Tour de France, last stage on the Champs-Elysees in Paris: Philipsen wins, Vingegaard yellow jersey

And so the Tour ends with the triumph of another boy of the generation in power. On the Elysian Fields, a sprint that for a runner is worth the victory in a great classic, the Belgian Jasper Philipsen, 24 years old, who runs in Van der Poel’s Alpecin-Deceuninck and is one of Pogacar’s best friends prevails: second success after that of Carcassonne, the Dutch Groenewegen and the Norwegian Kristoff beaten, Mozzato 11th best Italian. The Danish Jonas Vingegaard wins the 109th edition of the Tour with 2’43 ”over the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and 7’22” over the British Geraint Thomas.
But we want to talk about the attack of Tadej Pogacar 6 km from the finish, all on the left, while Geraint Thomas and Pippo Ganna leave on the right? This is the Tour, this is Pogacar, never banal, capable of teasing rivals on every occasion. Even when it’s all decided, even when it’s all over.

Prospect The appointment is in Bilbao, Spain, in 2023. And the contenders for the yellow jersey will also be joined by Colombian Egan Bernal. Yes, because from 2019 to today the final winners of the Tour were, in fact, Bernal, Tadej Pogacar (twice) and today Jonas Vingegaard, once again with tears in his eyes in the Parisian evening, with little Frida on the podium. They are the three points of reference of this generation.

The photos Edition 109 leaves three images in our eyes. First of all, the challenge for the yellow jersey, restricted to Vingegaard and Pogacar already after the stage of the Arenberg cobblestones. The Dane, 25, and the Slovenian, 23, made a run; 173 runners another; 1 rider, Wout Van Aert, instead did what he wanted, from the absolute protagonist to the director, from three stage wins to four second places. No rival was able to respond to the accelerations of Vingegaard and Pogacar, such their superiority. From the third place finish of Geraint Thomas (a giant, the Welshman, at 36) to Gaudu, Vlasov, Quintana, Bardet, Meintjes, Lutsenko and Adam Yates: all secondary actors. If we consider that the third, Thomas, closes at almost 8 ‘(never such a gap from Nibali 2014), and the tenth in general, Yates, is 25’ behind Vingegaard, we understand very well what kind of tour it was. Also because just 135 riders arrived in Paris: 41 retired out of 176 starters, never so few since 2000.

Teams Yes, those two played another sport. Pogacar was soon left without companions, stopped by Covid, and lost the Tour in the Galibier stage with arrival on the Col du Granon because he was all alone in the grip of Vingegaard, Roglic and Kruijswijk. On the other hand, Jumbo-Visma recalled, on the technical side, the dominance of the Sky team of Wiggins and Froome, but with a difference: that was a team centered on an absolute leader, the Dutch team had at least two leaders ( Vingegaard and Van Aert) and a half-point like Roglic.

Future What to ask Vingegaard now? Not to be limited to the Tour de France. Because Pogacar won two yellow jerseys plus Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Giro di Lombardia, plus Strade Bianche. Vingegaard must also get involved in the Monuments, he must be seen much more. Only in this way will the general public admire him without considering him just a Tour de France rider.