Tadej Pogacar, crowned for the third time, achieves the first Giro-Tour double since 1998 and wins the final time trial in Nice

It was necessary to make a coup on this Tour. A coup worthy of the arrival of the last stage in Nice and not in Paris, because of the Olympic Games. Masterstrokes, Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) achieved this throughout the three weeks of this Grande Boucle, winning six stages, and securing a third final title with a lead of more than six minutes over the second, Ionas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a bike).

The Slovenian, who even had the luxury of easily winning the final time trial in Nice ahead of his Danish rival (+1’03”), is the first rider to achieve the famous Giro-Tour de France double in the same year since Marco Pantani, in 1998. He became the eighth rider to achieve this. Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) finished with the green jersey, the polka dot jersey went to Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easy Post) while Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) consoled himself with the white jersey for best young rider.

At just 25 years old, the Slovenian is chasing records. His six victories in the Tour de France allow him to reach 26 stage victories in the three major tours (six in the Giro, 17 in the Tour de France and three in the Vuelta). Still far from the 64 of the legend Eddy Merckx, he has nevertheless offered himself a spectacular entry into the top 10.

Moreover, the day after the 15th stage, which was the scene of a lightning climb with a new record on the climb of the Beille plateau, Pogacar warned: other records would fall. “I think we’re going to see feats like this every year because everyone is so focused on the details.” Him first.