Mathieu van der Poel wins Tour de France final stage in Paris

sportsJul 26, 202631560

Mathieu van der Poel won the Tour de France final stage, taking Stage 21 on the Champs-Élysées in a photo finish after holding off the sprinters. Jasper Philipsen finished second for a team 1-2 for Alpecin, with Mads Pedersen third. Van der Poel had animated the finale by breaking away with Tadej Pogačar on the Montmartre climb before the closing sprint. Tadej Pogačar secured the overall victory, his fifth Tour de France title, putting him on a par with legends such as Eddy Merckx. This was van der Poel’s second stage win of the race and his first Tour with more than one stage victory. The dramatic Paris finish concluded the three-week race with one of the most tightly contested final sprints in recent memory.

robyn

@robynemz.bsky.social

HOLY SHIT WHAT A FINISH TO THE TOUR DE FRANCE !!!! MATHIEU VAN DER POEL HOLDS ON TO WIN ON THE CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES !!!!!!

8845d ago

kay-choices.bsky.social1

It’s a shame it took an awful situation with the fires to give us at last the perfect format for what stage 21 should look like. A stage where literally any style of racer has a chance is needed in this race right now and we the fans need it too. Better than last years stage by far congrats MVDP

Velon CC

@veloncc.bsky.social

MVDP wins one of best finishes ever 😍 Mathieu Van der Poel wins Stage 21 of the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées after an unforgettable finale, holding off the sprinters after breaking away with Tadej Pogačar on the Montmartre climb. 📸 Getty Images

5845d ago

Gravel Influencer

@gravelinfluencer.bsky.social

I think that's the deepest I've ever seen Van Der Poel go and that's saying something. I do not know where those watts came from. One of the most incredible endings to a bike race I've seen. Right up there with Amstel Gold 2019.

7145d ago

Gravel Influencer14

I really want the power data for that last KM

Mike (beep boop era)10

Koppenburg CX had him falling off his bike at the end. I think E3 too Dude isn't just a wattfuck he can go SO DEEP

Nate3

I don’t follow racing super closely, but just watching the video made me say “holy shit” when he made his move. The acceleration was unreal, and then the power to hold on…incredible.

Lloyd Alter3

It looked like it almost killed him, though. I was worried he wouldn't get up.

Jonas Creteur

@jonascreteur.bsky.social

Mathieu van der Poel and the art of suffering. 🥵 - #TDF2026 Paris - #TDF2025 Boulogne-sur-Mer - Visegrad Giro 2022 - Mur de Bretagne #TDF2021 - Strade Bianche 2021

3845d ago

Jonas Creteur8

- Tirreno-Adriatico 2021 - BinckBank Tour 2020 - Amstel Gold Race 2019 - Dutch championships 2018 - Koppenberg CX 2017 - Zonhoven CX 2016

Philippe Auclair

@philippeauclair.bsky.social

I couldn't watch the Tour live this afternoon, but managed to avoid any spoiler before catching up at home. Just did, and I don't think I ever saw anything like this. So happy for van der Poel. Was this the greatest finish of any bike race? Mathieu, you legend.

4244d ago

snoutz1

I rarely get to watch the live stages, but caught this today from start to finish. Fantastic stuff. The GC was long somewhat of a dead rubber, but today at least gave us something memorable. Chapeau to Pogacar for really going for it. (And obviously to van der Poel!)

Cillian Kelly

@cilliankelly.bsky.social

That's the third ever team 1-2 on the Champs Élysées: 2026 - Alpecin - Van der Poel/Philipsen 2009 - HTC - Cavendish/Renshaw 1998 - Mapei - Steels/Zanini

3545d ago

dancartman.bsky.social1

I’m so glad your campaign to have the processional final stage replaced with a proper race has worked. It was a genuinely exciting bike race today.

Domestique

@domestiquecycling.com

🇳🇱 Van der Poel masters Montmartre in thrilling 🇫🇷 Tour finale as 🇸🇮 Pogacar joins five-time champions RACE REPORT 📰 www.domestiquecycling.com/en/news/van-... 📸 Cor Vos

3245d ago

James Dart

@jamesdart.bsky.social

There’s leaving it all out there on the Champs-Élysées and then there’s Mathieu van der Poel. Spectacular 📸 Stéphanie Lecocq

Mathieu van der Poel (right) wins the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris

2645d ago

Escape Collective

@escapecollective.bsky.social

Van der Poel wins extraordinary Tour de France finale after yellow jersey rampage on stage 21 escapecollective.com/van-der-poel...

2545d ago

ScottCulkin 🇺🇸/🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿/🚒🚑(ret.)/🚴/🥁/⚽

@scottculkin.bsky.social

#TourDeFrance2026 is a wrap. Mathieu Van Der Poel 🇳🇱 takes the sprint by a hair!

1545d ago

Dre Harrison

@dreharrison.bsky.social

THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME. VAN DER POEL YOU LEGEND! #TDF2026

1645d ago

Matthew Terrill

@matthewterrill.bsky.social

I’ve seen enough: Montmartre has to be in stage 21 every Tour de France now. It has given us the 2 best final stages and the 2 sole bits of jeopardy or challenge to Pogaçar for the last 2 Tours. Van der Poel was absolutely electric and that acceleration for the last ~500m was unreal. 😱🤯👏🏼

1345d ago

Euronews

@euronews.com

Slovenian Tadej Pogačar has joined the exclusive club of five-time Tour de France winners, while Mathieu van der Poel won Sunday’s final stage through the streets of Paris.

845d ago

Mike (beep boop era)

@latimeriidae.bsky.social

Imagine being on Decathlon and shepherding Sexias all Tour and with 8k to go your DS says “hey bring back Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar”

1245d ago

Ryan Erik King

@ryanerikking.com

Mathieu van der Poel!!! Oh my god!! MVDP with one of the wildest final stage victories at the Tour de France I've ever seen.

545d ago

3 sources

theguardian.comTour de France 2026: Van der Poel wins incredible sprint on the Champs-Élysées – live eurosport.deTour de France - 21. Etappe heute live im Ticker: Pogacar, Evenepoel, Pedersen, van der Poel jagen Sieg in Paris lvz.deTour de France: Pogacar zum fünften Mal der Champion – van der Poel gewinnt letzte Etappe

Mathieu van der Poel wins Tour de France final stage in Parissports Steven Cruz closes Royals' 5-4 win over Tigerssports St. Louis City win 1-0, Tomáš Ostrák scores late winnersports Johnny Mystery wins Mystery Wrestling 27, returns as championsports

Mathieu van der Poel wins Tour de France final stage in Paris

Related