The Big Loop is complete. Sunday July 23, on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, the Belgian Jordi Meeus won the last stage victory of the Tour de France 2023, depriving, at the photo-finish, his compatriot Jasper Philipsen of a fifth success in the sprint on this edition. But the traditional closing parade will above all have been marked by the ultimate thrill offered by Tadej Pogacar, who attacked about fifty kilometers from the finish.
Taken back, the double winner of the event (2020, 2021) will not raise his arms a third time on this Grande Boucle, nor will he have the honors of wearing the yellow jersey on the ceremonial podium. As in 2022, Jonas Vingegaard wins the general classification. The rider of the UAE Emirates team had to settle for second place and the white tunic of the best young rider. The Dane is 7 minutes and 29 seconds ahead of his runner-up. An abyssal gap; largest since 2014.
The first two weeks of the race, however, foreshadowed a breathless mano a mano, almost to Paris. A duel worthy of 1989, we thought, when it was necessary to wait until the last day of the event and the final time trial for the American Greg Lemond to finally take over the Frenchman Laurent Fignon, by 8 seconds. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard will have fought a fierce battle at the top of the general standings, with bonuses, markings and grabbed seconds… Until they leave the Alps. A look back at the milestones of the 2023 vintage.
Stage 1: the Slovenian launches the battle and pockets a sprint bonus. Pogacar advantage (4 seconds)
Duels are the salt of any sport and, at the start of this Tour de France, observers are already salivating at the idea of seeing Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar – winners of the last three editions of the event – compete again. One question remains: the state of form of the Slovenian, victim of a wrist fracture, at the end of April, during Liège-Bastogne-Liège. “Not sure to be 100% yet”, the leader of the UAE Emirates remains determined to recover his crown. He proves it from the inaugural stage.
In the Côte de Pike, the final ascent of the course, the rider from UAE Emirates stands out, followed initially by the Dane and the Frenchman Victor Lafay (Cofidis). They cross the summit together, without really attacking each other, before approaching the finish in a small group. But the 24-year-old prodigy sprints to get 3e place of the day, synonymous with four bonus seconds. Nothing to worry about his Jumbo-Visma rival: “The Tour is not going to be decided by four seconds. »
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