2017 Tour de France Stage 21 Results & Recap
Stage 21 of the 2017 Tour de France is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Chris Froome (Team Sky) seals fourth Tour de France victory
Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL - Jumbo) takes final stage in Paris
Chris Froome (Team Sky) is the winner of the 2017 Tour de France after safely arriving in Paris with his Sky team. Froome seals the yellow jersey, 54 seconds ahead of Rigoberto Urán (Cannondale Drapac) and Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) who claimed third at 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL - Jumbo) won the sprint on the famed Champs-Elysees ahead of a visibly disappointed André Greipel (Lotto Soudal). Winner of the 19th stage, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Dimension Data) claimed third place.
After the traditional celebratory procession on the way to Paris, racing was underway once the field hit the boulevard of the Champs-Elysees. Once some preliminary attacks were brought back, the break of the day contained: Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Daryl Impey (Orica - Scott), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Pro Team), Michael Schär (BMC Racing Team), Stefan Küng (BMC Racing Team), Imanol Erviti (Movistar Team), Nils Politt (Team Katusha - Alpecin), Dion Smith (Wanty – Groupe Gobert) and Marcus Burghardt (Bora – Hansgrohe).
The nine riders never got more than 20 seconds on the driving field, who maintained a strong pace at the front. The field reeled the break back in with two laps left, where Zdenek Ĺ tybar (Quick-Step Floors) tried a late attack and was off the front briefly before the sprinters teams took over.
After plenty of jostling for position, Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL - Jumbo) found himself in perfect position to start an early sprint and hold it to the line, whereas André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) had to come front farther back to challenge the Dutch rider.
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Groenewegen wins field sprint in Paris as Froome becomes four-time Tour de France champion
by Neal Rogers
Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) took the first Tour de France stage win of his career Sunday on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, beating out Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) in the mad dash for the line.
A former Dutch national champion, Groenewegen, 24, came into the final right-hand turn second wheel, behind Katusha-Alpecin’s Rick Zabel after bumping Alexander Kristoff off Zabel’s wheel, and though he started his sprint at 205 metres to go, and though Greipel was quicker in the final 50 metres, Groenewegen crossed the line first to win the biggest sprint in pro cycling.
“This is an amazing place for the sprinters,” Groenewegen said. “To win on the Champs-Elysées makes it a perfect day. We’re only five riders in the team but it was enough today. They did a great job. They put me in a good position, on the wheel of Alexander Kristoff and then I rushed to the finish line. This is my first stage win at the Tour. When I was young, I was looking at the Champs-Elysées stage on TV. Now I’m the winner here, it’s wonderful.”
Chris Froome (Team Sky) crossed the finish line safely in yellow to secure his fourth Tour de France title in five years, 54 seconds ahead of Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) and 2:20 ahead of Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale). The win — Froome’s first victory this season — marked Team Sky’s fifth Tour victory in six years.
“It’s just an amazing feeling,” Froome said. “The Champs-Elysées never disappoints. There’s something magical about it when you spend three weeks thinking of this moment. It’s just rewarding. It’s amazing to see my wife and my son again after several months on the road. Each time I’ve won the Tour, it has been so unique. All my victories are so special in their own ways. This one will be remembered as the closest and more hard fought of them. It’s a huge honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. It’s a privilege to be going for the record next year.”
Uran said he could only be satisfied to finish second to a four-time Tour champion.
“Finishing second to Froome at less than a minute seems pretty good to me,” said Uran. “We knew it would be difficult to win the Tour but not impossible, so we gave it everything. It’s a quality final podium in Paris, so this is the greatest success of my career. This result is dedicated to my family, friends, my team and everyone who has supported me during the last three weeks.”
Team Sunweb’s Michael Matthews stood on the podium in Paris as the third Australian to win the green jersey competition.
“I had the opportunity to go for the green jersey and I took that opportunity with both hands,” Matthews said. “Maybe next year I’ll have other objectives than the Tour de France but for now I want to enjoy this green jersey. With Tom Dumoulin winning the pink jersey [at the Giro d’Italia], Warren Barguil winning the polka dot jersey and myself the green, three jerseys within one year is a huge achievement.”
Matthews’ teammate Warren Barguil was awarded the King of the Mountains prize, as well as the Super Combativity award as the most combative rider of the entire three-week race.
“My dream was to win a stage of the Tour de France,” Barguil said. “Two stage wins and the polka dot jersey, that’s beyond my dreams. It’s been an exceptional Tour. Everything’s crazy: riding on the Champs-Elysées with the polka dot jersey, being on the podium in front of the Arc de Triomphe… soon I’ll focus on other goals.”
Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) was crowned the best young rider of the Tour de France, one year after his twin brother Adam won the same prize.\nLink: https://cyclingtips.com/2017/07/groenewegen-wins-field-sprint-paris-froome-becomes-four-time-tour-de-france-champion/
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