The China Mail - Pogacar wins Tour de France for third time

The 25-year-old won the final day's time-trial with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard coming second at 1 minute 03 seconds on the day to seal second overall ahead of a disappointed Remco Evenepoel, third on the day and third overall.

Astonishingly Pogacar won six stages on this edition of the Tour de France, just as he did when winning the 2024 Giro d'Italia.

The world's greatest bike race, broadcast across the globe, featured a novelty finale on the French Riviera because of the Olympic Games in Paris.

Instead of the last day romp around the Champs Elysees the race avoided the Olympic Games sites altogether.

With five stage wins already in his saddlebag, Pogacar stormed out of his adopted hometown of Monaco and up the coast to Nice, with its pebble beach and celebrated Promenade des Anglais walkway, where he leapt into the arms of his team-mates.

Pogacar took the overall lead on a downhill on day four as the race arrived in France from Italy via the Alps.

By the time the race returned to the Alps, Pogacar was 3 minutes clear and Vingegaard was starting to flail, due to his major crash in March.

After the Queen stage on day 19, Pogacar knew he'd won and Vingegaard and his team boss switched their attentions to finishing second.

Vingegaard crashed heavily in March and was praised for even making it to the start line, but ahead of Sunday's race he expressed a desire to win another stage.

Although he started well, as has often been the case in this Tour, he was a distant second best.

He did however beat pre-race favourite Evenepoel, who cried at the finish line.

There are many prizes on offer on the Tour with Pogacar's yellow jersey for overall race leader being the chief amongst them.

Evenepoel may not have won the final day time-trial but he won the first time-trial in week two.

He also came third in the overall standings and won the white jersey for best young rider.

Other stars emerged along the way, as Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay won three stages, the sprint points green jersey and national hero status in his homeland.

Riding a green bike and decked out from head to toe in green, Girmay was seen off by a clutch of his countrymen in Monaco.

He narrowly beat the 2023 sprint king Jasper Philipsen, who won three stages but never had the lead in the points race.

Olympic champion Richard Carapaz is being hailed as the most combative rider on the 2024 Tour.

The Ecuadorian EF rider won a stage, took the yellow jersey for a day and came close to other victories. He raced on Saturday in the polka dot best climber's jersey.

Mark Cavendish also grabbed the headlines, claiming a record 35th stage win and was given a special podium presentation for his career achievement.

Greeted by his family in Nice there were no tears from the Manx Missile, who laughed off the idea.

When asked if this was his last race he replied: "Likely so, yeah".

Q.Moore--ThChM