This year’s edition of the Tour de France comes to a conclusion on the Champs-Elysees today, with two key storylines to follow.
Tadej Pogacar, who has been clad in the yellow jersey since stage seven, will look to become the youngest rider ever to retain the title. The 22-year-old Slovenian has been dominant over the last three weeks and seems a lock to win the race this afternoon, though the stage victory could go to another rider.
Mark Cavendish’s remarkable resurgence this summer has seen the Manx rider win four stages to equal the all-time overall stage wins record held by Eddy Merckx, and one more this afternoon would see the 36-year-old go clear of the Belgian legend. Cavendish in fact has history on the Champs-Elysees, which provides one of the fastest finishes in cycling, having won four times. A record fifth win there would of course give way to the Manxman claiming the record everyone has been talking about during this year’s race. Cavendish can also ensure he holds onto the green jersey with a stage victory, although it is likely he will not need the win to keep the points classification lead as his nearest challenger Michael Matthews is not expected to win in Paris.
Follow live updates from the final stage of the Tour de France below.
