Route Description: The final stage was from Saint Quentin-en-Yveslines to Paris. This is the typical ceremonial stage from the Paris Suburbs on to the Champs-Elysee in Paris. The finishing lap goes from the finish line up to the Place Charles De Gaulle, with the Arc de Triomphe. A descent of the Champs Elysee is followed by a right hand turn at the Place de la Concorde on to the Quai des Tuileries, named after the adjacent parc, along the Seine river. The riders make a left hand turn into an underpass to cross the Tuilleries. Climbing out of the underpass the race takes a left hand turn down the rue de Rivoli. The rue de Rivoli leads to the Place de la Concorde with a quick left followed by a right on to the Champs Elysee going toward the Arc de Triomphe and the finish line.
Next years Tour de France will finish in Nice since Paris will be hosting the Olympic Games within a week of the Tour finish. The start is understood to be happening in Bologna with several stages in Italy before transitioning back to France. The final stage will be a time trial, similar to the finish in 1989 between Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon. We will have to wait until October to learn the exact route that Vingegaard and Pogacar will have their fourth faceoff for the coveted yellow jersey.
Race Summary and Analysis:This stage finished with an extraordinary sprint finish which required the high speed camera to determine that Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) had won. This years race had a compelling two man race for the yellow jersey that could have gone the distance if it wasn't for Tadej Pogacar suffering a devastating time loss on the stage to Courchevel. The race for the polka dot jersey, awarded to the King of the Mountains, was very interesting for the first time in several years being fought for by non yellow jersey contenders. The efforts undertaken first by EF Education-EasyPost and then Lidl-Trek to animate the stages with significant amounts of climbs to help both their contenders for the polka dot jersey was great to watch. The difference in tactics was rather interesting to see. The only jersey that was rather anti-climactic was the green jersey, often referred to as the sprinters jersey. Jasper Phillipsen put this competition to sleep with wins on the first few flat stages. Mads Pedersen and Jordi Meuss would win the other flat stages, but they were never close to Phillipsen in the points competition for the green jeersey. The only other rider who might have had a chance was Wout Van Aert, but he didn't seem to be able to sprint at the same level as Phillipsen, and he would not start the final stages after the Alps. Below is a summary of all the winners in this year's Tour de France.
The Jersey Competitions:
Yellow Jersey (The overall race leader): Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
White Jersey (the best young rider 25 years and under): Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)
Green Jersey (Sprinters/Best placed competition): Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceunik)
The other competitions:
Best Team time (Best three rider times each day): Jumbo-Visma
Super Combativity Award (Overall most combative/attacking rider): Victor Campenaerts (Lotto DSTNY)
Stage Winners:
Stage 1: Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) see the review here
Stage 2: Victor LaFay (Cofidis) see the review here
Stage 3: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuinnick) see the review here
Stage 4: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuinnick) see the review here
Stage 5: Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) see the review here
Stage 6: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) see the review here
Stage 7: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Decuinnick)
Stage 8: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
Stage 9: Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech)
Stage 10: Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Stage 11: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceunnick)
Stage 12: Ion Izagirre (Cofidis)
Stage 13: Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers)
Stage 14: Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers)
Stage 15: Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious)
Stage 16: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
Stage 17: Felix Gall (Ag2r-Citroen)
Stage 18: Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step)
Stage 19: Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious)
Stage 20: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
Stage 21: Jordi Meuss (Bora-Hansgrohe)
