Mathieu Van der Poel wins Tour de France Stage 21, Pogačar seals fifth title

Paris — Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) claimed the 21st and final stage of the 2026 Tour de France, prevailing in a tight sprint on the Champs-Élysées after a hard-fought concluding stage. The Dutchman covered the 115 km Parisian route in 1:58:49, beating teammate Jasper Philipsen and Denmark's Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) in the sprint, both with the same time. Stage 21, the traditional finish in Paris, offered a race day that was anything but ceremonial. Although the general classification was already decided, the relentless pace set on the streets of the capital kept tension high until the final kilometer. Van der Poel launched his decisive acceleration in the finale, settling the group in a compact sprint that saw Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) cross the line in that order, all within the same second. Stage 21 Results Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) — 1:58:49 Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) — s.t. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) — s.t. Max Kanter (XDS Astana Team) — s.t. Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) — s.t. Final General Classification At the conclusion of the 21st stage, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) officially secured his fifth Tour de France, finishing with a total time of 73:56:26. The general classification leader, already in the yellow jersey at the end of the previous stage, consolidated his lead with a 6:26 advantage over Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe) and 9:42 over Isaac Del Toro Romero (UAE Team Emirates XRG), in third place. With this victory, Pogačar enters the exclusive club of riders capable of winning the Grande Boucle five times, equaling legends such as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. The race continues tomorrow with a new stage.