There it is, it’s finished. The riders put an end to the 109th edition of the Tour de France, Sunday evening, with the traditional sprint finish on the Champs-Elysées, which this year smiled at Jasper Philipsen. An edition marked of course by the ultra-dominance of the Jumbo-Visma, which left Paris with three distinctive jerseys, the most important of which, yellow, for Jonas Vingegaard. Beyond the first victory of the 25-year-old Dane, this Tour made an impression with its crazy scenario, symbol of a race that did not know any downtime, between the big start in Denmark, the sense of Tadej Pogacar’s fight and the desperate attempts of the French.
Danes everywhere, all the time
It was written that this Tour would be that of Denmark. The host country of the big departure, this year, did honor to the Big Loop. By its crazy welcome for the runners, we already remember the public present massively in the streets of Copenhagen during the inaugural time trial, in the rain. Even along the 180 km of the next two stages, on the plain, there was a crazy crowd almost all the way.
“It’s a crazy thing. These Danes are crazy! There are people everywhere and with each small climb, we thought we were in the Alps”, said a member of the publicity caravan in a paper of The cross. “As far as the big starts for fifteen years are concerned, this one is certainly on the podium with London in 2007 and Yorkshire in 2014”, judged the big boss, Christian Prudhomme.
A popular success which found its extension on television, since the TV2 channel recorded an average market share of 78% during the broadcast of the first three stages. Never seen. To top it off, the Danish riders also did very well. Magnus Cort Nielsen in front EVERY day in the first week, four stage wins (Vingegaard x2, Cort Nielsen and Pedersen), and the final victory for the Jumbo rider, of course. “Ikke dårligt”, as we say in the country (“not bad” in VF).
The Granon fireworks
In the opinion of even those who have been on the Tour for 30 or 40 years, this 11th stage between Albertville and the Col du Granon should be stored up there, in the anthology department. This is where the race changed. At the start at the end of the morning, Pogacar is a solid leader and we are already wondering if the Tour is folded. But the Jumbos have a plan. Benoot and Roglic engage 70 terminals from the finish, then Vingegaard and the same Roglic, who knows he can no longer play the general, harass the Slovenian even before the Galibier.
Isolated, Pogacar responds to everything, but ends up giving in on the final, terrible ascent of the Granon. Winner at the top, Jonas Vingegaard flies away and takes a double blow, new leader of the classification with now a lead of 2’22 on the outgoing double winner. He will not leave his yellow jersey to win, at 25, his first Tour de France.
Wout van Aert madness
If the Jumbos have made the law on this Tour, they owe it in large part to the Belgian rider. Three times second in Denmark, he vented his frustration with a monstrous attack on the Cap Blanc-Nez coast, during the 4th stage, to win in Calais, yellow jersey on his back. A show of force that will not be the last. We saw him in front almost every day, in the plains as well as in the passes, either for his personal quest for the green jersey (finally acquired with a record margin), or to play the model teammate. The way he blew up Pogacar in the Hautacam climb on Thursday symbolizes his superiority. Elected “super combative” of the Tour, he was the other big winner. To the point where observers wonder if he could present himself at the start one day with the intention of winning it…
Pogacar’s panache
The Slovenian dropped his crown, defeated by the collective strength of the Jumbos and a flawless Vingegaard, but he fought until the end. After the loss of his yellow jersey, he attacked absolutely every day, even when the ground did not lend itself to it. We saw him try uphill, downhill, and even on the flat, in the final towards Cahors on Friday and this Sunday on the Champs-Elysées, for a last last stand. “I couldn’t have had a better way of losing the Tour de France. I gave everything, thinking about the general classification, and I will be able to leave the race without regrets”, he estimated. With a big smile on his face. His duel with Vingegaard has only just begun.
The French with the means at hand
We hit them a little bit, demanding chauvinism obliges. But the French riders made do with their means, especially when you consider the huge void left by the absence of Julian Alaphilippe. Warren Barguil and Romain Bardet animated the Granon stage, Thibaut Pinot did not go far three times, despite random legs following his recent Covid. The little prince was not lucky either to come across a big battle for the general classification, stingy with the breakaways. And then, no zero points finally, thanks to the great victory of Christophe Laporte in Cahors during the 19th stage.
In the general classification, David Gaudu, 4th, achieved the best result for a Frenchman since Bardet’s third place in 2017. A great performance for the 25-year-old Breton climber, who was able to count on a close-knit team in which his great buddy, Valentin Madouas, revealed himself with an 11th place overall and constant assistance. Gaudu has made a date, even if the two rockets in front are no older than him. “It was the first time that I was clearly the leader with a team 100% dedicated to me. This test is successful, he judges. I managed to be with the best climbers in the world, the gratin of the gratin. It’s good for my head and it gives me confidence for the future. »
The heat
Except in Denmark, the runners have not seen the rain this year. A rarity. Above all, they ran under impossible dodgers, with peaks over 42°C. The 15th stage between Rodez and Carcassonne, on July 17, marked the peak of this heat wave with 40° degrees in the shade all along. “It was an oven”, reported Nils Politt on arrival, summing up the general feeling. The organizers have adapted, notably allowing refueling from the start and up to 10 km from the finish. But we will have to think for the years to come, which overall will not be less cold.
Attacks in all directions
Every day, we said to ourselves that it was more possible, that everyone was cooked and that it was going to temporize a little. And every day, it started at km 0. The famous “transition stages”, where you could take a nap in the middle without disturbing anyone, have disappeared from the lexicon of the Tour. It went flat out, all the time, and besides the general average is the highest in history (more than 42km/h). “It doesn’t disconnect anymore, it’s very impressive, debriefs director Christian Prudhomme on Sunday morning. Something happens in all the stages, a first hour run at very high speed, often with favorites and teammates of favorites in the breakaways, a completely new way of racing. »
Marc Madiot didn’t have time to get bored either. “The peloton is becoming international, with strong financial stakes. Everyone wants to show off, everyone wants to win”, recalled the boss of the Groupama-FDJ team during the rest day, at the start of last week. We can’t wait to see what the next route of the Tour has in store for us.
And also (in bulk)…
Cort Nielsen’s mustache, Tadej’s hello to the camera before ending up craving, Bardet meditating at the top of the Granon, Laporte’s jump, Louis Meintjes finishing the Super Planche des Belles Filles à pattes, Vingegaard with the bike of van Hooydonck on the cobbles, van Aert not happy because a point was taken from him in an intermediate sprint when he has a 372 lead, Jakobsen’s finish at Peyragudes on time for 17 seconds, Pidcock in the public fountain in Carcassonne (and its descents of passes), the victory of Hugo Houle in Foix, the tactical blows of Movistar (no, we’re kidding here)…