Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wins a second Tour de France

Paris (AFP) - Jonas Vingegaard won his second successive Tour de France on Sunday after Jordi Meeus claimed the final stage honours on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Denmark’s Vingegaard crossed the finish line after the 21-day race 7min 29sec ahead of Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, the champion in 2020 and 2021.

Pogacar’s teammate Adam Yates of Great Britain rounded out the top three podium.

Vingegaard’s winning margin was the largest since 2014 when Italian Vincenzo Nibali took the fabled champion’s yellow jersey by 7min 39sec.

The world’s greatest bike race provided tense drama with spectacular backdrops as Vingegaard and Pogacar remained separated by seconds until the Dane edged ahead with a sensational individual time trial.

The following day on a 28km climb to the ski resort of Courchevel, Pogacar cracked, shouting “I’m gone, I’m dead” before Vingegaard killed off the race with a sensational final climb.

The event had been billed as a showdown between the defending champion Vingegaard and Pogacar, who has won the Tour twice and now come second twice.