"I think it is one of my most beautiful victories" - Mathieu van der Poel gets emotional after Champs-Élysées victory
CyclingTuesday, 28 July 2026 at 23:00
Mathieu van der Poel joins the many greats to have triumphed on Champs-Élysées before him in 2026. And it was not just any victory - the Dutchman attacked early alongside Tadej Pogacar to hold off the remains of peloton using his final bits of energy.
The Dutchman just about pushed past the finish line and then needed few minutes just to get back on his feet and celebrate the victory with his teammates - Jasper Philipsen finished second on the day, covering Van der Poel's victory.
"I think everyone has seen before that I can go very deep in a finish," Van der Poel told NOS. "I have said it a few times already, but this was maybe the deepest I have ever gone."
Him and the Slovenian built a solid lead after final Montmartre ascent, but the well-organized chase of Decathlon CMA CGM quickly whittled down their advantage in last five kilometers. "I actually thought it was over," he said. "With 500 metres to go, I thought I had nothing left to lose. I put my head down and rode as hard as possible towards the finish."
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One of the most beautiful victories
The 31-year-old has celebrated more than one beautiful victories during his career; after all he became road world champion (and cyclocross world champion 7x), won Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders three times both, or Milano-Sanremo twice. And yet, there remains something unique about triumph on Paris' main boulevard.
"Definitely top five, maybe," Van der Poel ranked his most recent Tour de France victory. "Maybe even top three. I think it is one of my most beautiful victories."
Mathieu van der Poel wins on Champs-Élysées
"Pogacar is a true champion"
The presence of Pogacar at the front was crucial to his victory as the Slovenian never stopped pushing and believing in his own victory. Van der Poel described the Tour winner as "maybe the best rider ever" and praised his commitment.
"That is also the champion Tadej is," Van der Poel said. "He kept riding fully until the end. I think that is how we race, and he showed that again."
The new final stage circuit with Montmartre climb has been in Van der Poel's mind for a while, especially after he saw his eternal rival Wout Van Aert raise his hands in 2025. Since then, Van der Poel eyed to equalize after he had been unable to compete last year.
"I had been thinking about it for a year," he said. "Last year I was sick on the sofa and watched Wout win here. Right then, I thought that the following year I would put everything into winning this stage."
it's for this reason that the win has been quite special to the man who has already earned himself the right to be called "one of the best Classics riders" in history. "I do not get emotional that often anymore," Van der Poel said. "But I was a little bit emotional today."
"This was still somewhere near the top of my list," he added. "Slowly, I have ticked off almost everything. I can only say that I am very proud and very happy."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- The Vuelta without Tadeg would be more interesting !frieders329-07-2026
- This was an incredible generation of riders, but I think we need to separate talent from race aggression. Pogačar, Van der Poel, Carapaz, and Pedersen have consistently shown a willingness to attack, take risks, and create moments that define races. Remco Evenepoel is an exceptional talent and had a strong Tour, but let's be honest—he raced more conservatively and never really challenged Pogačar directly when it mattered. The stage 20 action was exciting, but it came in a very different race situation and should not be confused with taking the fight to the yellow jersey. With Jonas Vingegaard out, the biggest threat to Pogačar was removed, and Remco benefited from that opportunity. Great riders win races, but the riders who become legends are often the ones who are willing to take the biggest risks.wambo29-07-2026
- Visma | Lease a Bike has been one of the most innovative and dominant teams in cycling, but I think this is a moment for some honest reflection. Even with a fully healthy Wout van Aert supporting Jonas Vingegaard, the challenge against Tadej Pogačar has changed because "The Alien" is no longer just a Grand Tour rider—he has become a complete racer capable of winning classics, mountain stages, time trials, and controlling races in ways we rarely see. Wout gives Jonas one of the best teammates in the world and can absolutely change the dynamics of a race, but Visma may need to find new strategies because the old formula of isolating Pogačar and attacking late may no longer be enough. Jonas remains a phenomenal champion and the closest challenger we have seen, but beating this version of Pogačar will require something extraordinary.wambo29-07-2026
- I think Greg LeMond deserves to be celebrated for what he accomplished and for the role he played in American cycling history. At the same time, I believe the conversation around his era is more complicated than simply choosing sides. The 1980s peloton was not a clean era—amphetamines, cortisone, testosterone, and blood transfusions existed, while anti-doping technology was far behind the methods being used. There is no credible evidence that LeMond doped, but it is also fair to recognize the limitations of testing at that time. The best way to honor cycling history is to appreciate the achievements while continuing to ask honest questions about the sport and the era that shaped it.wambo29-07-2026
- Greg LeMond was undoubtedly one of the greatest cyclists of his generation, but I've always wondered whether anyone could truly emerge untouched from that era. The 1980s peloton was far from clean—amphetamines, cortisone, testosterone, and blood transfusions were already part of the sport long before EPO changed everything in the 1990s. It's also important to remember that anti-doping testing technology in the 1980s lagged well behind many of the drugs and methods being used, with blood transfusions essentially undetectable and no direct EPO test until around 2000. There's no credible evidence that LeMond doped, but given the realities of the era and the limitations of testing, I think it's reasonable to ask questions while acknowledging that we'll probably never know the full truth.wambo29-07-2026
- I would hardly call the yellow jersey throwing down at the front of the final stage "falling short". He had been been on duty for 21 straight stages. He could totally pull the cord before the final Montmartre loops. Instead, he puts on a show for the fans. Without his contribution, MVDP comes up empty whatever his grit and determination. Fans--however casual, entitled, and uninformed--could thank him with a fraction of the grace that MVDP did. But then they wouldn't be cycling fans.
MarkFour29-07-2026 - There is an important aspect that surprisingly nobody has pointed out here. Go rewatch the race from the bottom of Montmartre on to the finish. Watch who is pulling between the two of them and watch the telemetry time gap to the chasers. When Pogi pulls, the gap drops 2-4 seconds. As soon as MVdp pulls, the gap jumps back up 2 to 5 seconds. Repeatedly. Now watch it again and time their pulls and you will see Pogi flicking his elbow in a much shorter interval than MVdp. MVdp is taking longer pulls and he's fortifying their lead. Pogi, on the other hand, the opposite. Don't get me wrong, I realize Tadej's brief, less intense pulls still provided some level of recovery for Vanderpoel, but to suggest he gifted the stage is utter fantasy. MVdp absolutely owned that race with his trademark tenacity, grit and fearlessness. I've NEVER seen a rider dig so deep and believe in himself quite like that. 600m sprint that saw him jump up out of the saddle to put down ever more power with 40m left is unreal. Never seen a display quite like that in 40 years of watching this sport closely. Tadej, by comparison, gave up. 650m remaining and he said, "Oh I can't do it, we're getting caught now for sure, oh well". MVdP said, "I'm not caught yet, I must try and go 100% all-in. He was willing to lose via defeat, but not via quitting. He is the real deal. Tadej is close, but MVdp is pure class in a way that sees Tadej fall a little short. His talent is at least as substantial MVdp's, more even, but he doesn't embody the same level of character as a racer quite like MVdp.urbantoreador28-07-2026
- A follow up as I was playing with some statistics. Counting "big wins" as grand tours, monuments, and world championships, Pogačar is now at 21 (Merckx is first at 33, Coppi third at 17). That's in the middle of the 2026 season, with the Vuelta, Lombardia, and worlds still to come. Pogačar has won 13 of the past 26 monuments, 6 of the last 14 grand tours, and both of the last world championships. Good lord. A few more years of this and he actually beats Merckx at this game (consistency is never guaranteed, which is why I enjoy these crazy stats as they happen - who knows if this will last!).RidesHills28-07-2026
- oh, it’s worse than ‘95 — ‘15… charly gaul, fausto coppi, jacques anquetil, tom simpson, felice gimondi, eddy merckx (caught THREE times), bernard thévenet, joop zoetmelk, freddy maertens, bernard hinault (suspended for refusing to take drug test), francesco moser, pedro delgado, laurent fignon, sean kelly, stephen roche, ETC. That list includes just about every tour de france winner from 1960ish up through the period you mention, with the exceptions of indurain and lemond. so i TOTALLY AGREE with your point that it’s not really the doping that makes armstrong so despised. i personally don’t care about lance armstrong doping. i don’t even care that he lied about it, because if you’re gonna dope you’re GONNA lie about it. i mean, that’s the whole idea right, not getting caught? i care that armstrong aggressively RUINED the lives of people with no power at all compared to him. but agreed, it’s NOT the doping.OCexile28-07-2026
- Cool.Clarkm28-07-2026
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