It’s farewell from me…for today. I’ll be back on the Tour de France Femmes live blog tomorrow. Thank you for all your messages, questions and funny anecdotes. They really do bring a smile to my face and it’s been a pleasure covering stages of the Tour de France for you. My colleagues will update with a race report shortly…I’m off to try and recreate this Pogacar gem.
🇫🇷 Lorsque l’actuel deuxième coureur au classement général du Tour de France Tadej Pogacar se rend tranquillement chercher sa baguette en vélo dans les rues de Clermont-Ferrand ! 🥖
— radio sisko fm (@radiosiskofm) July 15, 2023
🎥 tadejpogacar pic.twitter.com/B1QjiFVWUY
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On the podium:
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Earlier I mentioned that there were a few riders saying farewell to the Tour today, having previously announced their retirement from road racing. As well as Sagan and Pinot, Tony Gallopin and Dries Devenyns have raced their final Tour stage today. Gary has tweeted to share his gratitude for Pinot:
Au revoir Thibault Pinot. You rode with your heart on your sleeve not your eye on the power meter, and carried a torch for the emotional power of panache when we thought it had gone forever, lost in a miasma of marginal gains.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 23, 2023
Chapeau! @AmySedghi
Jonas Vingegaard has won the 110th edition of the Tour de France. It’s the Dane’s second year in a row winning the yellow jersey. Here’s what he had to say after today’s stage:
What was the feeling when you crossed the line? It’s a feeling of being proud. I’m happy of course – we’re winning it for the second time and it’s amazing. Today with all the spectators, all the Danish people here, it was really amazing and I have to say thank you, not only to my team and family, but to all the of Denmark. They support me as well and I’m really grateful for this.”
Can you describe the journey from Bilbao? “It’s been a long journey but it’s also went by so fast. We race everyday…it’s been a super hard race and a super good fight between me and Tadej [Pogacar]. I really enjoyed it all the way.”
What can we expect from you? “Of course, I hope to come back next year to see if I can take the third win. At least try it. I think that would be the plan.”
What would you want your daughter to think of you when she’s older? “Just that I was a good father…that I was there for her when she needed me.”
Today’s stage winner Meeus speaks: “I knew in the previous sprints that I [had] more than the results I’ve shown so far. [Today] everything went perfect and I was super happy to finish it off.”
“I felt good all day: the beginning was easy, obviously, but from the moment we went full gas my legs felt incredibly good. Then Marco Haller did a perfect job of positioning [me]. It’s my first tour. It was a super nice experience already and to take the win today is an indescribable feeling.”
Top five on stage 21
1. Jordi Meeus (Bora Hansgrohe)
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Deceuninck)
3. Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco Alula)
4. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
5. Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan Team)
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Sagan sums up how everyone in the peloton must be feeling: “I’m tired,” he tells the Eurosport reporter. He doesn’t have much more to add.
An exciting finish…It was quite difficult to see who had taken that as there were a mix of green jerseys crossing the line together, but an overjoyed Meeus has clinched it. That was an exciting sprint to watch: Pogacar lead the group out with 1km to give a final flourish, Philipsen look well placed yet didn’t win and Meeus crossed the line to take the victory.
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Jordi Meeus pips Jasper Philipsen on the line to win stage 21
Jordi Meeus of Bora-Hansgrohe pips Jasper Philipsen on the line. Philipsen can’t believe it and is shaking his head. That was quite unexpected…
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2km to go: The sprint trains are forming. Lidl-Trek, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Uno-X and Jayco Alula are all up there. The yellow jersey have dropped back to stay out of danger and let get on with it.
5km to go: A few riders are still trying to push off the front, including Omar Fraile and Victor Campenaerts but it’s only going to end one way. I think we’re sure to see a bunch sprint and Jasper Philipsen would surely love to take this.
8km to go: Well, Sean Kelly was right. The breakaway has been caught and the riders are all back together. Magnus Cort briefly tries to get away but he’s reeled back in. We’re coming round to the final bell…
11km to go: Stefan Küng has had a mechanical. The peloton are closing in on Frison, Clarke and Oliveira but they seem to be letting them go again. Carlton Kirby on Eurosport is saying that there are some spots of localised drizzle and there is a corner that if it gets wet, has him worried.
13km to go: Hindley has managed to get back on to the peloton. The lap board is stating two laps to go! Next time round the riders will get the bell. It’s exciting.
16km to go: Seventh placed in the GC, Jai Hindley has had a bike change as his chain dropped. Frison, Clarke and Oliveira have 17sec on the group and are riding at around 55kmph.
20km to go: Sean Kelly isn’t sure that this three-man break is going to stick. While we wait to see if he’s right, I thought I’d share an email that’s landed in my inbox. Margaret asks: “Those energy bars that they all eat…are they wrapped differently to the bars we buy in the stores? Because I certainly need two hands (and occasionally a pair of scissors) to get into them. I wouldn’t ever contemplate trying to open one on a bicycle going at the speeds they reach.” I haven’t tried one of the pro-teams’ bars so can’t say but my soigneur (aka boyfriend) suspects that they might use a thinner wrapper that is easier to tear (although this has not been independently verified).
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22km to go: It was looking like the trio were going to be swallowed up but the gap has gone back out to about 17 sec. The sprinters’ teams are probably happy to have a break of only three riders as they will be able to bring them back in later.
28km to go: It’s a slim lead of 8sec for the trio. Pogacar doesn’t let up and wants to join in the fun.
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31km to go: The attackers have been reeled in, but hang on a moment, we have another attack. This time it’s Simon Clarke, followed by Frederik Frison and Nelson Oliveira.
33km to go: Michal Kwiatkowski, Alberto Bettiol, Nils Politt, Alex Edmondson, Harold Tejada, Yves Lampaert and Skjelmose have joined Pogacar and Van Hooydonck in the breakaway group. They have a very slender lead of 5sec.
Tadej Pogacar wins the intermediate sprint
Pogacar crossed the line first to take the intermediate sprint, with Van Hooydonck following. The results are:
1. Tadej Pogacar, 20 pts
2. Nathan van Hooydonck, 17 pts
3. Bryan Coquard, 15 pts
4. Alberto Bettiol, 13 pts
5. Nikias Arndt, 11 pts
6. Kevin Geniets, 10 pts
7. Michal Kwiatkowski, 9 pts
8. Axel Zingle, 8 pts
9. Rémi Cavagna, 7 pts
10. Lawson Craddock, 6 pts
11. Alex Edmondson, 5 pts
12. Nils Politt, 4 pts
13. Omar Fraile, 3 pts
14. Mattias Skjelmose, 2 pts
15. Harold Tejada, 1 pt
🏁 40KM
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 23, 2023
💚 @TamauPogi is first at the intermediate sprint @NVHooydonck behind.
💚 @TamauPogi est le premier au sprint intermédiaire, avec @NVHooydonck juste derrière.#TDF2023 @WeLoveCyclingFR pic.twitter.com/Rhz3BRxdov
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37km to go: With the Tour de France 2023 coming to a close, many fans have been reflecting on their favourite moments. Michael has emailed in from Calgary in Canada to share his highlight: “As a Canadian, I have to be happy with the stage win this year by Michael Woods. It was a fantastic performance.” He’s also wondering about the team standings and asks “does anybody care at all about the team standings? The Tour diligently publishes them, but do they matter even slightly? (I wish they did - just like I wish there would be a team time trial every year.)"
41km to go: Six laps to go and Pogacar and Van Hooydonck are off the front with a very modest 10sec. Another group are splitting off the chasing group and another…the peloton is fracturing.
43km to go: I stand corrected. The coverage is showing that the roads have had a bit of rain on them but hopefully, not enough for it to be an issue. Van Hooydonck has decided to take turns and as a result, him and Pogacar have got the gap up to 15sec.
47km to go: Pogacar has attacked for a bit of fun. The crowd are loving it. The man certainly can entertain. Nathan Van Hooydonck of Jumbo-Visma is stuck on his wheel and refusing to do a turn.
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53km to go: Earlier on the commentary, there was quite a bit of chat about whether the weather would hold or if the riders would face a wet sprint. Not a fun thought over those cobbles. So far, the weather looks to have behaved and the roads seem dry. A few riders have tried attacking already but had their efforts quickly shut down.
55km to go: The riders are on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and have crossed the finish line for the first time. They will have eight laps before we have a final stage winner. Let the racing proper begin…
57km to go: Make sure to wave David! The riders are putting on a show with what looks like a beautifully synchronised dance through the Louvre museum.
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60km to go: The peloton are passing by the Jardin du Luxembourg currently and it’s about 5km until they hit the Champs Élysées. The pace has upped slightly towards 31kmph.
63km to go: Hello to David, who has emailed in from nearby to the Louvre. He’s asking what time the peloton will be heading past. I’m not 100% sure but would guess very soon as they’re gathering pace.
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66km to go: So far, the peloton have ridden past the Palace of Versailles and crested the only categorised climb today, at the pavé des Gardes. Aptly, Ciccone is the first to get over it in all his polka-dots, after his teammates, Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose jokingly lead him out. The riders are just coming in to Paris now and the Eiffel Tower is within sight.
⛰ Côte du Pavé des Gardes (cat. 4️⃣) ⛰
— Maillot à Pois E.Leclerc (@maillotapois) July 23, 2023
1️⃣ 🇮🇹@giuliocicco1, 1pt
⚪️🔴 Tout de pois vêtu, 🇮🇹 Giulio Ciccone prend symboliquement le dernier point disponible au sommet de la dernière difficulté répertoriée de ce #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/rSvVjhuqi0
73km to go: In answer to Justin’s question about who got closest to finishing the Tour without finishing, there have been a few emails. One mentions the German rider Tony Martin, who abandoned on the Champs Élysées during the 2016 Tour de France due to unexplained knee pain. To give some context to that, Martin told Cycling Weekly that he wanted to go home, find out what was going on with his knee and prepare for the Olympic time trial in Rio.
A couple of readers (hi Simon, hi David) have emailed in to mention Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. A quick search has brought up his name in this Guardian piece about the most memorable finishes on the Champs-Élysées:
“In 1991, elbows-out sprinter Djamolodine Abdoujaparov wore green into the final stage (despite controversy after he had forced Johan Musseeuw into the barriers on an earlier stage) but crashed on the final sprint – yet clung on to the jersey when the team got him over the line. But that finish pales into insignificance next to the 1989 finish, when Greg LeMond overcame his deficit to Laurent Fignon to time trial his way to victory in 1989.”
85km to go: There are a number of riders sealing their final Tour appearance today, including Thibaut Pinot (Groupama–FDJ) and Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies).
92km to go: An email from Justin in Spain has come in and it is asking a question that I have also pondered (but don’t know the answer to).
He asks: “Perhaps a tasteless question but yesterday I found myself wondering who has got closest to finishing Le Tour without actually getting there. Do you or any readers know who holds that unhappy distinction? (I do not include riders who have gone down in tbe (sic) final stretch but been given finishing times nonetheless.)“ If anyone knows, then please share…
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93km to go: The average pace has dropped to under 26kmph. That’s the kind of pace club riders can do and I could possibly…at a push. Adam Blythe has been given a glass of Champagne by one of the team in the Jumbo-Visma car. I’m quite jealous…
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96km to go: Pogacar and Vingegaard really do deliver when it comes to interesting Tour de France stats, but here is one I’ve selected from the official Tour website that might be good for a pub quiz…
“For the third consecutive year, the first two on the final podium are the same (Pogacar-Vingegaard in 2021, the other way around in 2022 and 2023): it had never happened previously.”
100km to go: As mentioned previously, I am enjoying the slower pace and light-hearted jokes from the peloton today. I’m fresh from covering the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes, so that is why.
Before anything too serious happens on this stage, I’d like to share a personal highlight from this year’s Tour: Pogacar and his pronunciation of French pastries.
🥐 Tadej Pogacar with the perfect pronunciation of "croissant" 😂@TamauPogi | @TeamEmiratesUAE | #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/zfplNBjPTR
— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 8, 2023
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103km to go: Some of the riders are casually chatting, while others are putting their arms on each others shoulders for a nice team pic. On Eurosport, Vingegaard has been speaking about his win and the news that he’ll be racing next at the La Vuelta a España:
“It’s super nice to win it for the second time…I’m more confident and more relaxed in this situation now and I think that’s the biggest difference for me. I really enjoyed the rivalry with Tadej [Pogacar]. It’s been an amazing fight from Bilbao to here today. It’s good for cycling, it’s good for us…but I’m glad I won.” Jumbo-Visma confirmed today that the Dane will be racing at La Vuelta and Vingegaard says it has been the plan all along but they were waiting to release the news.
109km to go: If ever there was any doubt that Giulio Ciccone was reveling in wearing the polka-dot jersey, then take a look at the man today. He’s even got a polka-dot bike…
112km to go: As is the tradition, the peloton are starting at a slow pace to soak up and enjoy atmosphere. They are celebrating their achievements over the last three weeks and having a nice time. Unfortunately, Victor Lafay (Cofidisis) not among them as he has not started today. I’m sure he’ll be happy though with that win on stage two – a big moment for Cofidisis.
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The racing on stage 21 has begun...with a touch of fun to start
113km to go: Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) had a cheeky attack off the front but he soon slows up and winks at the camera. He was just having a bit off fun as the super combative rider of the Tour. I’m looking forward to some more light-hearted fun during this stage. Bring it on.
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Who’s wearing what jersey?
Yellow: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 79hr 16min 38sec
Green: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 377pts
Polka-dot: Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) 105pts
White: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates)
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The top five on General Classification
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 79hr 16min 38sec
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) +7min 29sec
Adam Yates (UAE Emirates) +10min 56sec
Simon Yates (Jayco-Ulula) +12min 23sec
Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) +13min 17sec
Pello Bilbao, Jai Hindley, Felix Gall, David Gaudu and Guillaume Martin make up the top 10.
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Jonas Vingegaard to win Tour de France again as Pogacar takes stage 20
In case you missed yesterday’s stage, here is the stage 20 report to get you up to speed: Jonas Vingegaard in effect sealed back-to-back wins in the Tour de France after defending his overall lead in the final mountain stage of the three-week race. With only Sunday’s processional stage to central Paris to come, the Dane will, barring accidents, wear the final yellow jersey on the Champs-Élysées.
The stage 21 roll-out is under way
Smiling faces across the front of the peloton as the riders roll out for their final stage of the 2023 Tour de France. I can imagine they are all happy to have made it to Paris after a fast, hectic and tiring three weeks.
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Saint Quentin en Yvelines-Paris Champs Élysées, 115km
William Fotheringham on stage 21: A hint of the Paris 2024 Games with a start at the national velodrome before the run-in to the finish on the Champs Élysées, where the sprinters can strut their stuff. This is the last time we will see the Tour here for a couple of years, as next year’s Olympics mean the finish moves to Nice and a final time trial, the first time the Tour has finished outside the capital since 1905.
