parade, record in sight and last laps

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  • Today’s stage: Chatou-Paris, 108.4 km

The riders of the Tour de France finally see the end of the tunnel. After three weeks of racing and days spent at times in dire conditions, the tradition of the final sprint on the avenue des Champs-Elysées looms this Sunday, July 18. To cross the finish line of this 21e stage, it will be necessary to cover 108.4 km between Chatou (Yvelines) and Paris without incident.

The runners will enter the capital at 42e kilometer of race and will pass eight times on the Champs-Elysées. Like every year, this stage should be an opportunity to see some nice pictures between the runners, used to sharing glasses of champagne and discussing their three weeks of racing. A victory is still at stake at the end of this day, and this stage seems promised to the sprinters.

  • The runner: Mark Cavendish

This Sunday, all eyes will necessarily be on Mark Cavendish. The British rider of the Deceuninck-Quick Step crossed paths with Eddy Merckx on Friday on the Tour routes. The two kissed, but “the Cannibal” knows that Cavendish can definitely overtake him in the event of a 35.e stage victory in the Tour de France.

The sprinter has already scored four successes during this edition of the Grande Boucle and he will aim for another victory on the cobblestones of the Champs-Elysées on Sunday. “Cav ‘” knows the avenue well, having won there four years in a row, between 2009 and 2012. But during the last nine editions of the Tour, Mark Cavendish has been beaten twice on the Champs. This time, he will be the big favorite and will count on the Deceuninck-Quick Step train to launch him ideally in the last decametres of the sprint.

At 39 years old and after 11 participations in the Grande Boucle, André Greipel retired. ” Tomorrow’s stage will be my last on the Tour de France », Indicated the German sprinter in a video published Saturday by his team Israel Start-up nation. He will finish the season before retiring. His eleven stage victories in the Tour de France will remain, including two in a row, in 2015 and 2016, on the Champs-Elysées.

Philippe Gilbert, for his part, is still in the hesitation phase. The Belgian rider, 39 years old and also 11 participations in the Tour, has cast doubt on his presence next year. ” Honestly, it’s getting tough. I don’t want to make an official announcement and make hasty decisions, but it gets complicated “, Explained the Belgian at the microphone of Eurosport after his time trial on Saturday. Philippe Gilbert won the Tour de France in 2011 during the inaugural stage, which allowed him to wear the yellow jersey for twenty-four hours.

“We don’t hear any noise. Nothing illegal is used. “

The affair caused a stir among the peloton and Tadej Pogacar did not dodge questions on the subject. Thursday evening, the Swiss daily Time published an article in which it was revealed that three runners have been carrying out for several days their own investigation into ” strange noises Heard at the rear wheels of the bikes of some teams in the peloton.

The yellow jersey was therefore questioned Friday evening at a press conference on these “noises”. Not destabilized, while doubts surround his performance since his brilliant performance at Le Grand-Bornand during the 8th stage, Pogacar replied in the negative: ” We hear no noise. Nothing illegal is used. It is Campagnolo material. I do not know what to say. “

The good news for Saturday, on the French side, was the so-called “super-combative” prize of the Tour de France awarded to Franck Bonnamour for his very first grand tour. By participating in five breakaways during this Grande Boucle, the 26-year-old Breton is the rider to have spent the most kilometers in the lead (624 kilometers) during the three weeks of the race, ahead of Matej Mohoric (528 kilometers) and Brent Van Moer (484 kilometers), before the last stage of the day.

Franck Bonnamour succeeds the Swiss Marc Hirschi and Julian Alaphilippe, winners of this prize respectively in 2020 and 2019. “ It’s huge, I would never have expected that at the start of the Tour de France. For me, this is really great news, it rewards my efforts, I gave my heart to the work. I am very happy », Reacted the French Saturday at the microphone of France Televisions after his time trial.

All that was missing was a victory or a podium to top it off. “It will be, I hope, for a few years”, Bonnamour assured.

Sports Department