TOUR REPORT STAGE 20

The big story of stage 20 was the devastation of Primož Roglič’s yellow jersey dreams. He started the stage 57 seconds ahead of his fellow Slovenian, Tadej Pogačar, yet this was not a big enough cushion to hold the yellow jersey to the line.

Cycling can be a cruel sport and with no teammates to hide behind, Roglic’s seemingly secure time gap crumbled beneath him. A disastrous bike change at the foot of the climb only compounded his time losses and, in the most dramatic Tour finish in recent memory, 21-year-old Pogačar became the 2020 Tour de France winner.

His rampaging, breakneck passage to the line also secured the stage win, and the white and polka dot jerseys to boot. Not bad for an hour’s work. Roglič was distraught at the line, but managed to find the energy to hug his compatriot and congratulate him on his victory.

Tour veteran Richie Porte also locked in a podium spot, riding himself into an excellent third place both on the stage and overall, after a quietly brilliant performance for the past three weeks.

Bahrain McLaren enjoyed a successful stage with Damiano Caruso finishing the stage in seventh, rising to tenth on GC. The day’s biggest winner in a Le Col jersey though has to be Mikel Landa, who through grit and persistence secured a fantastic fourth place overall.

Caruso speaking at the finish said “I feel proud of myself and my team, and it’s been a good effort by all over the three weeks. Mikel finishing fourth in GC is a really good result, and the top 10 for me is an amazing feeling.”

The Champs-Élysées waits as it always does on the final stage of the Tour. Stage 21 is a procession for the GC riders, but sprinters are still able to contest for their final win of the race. Mathematically, if not practically, the green jersey might still be prised from the shoulders of Sam Bennett, but with all the sprinters seeking to add a stage win to their palmarès, competition will be fierce and every point will be fought for.

Thanks to Russ Ellis and Chris Auld for capturing the race. See more of their work on Instagram @cyclingimages & @cauldphoto.