“La, la, la, la, la, la, la Kevin Vauquelin!” chanted some spectators in polka-dot T-shirts winding up Rue Lepic, cheering the French rider finest positioned within the normal classification. In the meantime, others took to the road on their alpine skis for a second of enjoyable, having put their winter sports activities tools out.
Riders ascended the hill 3 times and handed beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica earlier than heading to the end on the Champs-Élysées. Regardless of the rain making the roads slippery and harmful, Pogačar attacked on all three ascents however he couldn’t reply when stage winner Wout van Aert countered him.
Hours earlier than the peloton was attributable to arrive, spectators had already packed the Parisian neighbourhood.Credit score: AP
The peloton handed the Moulin Rouge earlier than climbing to the Butte Montmartre. To mark the event, dancers in tricolor costumes carried out a French Cancan exterior the cabaret.
Historically, the ultimate stage is essentially processional till a dash decides the day’s winner on the Champs-Elysées. However on Sunday, the ultimate climb happened 7 kilometres from the end and sprinters couldn’t contend for the stage win. Solely 5 riders have been left with Pogačar on the third ascension of the 1.1-kilometre hill.
Throughout the Olympics, the highway races drew greater than 500,000 spectators in Paris.
Final yr’s Tour concluded exterior Paris for the primary time since 1905 due to a scheduling battle with the Olympics, with the ultimate stage held in Good. The Champs-Élysées returned this yr for the conclusion of the three,320-kilometre race.
AP
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