Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France for the third time and celebrated in style with victory in the time trial ending in Nice. The 25-year-old Slovenian rider became the first cyclist to secure the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year since the late Marco Pantani in 1998. Two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark was second overall.
He also finished the final stage in second place. Pogacar won the 34km time trial on the French Riviera’s roads from Monaco to Nice in 45 minutes, 24 seconds. Vingegaard was one minute, three seconds behind him.
In the overall standings, Vingegaard finished six minutes 17 seconds behind Pogacar and Evenepoel was third overall. Sir Mark Cavendish said he had “likely” raced for the final time after completing the stage. The 39-year-old postponed his planned retirement to return this season in pursuit of a record-breaking 35th career Tour stage win, and achieved that feat with his victory on stage five into Saint-Vulbas.
It was unknown whether the Manxman would complete the season with his Astana-Qazaqstan team, but after being met by his family at the end of the 34km time trial from Monaco to Nice which brings this Tour to a close, Cavendish indicated his illustrious career is probably at an end. Asked if this had been the last race, Cavendish took a deep breath and said, “Likely so, yeah.” The Paris Olympics means this year’s Tour did not end with the traditional sprint on the Champs-Elysees in the capital, .