27 July – stage 21: Mantes-la-Ville – Paris
The final stage of this year’s Tour de France looked quite different from the traditional parade into Paris. The route had been significantly reworked, with the peloton now facing three ascents of the short but steep Côte de la butte Montmartre before the finish on the iconic Champs Elysees. As tradition dictates, the day began with celebration. Riders and teams took their time to enjoy the moment, take photos, and reflect on their achievements over the past three weeks. But once the race entered the streets of the French capital, the tempo quickly lifted. Attacks started flying from the peloton, and Team Picnic PostNL was active throughout, represented in several early moves. Still, the bunch wasn’t giving anyone much freedom.
Due to wet conditions in Paris, the general classification times were neutralised at the third crossing of the finish line. From that moment on, the final 50 kilometres were all about the stage win – and staying upright. The first real selection came on the opening ascent of Montmartre, with Tobias Lund Andresen and Pavel Bittner making it over the top in a front group of around 25 riders. On the second passage, however, Pogacar turned up the pressure. As the pace soared, both Lund Andresen and Bittner had to let go of the wheels. A group of six would eventually go on to contest the stage win, with Van Aert proving strongest in the streets of Paris. Lund Andresen led the team home in 12th place, while the rest of the squad crossed the line safely as well. With that, Oscar Onley and Team Picnic PostNL officially secured fourth place overall in the general classification — a phenomenal result for the 22-year-old in his first attempt at riding for GC in the Tour.
After the stage, Onley looked back on an unforgettable experience: “It was a pretty crazy circuit, but it was really nice. On the final climb of Montmartre, I was able to soak it all in and look around a bit, which was quite special. And then riding down the Champs Elysees… that was amazing. It’s been a really special three weeks with the whole team. This is a huge moment in my career. I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet, but just from what other guys in the bunch have said to me, I realise this is something to build on, a big step for the future. It’s definitely sparked a big dream. To be honest, I had never even considered finishing top five in the Tour. So to do it in my first go at the GC, that’s pretty incredible.”