Pogacar seals fifth Tour de France title as Van der Poel conquers Paris
Tadej Pogacar sealed his fifth Tour de France title in Paris, drawing level with Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain as one of the race’s greatest champions.
The final stage delivered its own fireworks, with Mathieu van der Poel producing a stunning victory on the Champs-Élysées to close out the 2026 edition in style.
Remco Evenepoel secured second overall, while Isaac del Toro completed a breakout debut by finishing third and taking the white jersey. Richard Carapaz claimed both the polka dots and the combativity award, and Mads Pedersen officially locked in the green jersey. Lidl-Trek topped the team classification.
The shortened Paris stage was far from a procession. Pogacar ignited the race on the second ascent of Côte de la Butte Montmartre, dragging Pedersen, Evenepoel and van der Poel clear. Their move didn’t last, with Decathlon CMA CGM shutting it down at 20km to go, setting up a decisive final climb of Rue Lepic. Van der Poel launched a blistering attack, with only Pogacar able to follow. The pair committed fully, clinging to a fragile gap as the peloton thundered behind them through packed Paris streets.
Inside the final kilometre, the sprinters were closing fast. Pogacar finally faded, but van der Poel found one last burst of power, holding off the charging field by the smallest margin as Jasper Philipsen celebrated behind him without overtaking.
It capped a remarkable season for Pogacar, who added this Tour to victories at the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie and several major classics. He also dominated the Giro d’Italia in 2024, leaving only the Vuelta missing from his Grand Tour collection.
VIDEO: 2026 Tour de France Stage 21 Stage Highlights
2026 Tour de France Stage 21 Top 10
1 VAN DER POEL Mathieu Alpecin - Premier Tech 1:58:49.000
2 PHILIPSEN Jasper Alpecin - Premier Tech 0:00.000
3 PEDERSEN Mads Lidl - Trek 0:00.000
4 KANTER Max XDS Astana Team 0:00.000
5 KOOIJ Olav Decathlon CMA CGM Team 0:00.000
6 MOHORIC Matej Bahrain - Victorious 0:00.000
7 PLUIMERS Rick Tudor Pro Cycling Team 0:00.000
8 TURGIS Anthony TotalEnergies 0:00.000
9 FRETIN Milan Cofidis 0:00.000
10 RUSSO Clément Groupama - FDJ United 0:00.000
2026 Tour de France GC after Stage 21
1 POGACAR Tadej UAE Team Emirates - XRG 73:56:26.000
2 EVENEPOEL Remco Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 6:26.000
3 DEL TORO Isaac UAE Team Emirates - XRG 9:42.000
4 SEIXAS Paul Decathlon CMA CGM Team 11:56.000
5 MARTINEZ Lenny Bahrain - Victorious 13:02.000
6 SKJELMOSE Mattias Lidl - Trek 14:59.000
7 AYUSO Juan Lidl - Trek 17:48.000
8 CARAPAZ Richard EF Education - EasyPost 20:00.000
9 PIDCOCK Tom Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 29:28.000
10 JEGAT Jordan TotalEnergies 33:21.000