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Chronicle of the race
Right, that’s me. Here is Jeremy Whittle’s report from the picturesque town of Rocamadour:
Updated at 18.04 BST
Here are some words from Jonas Vingegaard, as reported by PA Media:
“It means everything, it’s really amazing,” she said. “It is the most important thing in cycling and we have achieved it. Having my two girls at the finish line means even more to me. Since last year I always believed that I could do it and now it has happened. It’s really amazing. It’s a relief and I’m very happy and proud.”
Asked about his aggressive approach, Vingegaard pointed to 2020, when teammate Primoz Roglic saw his lead disappear under yellow in a stage 20 time trial, allowing Pogacar to pass and win his first title.
“Of course I think about what happened two years ago,” he said. “We were all thinking about it. I wouldn’t say we were afraid of it, but it was on our minds and we didn’t want it to happen again. I just wanted to go out there today and get the best result possible.”
A beautiful moment at the end of today:
Pogacar won last year’s Tour by 5min 20s. Vingegaard won this year’s race by 3min 34s. Which means that over the last two editions of the race and a total of 4,120 miles there is just over 100 seconds between the two drivers. It looks like this rivalry could run and run.
Here’s Geraint Thomas! “Before the start I thought there was a chance today, but after 1 km I had no radio. Decent TT at the end. It was just a case of putting my head down and going for it.”
He says he will have a couple of drinks this evening to celebrate before the final procession to Paris tomorrow.
The top 10 of the GC
1) Jonas Vingegaard 76hr 33min 57sec2) Tadej Pogacar +3min 34sec3) Geraint Thomas +8.13 4) David Gaudu +13.565) Aleksandr Vlasov +16.37 6) Nairo Quintana +17.247) Romain Bardet +19.1202.28) Louis Meint. ) Adam Yates +25.43
Here is an emotional Wout van Aert: “Winning this Tour de France as a team is really special and today was a dream scenario. Jonas is a very strong and such a good guy. I want to thank all my colleagues and the whole team for these three very special weeks. It’s incredible”.
Updated at 5.16pm BST
The first 10 of the stage
1) Van Aert 47min 59sec2) Vingegaard +19sec3) Pogacar +27sec4) Thomas +32sec5) Ganna +42sec6) Mollema +1min 22sec7) Cattaneo +1min 25sec8) Wright (!!) +1min 32sec +91 min) 32sec Schachmannnik +91) 3 minutes 48 seconds
Updated at 16.57 BST
Van Aert breaks down in tears of joy, Vingegaard hugs his wife, who is also in tears. What a moment for this young rider.
Jonas Vingegaard, dressed in the yellow shirt of the general leader, celebrates with his wife Trine Hansen and their daughter Frida. Photograph: Tim de Waele/Getty Images
Updated at 17.29 BST
Van Aert wins the stage… and Vingegaard sets out to win the race
Vingegaard crosses the line 19 seconds behind Van Aert. However, he has survived this last test and tomorrow he will wear the yellow jersey at the Champs Elysees. A great effort from the Danish driver.
Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, is congratulated by teammate and stage winner Wout Van Aert. Photograph: Thibault Camus/AP
Updated at 5.31pm BST
Here’s the close shave for Vingegaard on the way down:
Pogacar is second fastest, 27 seconds behind Van Aert, who surely now has his third Tour stage win this year.
WHISTLE! As Vingegaard flies into the valley, he is inches from the rock wall, his tires kissing the edge of the grass. Cripes, this was very, very close to disaster.
Not exactly. He’s 32 seconds behind Van Aert, which tells you what a final section Van Aert put together – it’s still second place for Thomas as it stands.
Updated at 4.47pm BST
Thomas climbs the final slope, through the tunnel and onto the home stretch. He’s not far behind Quintana and Meintjes as they approach the line. Can he get past Van Aert?
Live times from the Tour suggest Vingegaard has just dropped a couple of seconds behind Van Aert. Then, seconds later, they have it for another four seconds. So who knows?
Now only 4km to go for Geraint Thomas. Now it descends into the valley before the final climbs. Meanwhile, Vlasov comes home a couple of minutes ahead of Van Aert, but it should be enough for him to move into the top five behind Vingegaard, Pogacar, Thomas and Gaudu.
Vingegaard is even faster at the third checkpoint. He is 1.33 seconds ahead of Van Aert and five seconds faster than Thomas. That, I think we can say with some confidence, will be close.
Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, in action. Photograph: Daniel Cole/AP
Updated at 4.49pm BST
Adam Yates crosses the line in mid-pack, 58th on the day, so no climb to ninth for him.
Pogacar is 20 seconds behind Van Aert at the third checkpoint. But still three seconds faster than Ganna before, so he’s not having a bad day.
Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates runs through a city. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
Updated at 16.52 BST
Thomas is second fastest at the third checkpoint – just three seconds ahead of Van Aert, having closed the gap. Now it looks like it’s going to be a three-horse race: for the stage it’s Van Aert v Thomas v Vingegaard.
Vlasov looks set to climb into fifth: Meintjes is having a horrible day and Quintana isn’t much better.
Only 12 riders remain off the road. One of them, Geraint Thomas, just thundered ahead of Gaudu, who started a minute and a half ahead of him.
And Vingaard is still flying. Halfway, the yellow jersey is the fastest by seven seconds. I think we all expected him to play it safe today, but not one bit.
Pogacar goes through the halfway mark third fastest, 13 seconds behind Van Aert and six seconds slower (although slower isn’t really the word here) than Thomas. Now we wait for Vingegaard…
Thomas is second fastest at the halfway stage, five seconds ahead of Van Aert and 19 seconds faster than Ganna. The two behind him on the road are also traversing the course, but…
Spectators cheer on Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
Updated at 16.51 BST
Geraint Thomas is having a storm out there. Gaudu is being approached as they approach the halfway checkpoint.
And Vingaard goes even faster! He goes seven seconds faster than Pogacar in the first control.
Things are definitely heating up now. Pogacar sets a new best time at the first checkpoint, one second faster than Van Aert.
Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates in action. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
Updated at 4.21pm BST
Meanwhile, Vlasov is comfortably faster than Quintana and Meintjes at the first checkpoint, although he is only 16th fastest on the day. And not far behind, Geraint Thomas is just a second slower than Van Aert by the same point.
This would have been sensational from Wout van Aert if he had a hidden Tour in the peloton. But he’s been in the lead for the entire race, and the last man on the road owes him a lot. As they say in France: “Hat!”
Van Aert sets the new fastest time
Wout van Aert sets a blistering pace on the steep final slopes, with another stage win in his sights. Grit your teeth and cross the line… 42 seconds faster than Ganna! 42 seconds! remarkable What a ride! What a rider!
Wout van Aert returns home after another stunning display. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
Updated at 4.18pm BST
So they are all on the road. Bauke Mollema has just finished second fastest, 40 seconds ahead of Ganna. Next up the slopes towards the finish is Van Aert…
And here comes Jonas Vingegaard. The yellow jersey only needs to go back to Pogacar’s three minutes and 26 seconds to confirm his victory.
The white jersey, Tadej Pogacar, walks down the ramp to start his day. He’s another live contender in today’s stage, although the gap to Vingegaard in GC is too big to bridge.
Geraint Thomas begins his time trial and, like Gaudu, will remain in place if all goes well. He’s had a very smart Tour for my money, and third place behind the two big guns at the top is a fantastic effort.
“David, David, David…” echoes the fans at the start as France’s David Gaudu begins his race against the clock. Barring something very strange, he’ll hold on to his fourth place on the GC later today.
Van Aert goes through the third checkpoint…faster. With 23 seconds, so he has lost a pair to Ganna in this third quarter. Still, it’s a great buffer to take the last 8.2 km.
Seventh-ranked Aleksandr Vlasov starts his day – he could finish as high as fifth overall with a fast time today – Quintana and Meintjes are 45 seconds apart.
Here’s the brilliant Fred Wright speaking to ITV about his efforts today. He’s still third on the day as it stands.
Wow! Van Aert comes through the halfway checkpoint an impressive 25 seconds over Ganna. It is absolutely flying. And it’s even more remarkable considering the efforts he’s been making throughout the race, helping guide Vingegaard through the mountains. Ganna, on the other hand, has been virtually invisible for the first 19 stages and, in theory, should have a bit more in reserve. But then, Wout van Aert is Wout van Aert.
Green jersey holder Wout Van Aert of Jumbo Visma in action. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
Updated at 4.19pm BST
Adam Yates comes down the ramp, the first of the top 10 to start. He can’t really crack the top 10 today, but he can fancy his chances of getting ninth from Alexei Lutsenko. Here’s a reminder of the top 10 in GC as it stands:
1) Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma 75 h 45 min 39 s2) Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates at 3 min 26 s,3) Geraint Thomas (GB) Ineos Grenadiers at 8:004) David Gaudu (Fr ) Group 1-11 :055) Nairo…