Mathieu Van der Poel won the 21st and final stage of the 2026 Tour de France on Sunday, in a spectacular finale on the streets of Paris. The Dutchman triumphed in a photo finish after an intense battle on the cobblestones of Montmartre, where the favorites transformed the traditional Parisian finish into a true classic. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider held off the chasing peloton, which was charging at full speed down the final straight. His lead dwindled in the final meters, but Van der Poel held on by a few centimeters as he crossed the line. This victory is the fourth of his career in the Tour de France. It is also his second win in this 2026 edition, following his first victory on July 13.
Pogacar is with Van der Poel in the breakaway
Tadej Pogacar didn't just defend his yellow jersey on the final day. The Slovenian joined Mathieu Van der Poel in the decisive attack and contributed to the excitement of a stage that remained undecided for a long time. The two men took advantage of the repeated ascents of the Montmartre cobbles to increase the pace of the race. Pogacar stayed with the Dutchman almost until the end of the stage, before Van der Poel launched his own attack in the finale. The Parisian course, with its narrow roads, cobblestones, and the iconic climb of Montmartre, offered a much more intense and aggressive conclusion than the traditional finishes on the Champs-Élysées.
Van der Poel wins in a nail-biting finish
In the final straight, the peloton closed in dangerously on Mathieu Van der Poel. The Dutchman, launching a maximum effort, saw the sprinters rapidly closing in behind him. The victory ultimately came down to a photo finish. Van der Poel was declared the winner by the narrowest of margins, concluding the Tour de France with one of the closest finales of this edition. The Dutch champion once again confirmed his ability to triumph on the most demanding terrain. The cobblestones, the changes of pace, and the climb of Montmartre perfectly suited his qualities as a classics rider.
Tadej Pogacar wins his fifth Tour de France
Tadej Pogacar has officially won the 2026 Tour de France. The Slovenian secured his fifth career victory in the Grande Boucle and joined an extremely exclusive club. He equaled Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain, the four other riders officially credited with five Tour de France wins. Lance Armstrong's seven victories between 1999 and 2005 were removed from the statistics following doping sanctions, while other winners, who had also doped, strangely retained their titles. Pogacar thus joins the official record of five Tour wins. This victory confirms his dominance in the 2026 edition. The UAE Emirates-XRG rider controlled the race all the way to Paris, continuing to attack on the final stage despite holding a comfortable lead in the general classification.
Evenepoel and Del Toro complete the podium
Remco Evenepoel finished second overall. The Belgian rider from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe joined Tadej Pogacar on the final podium, unable to overtake the Slovenian. Isaac Del Toro took third place. The Mexican from UAE Emirates-XRG completed the podium alongside his leader and confirmed his place among the best riders of this edition. UAE Emirates-XRG thus placed two men on the top three steps of the general classification, with Pogacar in yellow and Del Toro in third.
Two Frenchmen finished in the top 5
The 2026 Tour de France also ended with two French riders in the top five of the general classification. This feat hadn't been achieved since 2014 and was only the third time in the 5st century. Paul Seixas finished fourth, 11 minutes and 56 seconds behind Tadej Pogacar. The young Frenchman confirmed his excellent Tour performance and narrowly missed the podium. Lenny Martinez finished fifth, 13 minutes and 2 seconds behind the winner. He joined Seixas in a top-five finish marked by the return of two French riders to the top of the general classification. Jordan Jegat completed the French presence in the top spots by finishing tenth. These were respectable results, but the Tour left a feeling of incompleteness for the French: no stage wins, no jerseys, no podium finishes…
