🏅@jordimeeus is our final winner of the #TDF2023 🏅@jordimeeus est notre dernier vainqueur du #TDF2023 #TDF2023 | @Continental_fr
Jonas Vingegaard wins second Tour de France title as Jordi Meeus denies Jasper Philipsen in Champs-E´lysées photo finish
CyclingSunday, 23 July 2023 at 19:36
Jonas Vingegaard has won his second straight Maillot Jaune. The Dane's Tour de France victory is now wholly official after the traditionally ceremonial stage 21 in Paris as Jordi Meeus took the sprint win on the Champs-E´lysées.
The Tour de France comes to a close in Paris. After three weeks of an amazing race, it comes to an end on stage 21 where the riders reach the famed cobbles of the Champs-E´lysées for one last bunch sprint.
After all the traditional theatre of the processional ride to Paris, the stress levels began to rise and things began to get more exciting as the riders made their way into the City of Light for the first time.
As they passed the finish line for the first time, riders immediately tried to attack off the front, despite the fact these moves never seem to work on the the final stage of the Tour de France.
Even Tadej Pogacar himself made an attack of the front, similar to what he did twelve months ago. Even on this stage he couldn't rid himself of Jumbo-Visma as Nathan van Hooydonck was straight onto his wheel.
At the end of the first lap, the leading pair had a gap of 12 seconds despite the face van Hooydonck was for some reason, not rolling through with Pogacar.
The lead group then swelled in numbers to ten as Michał Kwiatkowski, Alberto Bettiol, Nils Politt, Mattias Skjelmose, Alex Edmondson, Fred Wright, Yves Lampaert and Harold Tejada jumped across.
Sadly for them, they couldn't hold off the peloton for long. Immediately following their catch though another counter-attack of three riders rode ahead. Simon Clarke, Nelson Oliveira and Frederik Frison.
Not since 2005 have the sprinters been denied on the Champs-Elysees but as the leading trio maintained a 20-second lead with 20km to go, it couldn't be ruled out.
Just as the riders reached 10km to go though, the peloton was within touching distance and soon after the catch was complete.
A few more riders launched flyers, including of course, Victor Campenaerts, as the sprint teams struggled to keep control of the peloton.
Nevertheless, as they rounded the Arc de Triumphe for the final time, the sprint remained the most likely outcome.
With 3km to go the pace was incredibly high. As they emerged from the tunnel, it was still all to be fought for at the front.
Heading through 1km to go, Tadej Pogacar once again was on the front of the peloton. Mathieu van der Poel then came to the fore leading out Jasper Philipsen.
In an incredible finale, four riders crossed the line side by side. The photo finish showed that it was Jordi Meeus by the barest of margins ahead of Philipsen.
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