a result, Pogačar took themaillot jaune, almost two minutes ahead of van Aert and almost five minutes ahead of the other contenders.[36]
Stage nine featured the race's first mountaintop finish as the riders headed to Tignes. Before the start of the stage, Roglič and van der Poel announced their abandonment from the race. A large 41-man break attacked while the peloton allowed them an advantage of more than eight minutes. Three riders eventually emerged as the strongest in the break, withBen O'Connor (AG2R Citroën Team),Sergio Higuita (EF Education–Nippo), andNairo Quintana (Arkéa–Samsic) were left at the front of the race as they began the final climb of Monteé de Tignes. O'Connor soon dropped both Quintana and Higuita, who both faded on the rest of the climb. O'Connor eventually soloed to the stage win by more than five minutes ahead. In the peloton, UAE Team Emirates controlled for much of the day before Ineos Grenadiers took over on the final climb. With around 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the top of the climb, Carapaz attacked, with Pogačar immediately responding. Shortly afterwards, Pogačar accelerated himself, dropping all his rivals and gaining 32 seconds over a group containing Carapaz,Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo–Visma),Enric Mas (Movistar Team), andRigoberto Urán (EF Education–Nippo). In the GC, Pogačar held a lead of more than two minutes over O'Connor while the rest of the contenders were more than five minutes behind. Van Aert, who sat in second at the start of the day, lost more than 31 minutes on the stage.[37]
The first day after the rest day offered another chance for the sprinters.Hugo Houle (Astana–Premier Tech) andTosh Van der Sande (Lotto–Soudal) established the day's main breakaway, but both riders were caught with around 36 kilometres (22 mi) to go. Several teams attempted to split the peloton in the crosswinds but no contenders were caught out. In the final sprint, Deceuninck–Quick-Step perfectly led out Cavendish for his third stage win and his 33rd career Tour stage win.[38]
The race headed back into the mountains on the eleventh stage, with the riders tackling theMont Ventoux twice before a descent into Malaucène. Two separate groups broke away from the peloton, with second group eventually joining the riders up front. On the first ascent of the Ventoux, Alaphilippe led an attack that split the break into two. At the bottom of the second ascent of the Ventoux,Kenny Elissonde (Trek–Segafredo) attacked the break while a chase group composed of Alaphilippe, van Aert, andBauke Mollema (Trek–Segafredo) formed behind. Van Aert soon bridged up to Elissonde before dropping him while Mollema dropped Alaphilippe. Van Aert gradually built his advantage to solo to the stage win. From behind, Ineos Grenadiers controlled the peloton for much of the day. At the bottom of the second ascent of the Ventoux, O'Connor began to struggle, eventually losing more than four minutes on the day. Ineos Grenadiers continued to splinter the GC group until Vingegaard attacked 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the top. Pogačar followed his move before getting dropped by the Dane shortly afterwards. Vingegaard led by almost 40 seconds at the top while Pogačar, Carapaz, and Urán joined on the descent. The trio managed to work together to bring back Vingegaard near theflamme rouge. In the GC, Pogačar's advantage over second place increased to more than five minutes as Urán moved up to second.[39]
The twelfth and thirteenth stage featured chances for the sprinters. In stage 12, several teams attempted to split the race into echelons at the start of the stage, with the peloton splitting into three groups. A group of 13 soon went off the front while the peloton eased off and allowed the two other groups to rejoin the main peloton. No teams took up the chase as the break continued to extend their advantage. With 50 kilometres (31 mi) to go,Nils Politt (Bora–Hansgrohe) started the attacks but he was chased down. A few kilometres later, Politt attacked again, this time with Küng,Harry Sweeny (Lotto–Soudal), andImanol Erviti (Movistar Team). Politt emerged as the strongest from the break, dropping his companions to solo to the stage win. The peloton finished around 16 minutes down.[40] Stage 13 featured another threat of crosswinds in the final part of the course but the winds were not strong enough to form echelons. With 62 kilometres (39 mi) to go, a crash on a descent took out several riders at the back of the peloton, with other riders also falling down a small ravine. No riders were seriously hurt but the crash led to several abandons. In a messy sprint to the line,Michael Mørkøv (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) led out Cavendish, who won his fourth stage of the race. His 34th career Tour win meant that he tiedEddy Merckx's record for the most number of Tour stage wins.[41]
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The fourteenth stage featured a transition stage as the race began to head into Andorra and the Pyrenees. It would take almost 100 kilometres (62 mi) for a breakaway to be fully established. A 14-man break went off the front of the peloton, including Woods andWout Poels (Team Bahrain Victorious) who were vying for the polka-dot jersey. The break also includedGuillaume Martin (Cofidis), who started the day in ninth place on the GC. On one of the descents, Woods slid out on a bend but he managed to rejoin the break. With 42 kilometres (26 mi) to go and still on the descent, Mollema attacked off the front. He gained an advantage of more than a minute over his breakaway companions ahead of the final climb of the Col de Saint-Louis. He maintained his advantage to solo to the stage win. Woods took the polka-dot jersey from Quintana while Martin moved up to second overall.Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) also took enough time to move into the top ten. The other contenders remained together in preparation of the mountainous stage to Andorra.[42]
In the fifteenth stage, the race headed to Andorra and passing over the Port d'Envalira, the highest point in the race. A large 32-rider group broke away from the peloton, eventually extending their advantage to around 10 minutes. The break included Woods, Poels, van Aert, and Quintana, who were all battling for the KOM competition. Woods and Poels were both neck and neck at the top before Poels soon took the lead to take the polka-dot jersey. Near the top of the Port d'Envalira, Quintana attacked to take theSouvenir Henri Desgrange, given to the first rider across the highest point in the Tour. Quintana would be caught on the descent. On the last climb of the day, the Col de Beixalis,Sepp Kuss (Team Jumbo–Visma) launched his move 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the top. OnlyAlejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) was able to follow his move before he began to struggle following Kuss. Kuss managed to hold off Valverde to win the stage. In the peloton, Martin and Cattaneo, two riders in the top ten of the GC, were distanced on the descent of the Envalira. On the climb of the Beixalis, several contenders attempted to attack but the other contenders were able to follow each time. The GC group finished around five minutes down on Kuss.Alexey Lutsenko (Astana–Premier Tech), who was seventh on GC, lost 29 seconds while Martin and Cattaneo conceded four and five minutes, respectively. Pogačar retained a lead of more than five minutes to keep themaillot jaune ahead of the second rest day.[43]
The sixteenth stage of the race was another transition stage as the race headed into the Pyrenees. Much like stage 14, it took a while before a break formed before a trio of riders built a gap after the first climb. An 11-man chase group formed just before the intermediate sprint with the peloton letting them go. On the second climb of Col de la Core,Patrick Konrad (Bora–Hansgrohe) bridged up from the chase group to the trio up front before eventually attacking solo from the third climb of the day, the Col de Portet-d'Aspet. He soloed the rest of the day to win his team's second stage, 42 seconds ahead ofSonny Colbrelli (Team Bahrain Victorious). The peloton enjoyed a quiet day but Cofidis and van Aert instigated an attack on the Côte d'Aspret-Sarrat, causing a split in the peloton; however, all the contenders made it to the front group and all of them finished together.[44]
The seventeenth stage featured the first of two consecutive summit finishes as the riders tackled two first-category climbs and thehors catégorieCol de Portet in the final 62.5 kilometres (38.8 mi). OnBastille Day, French riders composed four of the six riders in the break, gaining an advantage of more than eight minutes. Two riders,Anthony Perez (Cofidis) andDorian Godon (AG2R Citroën Team), proved themselves as the strongest from the break as the duo led by four minutes heading into the final climb, the Col du Portet. Perez dropped Godon further up the climb, but UAE Team Emirates chased him down. With 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) to go, Pogačar attacked, catching Perez and bringing some of the contenders with him. He launched another acceleration a few moments later and this time, only Vingegaard and Carapaz could follow him. Pogačar and Vingegaard worked together while Carapaz sat in their wheels. Near theflamme rouge, Carapaz launched his move, dropping Vingegaard while Pogačar immediately went to his wheel. Vingegaard slowly made his way back to set up a sprint for the win. With 100 metres (330 ft) to go, Pogačar made his move, distancing his companions to win his second stage of the race. Vingegaard finished three seconds behind and one second ahead of Carapaz. The other contenders lost at least a minute and a half to the trio, who comprised the GC podium at the end of the day.[45]
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The next day was the final day in the mountains, with the riders tackling theCol du Tourmalet before a summit finish atLuz Ardiden. A break immediately formed at the start but they were not allowed to build a lead of more than two minutes. As the Tourmalet started, several riders bridged up to the break up front while the Ineos Grenadiers controlled the peloton and kept the break in check. From behind, Urán began to struggle, eventually losing nine minutes on the day. At the top of the Tourmalet, only two riders were left at the front asDavid Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ) andPierre Latour (Team TotalEnergies) led by around half a minute ahead of a chase group composed of Poels and Woods. Gaudu pushed on the descent while the peloton swept up the remnants of the break. 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the top of Luz Ardiden, Gaudu was caught. With 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) left, Pogačar launched his attack, followed by Vingegaard, Carapaz, Mas, and Kuss. Inside the final kilometre, Mas attacked twice but he would be caught both times. After catching Mas a second time, Pogačar pushed on, eventually taking his second successive stage win. Vingegaard and Carapaz finished two seconds down while the other contenders lost between half a minute to a minute. Pogačar also took the polka-dot jersey after acquiring 80 points with his two consecutive stage wins.[46]
The nineteenth stage featured a flat parcours. Two crashes took place at the start of the stage but no riders were seriously hurt. Only six riders comprised the break before being joined by 14 other riders with 100 kilometres (62 mi) to go. The peloton chased hard but the break gradually increased their advantage before the peloton called off the chase. The attacks started with 45 kilometres (28 mi) left before Mohorič went away with 25 kilometres (16 mi) to go. The chase group were not able to work together as Mohorič slowly built his gap. Mohorič soloed to his second stage win while the peloton crossed the line 21 minutes down. The GC remained unchanged ahead of the final time trial.[47]
The penultimate stage was a 30.8-kilometre (19.1 mi) individual time trial.Stefan Bissegger (EF Education–Nippo) set the early benchmark time of 36' 37" beforeKasper Asgreen (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) beat Bissegger's time by 23 seconds. Küng threatened Asgreen's time at the first time check but he faded towards the end. Asgreen's time stood until van Aert beat his time by 21 seconds. His time would not be beaten as he won his second stage of the race. In the battle for the GC placings, all riders in the top ten kept their positions. Vingegaard finished with the third best time, 32 seconds behind van Aert, to confirm his second place on GC. Meanwhile, Pogačar avoided taking any risks, eventually finishing with the eighth best time as he put himself on the cusp of winning his second successive Tour title.[48]
The final stage featured the traditional sprint stage to Champs-Élysées. The first part of the stage was ridden as a procession, with no riders attacking off the front. The race started in earnest as they passed through the finish line for the first time. Several breakaways were attempted but the stage would eventually come down to a sprint finish. In the final sprint to the line,Mike Teunissen (Team Jumbo–Visma) managed to lead out his teammate, van Aert, who managed to hold off Philipsen and Cavendish to win his second consecutive stage and his third overall in the race. All riders finished safely as 141 riders completed the race, 43 less than the number of riders who started in Brest. Pogačar won his second successive Tour title as well as winning the mountain and young riders classification for the second year running. Cavendish won his second points classification title while Team Bahrain Victorious won the teams classification.Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) won the overall combativity award after featuring in several breakaways.[49]
| Legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Denotes the winner of thegeneral classification |  | Denotes the winner of themountains classification |
 | Denotes the winner of thepoints classification |  | Denotes the winner of theyoung rider classification |
 | Denotes the winner of theteam classification |  | Denotes the winner of thecombativity award |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) | UAE Team Emirates | 82h 56' 36" |
| 2 |  Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) | Team Jumbo–Visma | + 5' 20" |
| 3 |  Richard Carapaz (ECU) | Ineos Grenadiers | + 7' 03" |
| 4 | Ben O'Connor (AUS) | AG2R Citroën Team | + 10' 02" |
| 5 | Wilco Kelderman (NED) | Bora–Hansgrohe | + 10' 13" |
| 6 |  Enric Mas (ESP) | Movistar Team | + 11' 43" |
| 7 |  Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) | Astana–Premier Tech | + 12' 23" |
| 8 | Guillaume Martin (FRA) | Cofidis | + 15' 33" |
| 9 | Pello Bilbao (ESP) | Team Bahrain Victorious | + 16' 04" |
| 10 |  Rigoberto Urán (COL) | EF Education–Nippo | + 18' 34" |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark Cavendish (GBR) | Deceuninck–Quick-Step | 337 |
| 2 | Michael Matthews (AUS) | Team BikeExchange | 291 |
| 3 |  Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) | Team Bahrain Victorious | 227 |
| 4 | Jasper Philipsen (BEL) | Alpecin–Fenix | 216 |
| 5 | Wout van Aert (BEL) | Team Jumbo–Visma | 171 |
| 6 | Matej Mohorič (SLO) | Team Bahrain Victorious | 163 |
| 7 | Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) | Deceuninck–Quick-Step | 163 |
| 8 | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) | UAE Team Emirates | 154 |
| 9 | Michael Mørkøv (DEN) | Deceuninck–Quick-Step | 124 |
| 10 | Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) | Team Jumbo–Visma | 103 |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) | UAE Team Emirates | 107 |
| 2 | Wout Poels (NED) | Team Bahrain Victorious | 88 |
| 3 | Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) | Team Jumbo–Visma | 82 |
| 4 | Wout van Aert (BEL) | Team Jumbo–Visma | 68 |
| 5 | Nairo Quintana (COL) | Arkéa–Samsic | 66 |
| 6 | Richard Carapaz (ECU) | Ineos Grenadiers | 56 |
| 7 | Ben O'Connor (AUS) | AG2R Citroën Team | 44 |
| 8 | Bauke Mollema (NED) | Trek–Segafredo | 41 |
| 9 | David Gaudu (FRA) | Groupama–FDJ | 41 |
| 10 | Anthony Perez (FRA) | Cofidis | 37 |
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tadej Pogačar (SLO) | UAE Team Emirates | 82h 56' 36" |
| 2 | Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) | Team Jumbo–Visma | + 5' 20" |
| 3 | David Gaudu (FRA) | Groupama–FDJ | + 21' 50" |
| 4 | Aurélien Paret-Peintre (FRA) | AG2R Citroën Team | + 39' 09" |
| 5 | Sergio Higuita (COL) | EF Education–Nippo | + 1h 09' 16" |
| 6 | Valentin Madouas (FRA) | Groupama–FDJ | + 2h 11' 39" |
| 7 | Neilson Powless (USA) | EF Education–Nippo | + 2h 13' 33" |
| 8 | Mark Donovan (GBR) | Team DSM | + 2h 17' 40" |
| 9 | Jonas Rutsch (GER) | EF Education–Nippo | + 2h 29' 33" |
| 10 | Brent Van Moer (BEL) | Lotto–Soudal | + 2h 43' 49" |
| Rank | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Team Bahrain Victorious | 249h 16' 47" |
| 2 | EF Education–Nippo | + 19' 12" |
| 3 | Team Jumbo–Visma | + 1h 11' 35" |
| 4 | Ineos Grenadiers | + 1h 27' 10" |
| 5 | AG2R Citroën Team | + 1h 31' 54" |
| 6 | Bora–Hansgrohe | + 1h 36' 44" |
| 7 | Trek–Segafredo | + 1h 47' 04" |
| 8 | Astana–Premier Tech | + 2h 01' 45" |
| 9 | Movistar Team | + 2h 04' 28" |
| 10 |  UAE Team Emirates | + 2h 38' 08" |
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