Triumph: Jonas Vingegaard celebrates his maiden Tour de France win in Paris
(Picture: REUTERS)Jonas Vingegaard’s first Tour de France victory has been confirmed after the final stage of an absorbing 2022 race.
The Danish Jumbo–Visma rider had already effectively sealed the title after finishing second behind team-mate Wout van Aert in Saturday’s stage 20 time trial to Rocamadour, with a hefty lead of three minutes and 34 seconds over rival and two-time champion Tadej Pogacar.
The yellow-clad Vingegaard crossed the line without issue on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on Sunday, officially sealing his victory as Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Jasper Philipsen beat Dylan Groenewegen and Alexander Kristoff in a thrilling sprint finish to claim his second stage triumph this year.
Great Britain’s two-time Olympic gold medalist Geraint Thomas - Tour winner in 2018 - placed third in the General Classification for Ineos Grenadiers behind Vingegaard and Pogacar, with France’s David Gaudu fourth and Nairo Quintana fifth.
"It's just incredible,” Vingegaard said. “Now I've finally won the Tour. Now nothing can go wrong anymore and I'm sitting here with my daughter and it's just incredible.
"It's the biggest cycling race of the year, the biggest one you can win and now I've done it and nobody can take this away from me.
"First of all I'm super happy about my victory now. Of course I want to celebrate, I want to relax, but then I always want more."
