Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) has proven himself perhaps the most versatile rider of the current generation by winning today's final stage into Paris at the end of the Tour de France.
The Belgian champion spoiled the party for Mark Cavendish, who was chasing the all-time record of 35 stage wins today. Cavendish could only manage 3rd place into Paris as Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Fenix) was 2nd.
Cavendish came over the line banging his handlebars in frustration but Van Aert was too strong and has now added a bunch sprint stage win into Paris to his TT stage win of yesterday and his mountain stage win on Mont Ventoux.
Deceuninck-QuickStep sprinter Cavendish – who was a late replacement on the Tour for the injured Sam Bennett – has wrapped up the points classification win today having held that green jersey since the first week of the race.
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Cavendish had already equaled the all-time record of Eddy Merckx, on 34 Tour stage wins, when he took victory on stage 13 into Carcassonne last week. He needed one more today to make it 35 and break Merckx's record.
However, while he was led out superbly again by his team
approaching the finish, he was swamped at the last by Van Aert – who had only
three team mates left in the race – and also by Philipsen.
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When Van Aert pulled the trigger - starting the sprint ahead of Cavendish - the British rider appeared unsure if he would launch his sprint on the inside of Van Aert or go to his right and round the outside.
Van Aert was led out by just one team mate, Mike Teunissen, who put in a huge turn on the front in the last 1km. Van Aert then sprinted off that lead-out and as he had so much power, Cavendish and Philipsen were simply unable to beat him.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates) wrapped up the overall victory, by 5:20 from Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) was 3rd overall at 7:03.
Pogačar also won the young rider classification, as he is aged just 22 years, and has taken the climbers' classification; the second year in success he has won the overall and the two other classifications.
Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) has finished the race in 40th place, some 2hrs 9mins 35secs down on the yellow jersey, though the Irish cyclist was not riding for GC this year.
More to come.
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