Van der Poel wins in Paris with the most agonizing sprint of his career

Mathieu van der Poel closed the 2026 Tour de France with a dramatic victory in Paris. The Dutchman held off the returning group, led by his teammate Jasper Philipsen, by just a bike length after launching a decisive attack alongside Tadej Pogacar on the final ascent to Montmartre.

Mathieu van der Poel wins a spectacular final stage in Paris after dropping Pogacar in the last 200 meters and beating all the sprinters in the final half meter

Mads Pedersen completed the podium of a stage 21 that was far from the usual ceremonial ride. The route, shortened to 88.7 kilometers due to the need to move security personnel to areas affected by fires, took place entirely in the French capital and included three cobbled climbs to the Butte de Montmartre.

Pogacar, who was close to contesting another victory until the final meters, officially confirmed his fifth Tour de France. Remco Evenepoel finished second overall and Isaac Del Toro secured third place and the white jersey.

A shortened and concentrated final stage in Paris

The day formally began in Thoiry, but the riders were later transported to Paris to compete in a circuit of 88.7 kilometers. The new layout combined six laps around the Champs-Élysées with three wider turns that included the climb to Montmartre, a one-kilometer ascent at 6.5%.

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Before the battle for the stage began, there was time for the traditional images of the final day. Pogacar posed with his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, while the winners of the secondary classifications celebrated their respective jerseys: Del Toro wore white, Richard Carapaz sported the polka dots, and Pedersen donned green.

The organization, at the request of the riders, decided to stop the times of the general classification before the laps with Montmartre. This way, riders who did not want to contest the stage could ease off without jeopardizing their positions.

Pogacar was thus officially recognized as the Tour winner before the decisive part of the race began.

The first attacks on the Champs-Élysées

After a few initial calm kilometers, Baptiste Veistroffer opened hostilities. The Frenchman once again showed his offensive character and managed to ride briefly ahead of the peloton.

Xabier Mikel Azparren and Thibault Guernalec also tried their luck, although the group always kept the differences under control. The real race began when the peloton left the traditional circuit of the Champs-Élysées and headed towards the first ascent to Montmartre.

Just before reaching the cobblestones, Isaac Del Toro suffered a puncture. The mishap took him out of the fight for the stage, although it had no consequences for his third place in the general classification because the times had already been neutralized.

Pogacar and Van der Poel spring into action

Mads Pedersen launched the first significant move on the initial climb to Montmartre. Pogacar and Van der Poel immediately reacted and managed to join a leading group that also included riders like Michael Matthews, Kasper Asgreen, Jasper Stuyven, and Vlad Van Mechelen.

The lack of understanding allowed several sprinters to return, and eventually, the peloton regrouped during the transition to the next pass over the Parisian hill.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG then took control to position Pogacar. Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch set up the second ascent, where the yellow jersey attacked.

Van der Poel was the only one able to initially follow the Slovenian. Evenepoel and Pedersen lost a few meters on the toughest section but managed to return during the descent.

For a few kilometers, an exceptional quartet formed by Pogacar, Van der Poel, Evenepoel, and Pedersen, four riders who have worn the rainbow jersey. All collaborated, but Decathlon CMA CGM led the chase to keep Olav Kooij's options alive and neutralized the move before the final lap.

Van der Poel and Pogacar break away on the final climb

The race restarted 16 kilometers from the finish. Adam Yates worked to position Pogacar, while Lidl-Trek did the same for Pedersen and Alpecin-Premier Tech prepared Van der Poel.

Fred Wright was the first to attack on the third and final ascent to Montmartre. Van der Poel responded with a powerful acceleration, and Pogacar managed to stick to his wheel.

Both crested solo with a small margin over a chasing group made up of Tobias Halland Johannessen, Jasper Stuyven, Matej Mohoric, Jonas Abrahamsen, Ben Healy, and Matteo Jorgenson.

The peloton remained about 15 seconds behind and did not give up on the stage. Paul Seixas did significant work in the chase and helped neutralize the intermediate group, leaving only Pogacar and Van der Poel at the front.

A victory decided by a bike length

Pogacar and Van der Poel entered the last five kilometers with an ever-decreasing margin. The two collaborated to maintain the pace with the peloton, but the difference fell below ten seconds.

In the final stretch, Pogacar began to show signs of fatigue, and Van der Poel decided to play his last card. The Dutchman accelerated solo out of the last corner and opened a few meters while the sprint was being prepared behind.

Philipsen launched the comeback and quickly closed in on his teammate. The two Alpecin-Premier Tech riders arrived almost neck and neck, but the finish line image confirmed Van der Poel's victory by approximately a bike length.

MATHIEU VAN DER POEL! WHAT A FINISH!

MATHIEU VAN DER POEL !!! QUEL FINAL !!!#TDF2026 pic.twitter.com/JRoJjfOa2r

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2026

Pedersen finished third, followed by Max Kanter and Ben Healy. Van der Poel thus achieved his second victory in this Tour, having also won the ninth stage.

Pogacar celebrates his fifth Tour in Paris

The final stage confirmed Tadej Pogacar's definitive triumph in the 2026 Tour de France. The Slovenian claimed his fifth yellow jersey and his third consecutive one, equaling the record held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin.

Evenepoel finished second and Del Toro completed the podium. The Mexican also took the young riders' classification, while Carapaz won the mountain jersey and Pedersen secured the points classification.

Pogacar did not settle for completing the course ceremonially. He attacked on Montmartre, collaborated with Van der Poel, and was close to adding a sixth stage victory to his tally before fading in the final kilometers.

Top 10 of stage 21 Tour de France 2026

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – 1:58:49
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) – same time
3. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) – same time
4. Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) – same time
5. Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) – same time
6. Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) – same time
7. Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – same time
8. Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) – same time
9. Milan Fretin (Cofidis) – same time
10. Clément Russo (Groupama-FDJ United) – same time

Top 10 of the final general classification of the Tour de France 2026

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – 73:56:26
2. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – at 6:26
3. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – at 9:42
4. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) – at 11:56
5. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) – at 13:02
6. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) – at 14:59
7. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) – at 17:48
8. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) – at 20:00
9. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) – at 29:28
10. Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) – at 33:21