Tadej Pogacar secured his third Tour de France title by winning the stage 21 time trial in Nice, completing a remarkable Tour de France-Giro d’Italia double.
The UAE Team Emirates rider ended the Tour with his sixth stage victory, becoming the first cyclist to win both major races in the same year since Marco Pantani in 1998. For the first time since 1903, the Tour’s finale was held outside Paris, as the city prepares for the Olympics.
Wearing the yellow jersey, Slovenia’s Pogacar, 25, finished 63 seconds ahead of second-placed Jonas Vingegaard. This win extended his lead over Vingegaard, of Visma–Lease a Bike, to six minutes and 17 seconds.
“I cannot describe how happy I am,” Pogacar stated. “After two hard years in the Tour de France, this year everything went to perfection.”
Tour debutant Remco Evenepoel of Soudal–Quick-Step finished third on the stage and on the general classification podium, nine minutes and 18 seconds behind Pogacar.
The 2024 Tour de France will also be remembered for Mark Cavendish’s record 35th stage victory in Saint Vulbas during the opening week. The British sprinter hinted this could be his final race.
How the 2024 Tour de France Was Won
Pogacar’s dominance was clear as he became the first rider to win six stages in a single edition since Cavendish in 2009. He spent 19 days in the yellow jersey, holding it from stage four onwards.
The decisive moment came on stage 15 when Pogacar, already leading by almost two minutes, won the challenging climb to Plateau de Beille, extending his lead over Vingegaard by 69 seconds. Four days later, his victory was all but secured after a climb to Isola 2000 added another minute and 42 seconds to his lead.
Despite Vingegaard still recovering from injuries sustained in April, Pogacar’s performance was unmatched. His Tour de France success mirrored his earlier victory at the Giro d’Italia, where he won by nine minutes and 56 seconds.
“Already it would have been an incredible year, but to win the Tour de France is another level,” Pogacar added. “To win both together is another level above that level.”
Pogacar announced he was “99% sure” he would not compete in this year’s Vuelta a Espana, where he could have aimed to be the first rider to win all three Grand Tours in one year. Instead, he will represent Slovenia in the men’s road race at the Olympics in Paris on 3 August.
Girmay Takes Historic Green Jersey
Sprinter Biniam Girmay made history by becoming the first black African winner of the Tour de France points classification after finishing safely in Nice. The Eritrean had a standout race, winning stages three, eight, and twelve.
The green jersey winner, 24, was one of only six black African riders in the top-level WorldTour peloton of 534 in 2023. Girmay has overcome visa issues and loneliness since moving to Europe six years ago.
The King of the Mountains classification was claimed by Richard Carapaz, while Belgian Evenepoel, 24, won the white jersey as the best young rider under 25.
