(Paris) Dane Jonas Vingegaard has won the Tour de France for the second year in a row.
The most prestigious cycling race came to an end on the famous Champs-Élysées on Sunday.
With a big lead ahead of his great rival Tadej Pogačar, winner of the race in 2020 and 2021, Vingegaard knew from the start of the day that victory was practically assured.
The last step was largely ceremonial.
Vingegaard drank champagne with his Visma-Jumbo teammates and the team lined up for photos en route to Paris.
PHOTO DANIEL COLE, AGENCY FRANCE-PRESSE
Jonas Vingegaard (centre) drinking champagne with his teammates
In three weeks, the runners covered 3405 km, including eight stages in the mountains.
Vingegaard took control of the 110e edition of the Great Loop during two stages in the Alps.
The margin was limited before a time trial where the Dane beat Pogacar by one minute and 38 seconds on Tuesday.
The next day, he concluded the toughest of the altitude stages almost six minutes before a breathless Pogacar.
The Slovenian prevailed in Saturday’s stage, but Vingegaard still started the final stage with a lead of seven minutes and 29 seconds.
THE TOP 10 OF THE 21E STAGE
- 1. Jordi Meeus (BEL/BOH) the 115.1 km in 2h 56:13 (average: 39.2 km/h)
- 2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL/ADC) at 0
- 3. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/JAY) 0
- 4. Mads Pedersen (DEN/LTK) 0
- 5. Cees Bol (NED/AST) 0
- 6. Biniam Girmay (ERI/ICW) 0
- 7. Bryan Coquard (FRA/COF) 0
- 8. Soren Waerenskjold (NOR/UXT) 0
- 9. Corbin Strong (NZL/IPT) 0
- 10. Luca Mozzato (ITA/ARK) 0
- 39. Hugo Houle (CAN/IPT) 0
- 66. Guillaume Boivin (CAN/IPT) 37s
- 141. Michael Woods (CAN/IPT) 3:25
THE TOP 10 GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
- 1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/TJV) 82:05:42
- 2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO / UAD) at 7:29
- 3. Adam Yates (GBR/UAD) 10:56
- 4. Simon Yates (GBR/JAY) 12:23
- 5. Carlos Rodriguez (ESP/IGD) 13:17
- 6. Pello Bilbao (ESP/TBV) 13:27
- 7. Jai Hindley (AUS/BOH) 14:44
- 8. Felix Gall (AUT/ACT) 16:09
- 9. David Gaudu (FRA/GFC) 23:08
- 10. Guillaume Martin (FRA/COF) 26:30
- 38. Hugo Houle (CAN/IPT) 2:42:05
- 48. Michael Woods (CAN/IPT) 2:54:47
- 126. Guillaume Boivin (CAN/IPT) 5:11:01 a.m.