Home > News

2016 Tour de France Stage 21: Greipel takes top honours in Paris

Chris Froome wins third yellow jersey

July 24, 2016
Share on SMS

For the second year in the row, Andre “The Gorilla” Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) won on the Champs-Élysées in the 103rd edition of the Tour de France’s final stage on Sunday. Greipel’s first win of the 2016 Tour was his 11th career stage victory.

Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) finished comfortably in the pack to take his third Tour title, joining American Greg LeMond, who was champion thrice between 1986 to 1990; Frenchman Louison Bobet, who won three in a row in the mid-fifties; and Philippe Thys, a Belgian who triumphed in the two Tours before WW I and the first afterwards.


The riders had a long neutral section and about 60 relaxed kilometres before 8-laps of the Champs-Élysées cobbles, each circuit 7-km.


As the peloton rolled along at a stately pace there was plenty of time for chat, photos and champagne.


Or beer.

A Cat. 4 climb tempted 10th place Roman Kreuziger to grab the single point.

El Purito, Joaquin Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha), who forced himself into the top-10 Saturday, was allowed to lead the race onto the cobbled circuits, as it would be his last Tour de France. Sky then led the parade on Lap 1.

French champion Arthur Vichot (FDJ) was the first to fly. Vichot had seven pals, including Rui Costa (Portugal/Lampre), who enjoyed a very active Tour without earning a high GC place. World Champion of 2013, Costa has the distinction of starting eight Tours de France but no other Grand Tours. Escapee Marcus Burghardt (Germany/BMC) passed over the intermediate sprint in first place.

Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) had a nightmare with 36-km to go, having a mechanical and then another problem with his next bike. The German sprinter threw a flat tire and beat his handlebars in frustration.

Direct Energie, including Canadian Antoine Duchesne, was interested in bringing the octet back, and Lotto-Soudal put a man out front as well.

Kittel latched on before the catch at the start of the sixth lap. Etixx’s bad luck continued: Tony Martin abandoned because of knee pain and then Dan Martin had a mechanical.

Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan/Astana) was the next to bolt, and Stage 5 winner Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium/BMC) joined him with 11.5-km to go.

The duo was captured right before the bell. IAM Cycling grabbed the reins, but Astana threw the peloton back into writhing flux. As the teams fought for control, Bryan Coquard, who Direct Energie had been working for, flatted.

Lotto-Soudal led under the red kite. Alexander Kristoff hit the turbo first, but the German national champion came around the Norwegian to take the win, Peter Sagan appearing on Greipel’s right side a little too late. It was Lotto-Soudal’s second stage win.

2016 Tour de France Stage 21
1) Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) 2:42:08
2) Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Tinkoff) s.t.
3) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) s.t.
99) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Direct Energie) s.t.

2016 Tour de France GC
1) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) 89:04:48
2) Romain Bardet (France/AG2R) +4:05
3) Nairo Quintana (Colombia/Movistar) +4:21
4) Adam Yates (Great Britain/Orica-BikeExchange) +4:42
5) Richie Porte (Australia/BMC) +5:17
6) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +6:16
7) Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) +6:58
8) Louis Meintjes (South Africa/Lampre) +6:58
9) Dan Martin (Ireland/Etixx-QuickStep) +7:04
10) Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic/Tinkoff) +7:11
107) Antoine Duchesne (Canada/Direct Energie) +3:44:54