Jonas Vingegaard gained his second successive Tour de France on Sunday after Jordi Meeus claimed the ultimate stage honours on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
Denmark’s Vingegaard of the Jumbo-Visma workforce crossed the end line after the 21-day race, 7min 29sec forward of Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, the champion in 2020 and 2021.
Pogacar’s UAE teammate Adam Yates of Nice Britain rounded out the highest three podium.
Vingegaard’s profitable margin was the most important since 2014 when Italian Vincenzo Nibali took the fabled champion’s yellow jersey by 7min 39sec.
The champion strolled across the winner’s paddock together with his household smiling boardly earlier than mounting the winner’s podium singing alongside to the Danish nationwide anthem.
However the runner up Pogacar too was shining and chatting in contrast to the mountain stage the place he crumbled to lose the Tour.
“Contemplating every little thing it’s been an excellent Tour, I’ve to be pleased with that,” Pogacar mentioned after selecting up his finest younger rider jersey for the fourth time.
“We’ve got two guys on the rostrum, and I gained two levels and the white jersey. I like biking,” he mentioned earlier than greeting his household on the foot of the rostrum
The ultimate stage was gained by outsider Meeus of the Bora workforce, with Jasper Philipsen denied a fifth stage win on this Tour proper on the line in a photograph end.
“What an exquisite end, it’s been such a excessive degree Tour,” mentioned the shock stage winner.
Cracked
The world’s best bike race offered ense drama with spectacular backdrops as Vingegaard and Pogacar remained separated by seconds till the Dane edged forward with a sensational particular person time trial final Tuesday.
The next day, on a 28km climb to the ski resort of Courchevel, Pogacar cracked, shouting “I’m gone, I’m lifeless” earlier than Vingegaard killed off the race with a sensational last climb.
The occasion had been billed as a showdown between the defending champion Vingegaard and Pogacar, who has gained the Tour twice and now come second twice.
Tour director Christian Prudhomme used boxing phrases to explain the wrestle.
“They went 15 rounds after which there was a punch within the intestine, a knee on the ground and a knock out punch,” he mentioned Sunday.
All time nice Eddy Merckx advised AFP the pair had delivered an exciting present.
“Pogacar is a extra full rider, however within the excessive mountains at the very least, Vingegaard stays the stronger,” he mentioned.
“I don’t know what occurred to me. I took on an excessive amount of this 12 months and after two weeks I began to look as white as this shirt,” mentioned runner-up Pogacar, pointing to his finest under-25 rider’s white jersey.
Pogacar began effectively sufficient, taking minor benefits within the Basque hills till Vingegaard attacked on the primary mountain stage within the Pyrenees to take the general chief’s yellow jersey.
And whereas Pogacar clawed again a couple of seconds right here and there, the defending champion by no means relinquished the lead all the way in which to Paris.
Runner-up in 2021, the softly-spoken Vingegaard was the one rider to problem the Slovenian prodigy within the excessive mountains.
In 2022, he went one step larger and gained the title at altitude, and it proved to be the case once more in 2023, however with a Tour of such poise and dominance his declare to be focusing on a 3rd straight title should be taken severely.
“The Tour de France is the best race on the earth,” beamed the 26-year-old.
“There’s one thing so particular about it and I can inform you I’ll be again once more subsequent 12 months to attempt to win it once more.”
Supply: namibian
