Tour de France: champagne on ice as Tadej Pogacar leads peloton arriving in Paris

The task of leading the peloton into the French capital in his yellow jersey falls on the shoulders of the 21-year-old Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who celebrates his 22nd birthday on Monday

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Spectators cheer for Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar as he completes stage 20 of the Tour de France. Photo: EPA

Published: 12:18pm, 20 Sep 2020Updated: 12:18pm, 20 Sep 2020

The world’s greatest cycling race will culminate in a triumphant procession into Paris on Sunday after a 21-stage jaunt around France that provided thrills, spills, heroes and chokers while outsprinting the dark shadow of Covid-19.

After 3,400km of intense racing, stage 21 of the Tour de France starts with a parade for the winners of the various categories before a pulsating finale of eight laps around the iconic Champs Elysees in Paris.

The task of leading the peloton into the French capital in his yellow jersey will fall on the shoulders of the 21-year-old Slovenian Tadej Pogacar. His 22nd birthday, which falls on Monday, may be a bit special.

The youngest post-war winner is entitled to be as shocked as anyone after producing a remarkable turnaround on Saturday to snatch the title from the seemingly unshakeable grasp of his countryman Primoz Roglic.

Roglic will never forget the stage 20 individual time-trial which provided the kind of painful choke that haunts sportsman of all kinds well into their dotage. Aged 30, he is still some way away but this was perhaps his one and only tilt at the title.