Mathieu van der Poel achieved a remarkable victory on Sunday by winning stage 21 of the Tour de France. He successfully held off the peloton on the Champs-Élysées. Together with yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogačar, he managed to stay clear after the final ascent of Montmartre. Although catch seemed inevitable with sprinters’ teams closing in, only Pogačar was caught 700 meters from the end. Van der Poel then made a final surge to secure the win.

Pogačar ended in 30th place, marking his fifth Tour de France victory, a milestone achieved by only five men. The green, polka dot, and white jerseys were awarded to Mads Pedersen, Richard Carapaz, and Isaac del Toro, respectively.

The Brilliance of Van der Poel

With pain etched on their faces, Van der Poel and Pogačar demonstrated nothing short of extraordinary endurance. Their collaboration on the Champs-Élysées showcased cycling’s beauty through unexpected alliances. Van der Poel attacked during the third Montmartre climb, taking off with Pogačar. They time-trialled to the finish, challenged by a group led by Visma and later a Decathlon CMA CGM train supporting Olav Kooij.

Their narrow 12-second lead with 10 kilometers left seemed impossible to maintain. Yet, thanks to their exceptional skill, they did. Pogačar tied for the first time, crossing at a crawl, while Van der Poel sprinted heroically with 800m left. When Philipsen and Pedersen launched sprints with 300m to go, Van der Poel was slowing down, yet he reached the finish in time. Philipsen raised his arm, celebrating his teammate’s win.

Montmartre: A Key Component of the Final Stage

The Tour de France route adapts annually. A notable change inspires from the Paris 2024 Olympics, incorporating the cobbled Côte de la Butte Montmartre, tanning the final stage into a rider’s dream. Van Aert won there in 2025. This year’s adjustments, including adding 4 kilometers after Montmartre, allowed sprinters more opportunity, and the peloton recaptured the splinter group before the next lap. During the second ascent, Pogačar and Van der Poel again attacked, joined by Evenepoel and Pedersen.

The final climb saw Fred Wright show early promise before Van der Poel and Pogačar clinched a 10-second gap, exploiting their talent to hold back the peloton. This exhilarating stage cements the current format as the future of the final stage.

Contribution of U.S. and British Riders

U.S. riders excelled during the Tour, playing essential roles, specializing as superdomestiques. Brandon McNulty shone in support of Pogačar but could not finish the last three stages due to illness. Sepp Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson also delivered solid performances for Visma, especially in the high mountains. Matthew Riccitello’s presence as Paul Seixas’ last aide forecasts long-term support roles for him.

Quinn Simmons aided Pedersen in clinching the green jersey, showing remarkable selflessness, while Sean Quinn almost secured yellow during stage four. Though the U.S. did not achieve direct wins, their cycling future looks promising. In contrast, British cyclists showed less success. Tom Pidcock finished ninth overall, and others like Oscar Onley were missed. The emergence of new talents from Visma’s Matthew Brennan remains anticipated.

Julian Alaphilippe’s Farewell Tour

In 2019, Julian Alaphilippe was close to ending France’s Tour de France win drought. A freak mudslide, resulting in the yellow jersey’s transfer to Egan Bernal, thwarted him. His impressive win in Pau spotlighted one of the memorable moments. As a two-time World Champion and winner of six Tour stages, Alaphilippe stands amongst modern greats.

This year, he bids farewell to cycling in a goodbye lap at the Tour, his power dwindling. Other riders such as Magnus Cort, Damiano Caruso, and Luke Durbridge are retiring this season. Their potential last appearance highlights the special nature of finishing in Paris.

Thank you for joining us as we chronicled the Tour de France 2026. Watch out for the upcoming Tour de France Femmes, with The Athletic covering each stage. As Van der Poel triumphs, the Tour concludes but continues to inspire future races and memories.

Stage 21 Top 10 Finishers:

• Mathieu van der Poel | Alpecin – Premier Tech (1:58:49)
• Jasper Philipsen | Alpecin – Premier Tech (same time)
• Mads Pedersen | Lidl Trek (same time)
• Max Kanter | XDS Astana Team (same time)
• Olav Kooij | Decathlon CMA CGM Team (same time)
• Matej Mohoric | Bahrain Victorious (same time)
• Rick Pluimers | Tudor Pro Cycling Team (same time)
• Anthony Turgis | TotalEnergies (same time)
• Milan Fretin | Cofidis (same time)
• Clement Russo | Groupama – FDJ United (same time)

Final General Classification Top 10:

• Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates – XRG (73:56:26)
• Remco Evenepoel | Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe (+6m 26s)
• Isaac del Toro | UAE Team Emirates – XRG (+9m 42s)
• Paul Seixas | Decathlon CMA CGM Team (+11m 56s)
• Lenny Martinez | Bahrain – Victorious (+13m 02s)
• Mattias Skjelmose | Lidl Trek (+14m 59s)
• Juan Ayuso | Lidl Trek (+17m 48s)
• Richard Carapaz | EF Education-Easypost (+20m 00s)
• Tom Pidcock | Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling (+29m 28s)
• Jordan Jegat | TotalEnergies (+33m 21s)

Jersey Winners:

• Green Jersey: Mads Pedersen
• Polka Dot Jersey: Richard Carapaz
• White Jersey: Isaac del Toro