In this edition, Wout Van Aert of Jumbo-Visma donned the green jersey and earned the nickname “Super Warrior” as he paid tribute to the Tour’s 2022 leader and Jonas Vingegaard. The day’s 40.7-kilometer time trial stretched from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour, placing Van Aert and the squad in podium contention as the clock ticked on.
Van Aert, a 27-year-old rider from Herentals, crossed the line as the virtual Tour winner, even though the Paris celebration was curtailed. From the start to the finish, he rode with unwavering resolve, accepting Vingegaard’s steady pace and offering a respectful pat on the shoulder to the leader who had helped guide him through the climb to overall success.
Riding against the clock, Van Aert posted a time of 47.59 minutes, averaging 50.877 kilometers per hour, edging out Vingegaard by 19 seconds. He fought hard to the 2.4-kilometer mark, where doubt could have crept in, yet his perseverance and the team’s support carried him to the best interim times.
The podium picture remained tight. Tadej Pogacar finished 27 seconds behind Van Aert, followed by Geraint Thomas 32 seconds back, and Italian Filippo Ganna, a double World Champion in the discipline, 42 seconds adrift. Spaniard Luis León Sánchez completed the top ten in fourteenth place, opening a 3.01-minute gap to the leader.
On the podium, the overall contenders stood apart from the rest, with Vingegaard poised to crown his lead on Sunday in Paris. The Danish rider, 25 years old, would seek a second consecutive Tour title on the Champs-Élysées, following in the footsteps of Bjarne Riis who won in 1996 before Indurain. Pogacar would be alongside him, while Geraint Thomas, at 36, would chase a third crown after victories in 2018 and a near-miss in 2019.
In the time trial, Vlasov’s ascent from seventh to fifth altered the pecking order, while Nairo Quintana slipped to sixth and Louis Meintjes dropped to eighth. Romain Bardet finished seventh, and the first Spaniard in the general standings, Luis León Sánchez, was fourteenth. Since 1981, Spanish riders have consistently placed in the top 10, a proud but challenging benchmark that the race continued to test.
Van Aert lifts Ganna from the ‘hot seat’
With a lengthy eight-year probation against a rough, slow surface, the stage boiled down to a direct duel among the sport’s heavyweights. Pogacar and Van Aert both pressed hard, while Vingegaard pushed toward the limit for his third stage win. Yet Van Aert managed to steal the spotlight in this pivotal moment.
The first significant time came from Filippo Ganna of Ineos, who stopped the clock at 48.41 minutes, an average of 50.159 km/h. The rainbow-clad double World Champion aimed to claim both the stage and a milestone drought breaker for Italian cycling, a count stretching back to Nibali’s 2019 triumph.
Ganna would have logged what could have been his 20th Tour time-trial win, but the waiting room’s hot seat saw Van Aert surge forward, sealing the title as the 2022 “Super Warrior” on a course that rewarded precision and nerve.
Van Aert then dethroned Ganna with a best time of 47.59 minutes, averaging 50.09 km/h, a gap of at least 48 seconds over the former champion who would eventually be eclipsed in the overall competition by the leaders.
Vingegaard flies, but gives Van Aert a time trial
Van Aert entered the arena as a clear favorite to remain among the elite in the time trial. The plan was simple: the podium contenders would come through, and the top ten could appear in quick succession. Vingegaard, wearing the yellow jersey, set the pace to deliver his third stage victory and did so by beating the times of all challengers at every checkpoint along the 10, 22, and 32-kilometer marks. The Dane rode with focus and force.
As the results rolled in, Van Aert watched closely from the waiting area. The times of Pogacar and Thomas did not immediately threaten his ascent, and the Slovenian faced a difficult decision: chase the clock or protect the high stakes of the general classification.
Pogacar pushed to disrupt the field on a technical route, attempting to crest the hills with a bold move. Yet the Slovenian could not match the consistency of Van Aert and Vingegaard, and Thomas did not pose a danger. The only rider who could challenge Van Aert’s position was his own teammate, Vingegaard. The Dane pushed hard, knowing he had a comfortable lead, but when 2.2 kilometers remained, he reconsidered. He slowed, avoiding a risky sprint on rough pavement.
In the end, Vingegaard kept hold of the yellow jersey, and Van Aert stayed the hero of the day. The stage finished with a warm, emotional moment as Van Aert greeted Vingegaard with a handshake, and the Dane celebrated at home. The victory served as a triumph for the Belgian team, a milestone in a week of intense competition.
Sunday would bring the last celebration of the Tour, an homage to Jonas Vingegaard as the eventual champion of the 109th edition. Stage 21 would traverse from the outskirts of Paris to the Champs-Élysées, a 115.6-kilometer finale that would crown classifications and offer one last chance for riders to shine in the French capital. The weekend promised a grand finale, a fitting end to a tour packed with drama, endurance, and unforgettable moments. [Source attribution: cycling press and official results reports].