Jonas Vingegaard has claimed his second Tour de France title, brilliantly prevailing over Tadej Pogacar. The two cycling titans battled it out over two weeks, separating themselves from their competitors. A decisive moment came during the time trial, when Vingegaard produced an outstanding performance, prompting questions about doping. Vingegaard firmly denied such allegations, with anti-doping authorities confirming extensive testing.
Vingegaard’s victory was solidified when Pogacar, hindered by a wrist fracture from April, faltered on the final Alpine stage, France’s toughest climb. Pogacar made a comeback, winning the last mountain stage, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Vingegaard, who topped him for the second year running.
Discussing his victory, Vingegaard highlighted his consistent development and sacrifice, spending over 150 days away from his family to train. The Tour’s unforgiving nature was underscored by the accidents several top-five contenders experienced.
Both Pogacar and Vingegaard had close calls with race vehicles due to fan interference, resulting in the general classification being decided early. The race was otherwise uneventful, with Mark Cavendish’s disappointing crash on stage eight being a low point. Belgian Jasper Philipsen dominated the sprints, securing four wins.
Vingegaard’s next focus is the Vuelta a Espana, with his team, Jumbo-Visma, aiming to consolidate their control over the grand tours, as Ineos-Grenadiers did in previous years. The once-dominant British team had a lacklustre showing, failing to make the podium for the second time in four editions.
Vingegaard’s triumph in the Tour de France was confirmed after the final stage, won by Belgian Jordi Meeus, whilst Pogacar and his teammate, Adam Yates, placed second and third, respectively. Vingegaard’s team, Jumbo-Visma, also won the team classification, a fitting conclusion to a race they dominated.
The Dane celebrated with his team, saying: “It’s been an amazing year, what a Tour de France for us. We started the plans early and once again I could not have done it without my team. It’s been an amazing Tour for us and I’m so proud of everyone.”
Despite losing the title, Pogacar remained a showstopper, providing memorable attacks during the race’s final moments. Yet, his efforts couldn’t prevent the first Tour de France victory of Meeus, a debutant. Meeus described the win as the biggest day of his sporting career.
The race ended with Vingegaard securing his second straight victory, having solidified his lead during two key stages in the Alps. Pogacar won the penultimate stage, but Vingegaard’s lead remained unassailable. The Danish cyclist celebrated with his team on the way to Paris, marking the end of the gruelling 3,405-kilometre race.
2023 Tour de France Femmes Stage 21 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Photo credits; Getty Images
