The 113th edition of the Tour de France came to an end on Sunday on the streets of Paris. After a breathtaking race on the Montmartre circuit, Mathieu van der Poel claimed the final stage victory, while Clément Russo once again showcased his outstanding form by finishing tenth on the Champs-Élysées. In an exceptionally competitive edition, where the sport’s biggest stars left little room for anyone else, Groupama-FDJ United Cycling Team heads home without the stage win it had hoped for, but with eight top-10 finishes and no regrets.
Just eighty-eight kilometres were left to cover for the peloton of the 2026 Tour de France on Sunday as riders rolled out for Stage 21. The final showdown was contested entirely on the Parisian circuit. Six laps of the Champs-Élysées served as an appetizer before three loops of the Montmartre’s circuit, featuring the now-iconic cobbled Rue Lepic. It was here, with around forty kilometres to go and after the general classification times had been neutralised, that the decisive battle was expected to begin. It certainly did. The favourites immediately showed their intentions, with Clément Russo bridging across shortly after the descent, while nearly a third of the peloton was already dropped. One lap later, yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel and Mads Pedersen broke clear, but a chasing group of around fifty riders managed to bring everything back together just before the start of the final lap. Clément Russo, Romain Grégoire, Clément Braz Afonso and Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet were all still in contention. The decisive move finally came with eleven kilometres remaining, when Pogačar and Van der Poel launched their attack on the final ascent of Rue Lepic.
“I saw a united and very offensive squad” – Yvon Caër
After a thrilling finale, the Dutchman narrowly secured victory ahead of a significantly reduced peloton, with Clément Russo sprinting to tenth place. “We witnessed a truly extraordinary sporting show, with an incredible battle between the world’s best sprinters and puncheurs,” said Yvon Caër. “It was an unbelievable hour of racing, and personally, I’ve rarely experienced anything quite so intense. Naturally, we got caught up in it as a team, and Clément once again showed some remarkable qualities. He was very strong on all three climbs of Montmartre and held his own alongside the best puncheurs in the world. He put himself in a position to deliver a result, with the best possible support from his teammates. Not only did he do what he does best, meaning making his way through the pack, but he also showed genuine physical strength.” “The three climbs of Montmartre really took their toll,” added the Lyon native. “I still had something left for the sprint, but unfortunately I wasn’t ideally positioned going into the finishing straight. Tenth place confirms my consistency throughout this Tour de France, although I was hoping for something slightly better.”
This top-10 finish was also Groupama-FDJ United’s eighth and final one of the 2026 Tour de France, with Clément Russo’s sixth place in Voiron remaining the team’s best result over the three weeks. “Overall, there aren’t many regrets,” continued Yvon. “Every day, when I parked the team car after the stage, I asked myself, ‘Do we have any regrets today?’ The answer was almost always no. Physically, we could probably have been stronger at times, but with the heat and accumulated fatigue, every rider went through more difficult moments. Those were offset by the commitment of their teammates. I saw a united and very offensive squad. We missed almost no breakaways, and that’s a real source of satisfaction. There was tremendous commitment and dedication throughout the race. In terms of results, we had hoped for more, but we also have to be realistic. In an exceptionally high-level Tour de France, we probably lacked the physical resources to achieve more.”
