As expected, this 21st and final stage of the Tour de France between Chatou (Yvelines) and the Champs-Élysées gave birth to a massive sprint, on the famous Parisian avenue.
Less expected, Wout Van Aert surprised the green jersey, Mark Cavendish, and the other specialists to win his third stage on this 2021 Grande Boucle, the second in a row.
The man of the day is Tadej Pogacar, the big winner of this Great Loop.
We summarize the essentials of the final bouquet.
The winner of the day: Van Aert really knows how to do it all
Hard to find more versatile than Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). Winner of the 11th stage, that of the double ascent of Mont Ventoux, the Belgian then won the 20th, a time trial. All he needed was to raise his arms at the end of a massive sprint to complete this dream triptych… So it's done. After isolating Michael Morkov, Mark Cavendish's pilot fish, the Jumbo-Visma put Mike Teunissen at the head of the field. Van Aert dislocated 200m from the line to beat Jasper Philipsen and Mark Cavendish, who will have to wait to snatch a record 35th Tour victory. Wout Van Aert succeeds a pure sprinter, the Irishman Sam Bennett, winner on the “Champs” in 2020.
With a mountain stage and a TT already to his name 🇧🇪 @WoutvanAert won on the Champs to deny 🇮🇲 Mark Cavendish his 35th win.
Here is the final KM ⬇️
Another prestigious victory for 🇧🇪 @WoutvanAert!
The Belgian offers himself the Champs-Elysées. # TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/igdSgeRFlm
- Tour de France ™ (@LeTour) July 18, 2021
Man of the day: Pogacar on parade
Who says last stage says parade for the winner. Like last year, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) got hold of the yellow, white and polka dot jerseys. At 22, he thus became the youngest rider to win two Tours de France. Before having the honors of three podiums in Paris, the Slovenian offered himself a few moments of collective celebration, with his teammates, as tradition dictates. Then, without the slightest mechanical problem, he reached the finish line and the podium. The Slovenian is ahead, in the general classification, the Dane Jonas Vingegaard by 5′20 ′ 'and the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz by 7′03 ′'.
💛 In Yellow, and with 8 riders!
@TeamEmiratesUAE will finish the Tour with all those that started!
💛 In Yellow, and at 8!
UAE Team Emirates completes this round! # TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/4MqvdyO9iD
- Tour de France ™ (@LeTour) July 18, 2021
The last escape: Schelling's last stand
The Tour de France 2021 ends as it started for Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe): at the forefront.
Escaped on the first stage, great leader of the first week and first wearer of the best climber's polka dot jersey, the Dutchman tried one last shot by escaping 23 kilometers from the finish.
But he was not alone.
The Belgian Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Soudal) and the Danish Michael Valgren (EF-Education - Nippo) accompanied him on the Champs-Élysées.
The trio held out for up to 6 kilometers from the finish, before being swallowed up by the peloton.
Image of the day: runners ... over-speeding
The peloton recalled that the last stage of the Tour was not just a simple parade towards the Champs-Élysées.
Even in the last turns of the wheel, the pace remained high.
The proof: runners were "flashed" by a radar at more than 50 km / h in the descent from Meudon.
📸 Respect speed limits.
😉
📸 Watch out for speed limits.
😉 # TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/kGg2YC3lWN
- Tour de France ™ (@LeTour) July 18, 2021
