Geraint Thomas wins 2018 Tour de France
Kristoff wins final sprint on the Champs-Elysees
Geraint Thomas sealed his first Tour de France victory, finishing safely behind the peloton in Paris. The Team Sky man rolled over the line with his teammates as up ahead Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) beat John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) for the stage win, with Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) completing the podium.
After the customary champagne and photo opportunities during the first half of the stage, things - as they usually do - got serious once the peloton hit Paris. A six-man break got away early on the Champs-Élysées circuits, but with the sprinter's teams keen to take the glory on the Tour's last day, they were hunted down with 6.5km to go.
A late move from Yves Lampaert threatened to ruin the sprinter's last hurrah, with the Quick-Step Floors man coming agonisingly close to staying away. But he was caught, and soon afterwards Degenkolb launched. Both Kristoff and Démare attempted to speed around either side of the German, but only Kristoff was successful, hugging the barriers to take UAE's second win of the race and his first Tour stage win since 2014.
"It's a dream come true," Kristoff said after the stage. "I've dreamt about this victory for many years. I've been close many times but never managed to beat the faster guys like [Mark] Cavendish, [André] Greipel, or [Marcel] Kittel. But today they're not here - they're out after the mountains - and today I was the fastest so I'm super happy."
Tour winner Thomas was in a similar joyous mood after riding safely through the stage to confirm his overall victory.
"It's unbelievable," he said. "It's going to take a while to sink in. Normally, this stage is really hard but today I just seemed to float around it - I had goosebumps going around there. To ride around wearing the [yellow jersey] is a dream. With the boys - that's the main thing for the whole three weeks, we stuck together through some tough times, stayed strong."
Thomas, Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) and Chris Froome (Team Sky) made up the final GC podium, while Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) took a record-equalling points classification win and Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step Floors) won the mountain classification. Movistar took the team classification for the third time in four years, while Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) won the combativity prize.
How it happened
A processional stage of just 116km - at least until the peloton hits the Champs-Élysées - the final stage of the 2018 Tour de France started out in Houilles, a commune 14km from the centre of the city. The riders would go the long way around though, taking in 54km before entering Paris and nine laps of the Champs-Élysées circuit.
With the champagne dispensed with, the real racing began on the Champs-Élysées with 50km to go. A group of riders broke clear, with Taylor Phinney (Education First-Drapac), Damien Gaudin (Direct Énergie), Michael Schär (BMC), Silvan Dillier (AG2R La Mondiale), Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Guillaume van Keirsbulck (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) managing to escape from the peloton.
The depleted sprinter's field meant that only a handful of teams had a realistic interest in the finish, but nevertheless it would be near-impossible for a breakaway to stay away to the finish. The sextet built their way up to a 45-second lead, but with Bora-Hansgrohe, Groupama-FDJ and UAE Team Emirates among the teams keen to ensure a sprint finish, that gap would be the ceiling of their advantage.
Eventually caught after Cofidis joined the fray at the beginning of the final circuit, the break saw Politt put up a final act of resistance from the break. From then on, though, it would all come down to one last sprint as the German was brought back 500 metres later.
As leadout trains competed in the final 5km, a number of escape moves were attempted, first by Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates), then by Daniel Oss (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Yves Lampaert (Quick Step Floors). Lampaert was the most successful, threatening an upset, but the Belgian champion was caught 300 metres from the line. Soon after, the sprinters launched, and seconds later the Tour was over, with Kristoff holding his arms aloft in celebration.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates | 2:46:36 |
2 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | |
3 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
4 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data | |
5 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
6 | Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors | |
7 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
8 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
9 | Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
10 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
11 | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
12 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | |
13 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
14 | Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
15 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
16 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar Team | |
17 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
18 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
19 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
20 | Timo Roosen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
21 | Daryl Impey (RSA) Mitchelton-Scott | |
22 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
23 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
24 | Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
25 | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie | |
26 | Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team | |
27 | Laurent Pichon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
28 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
29 | Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
30 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors | |
31 | Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
32 | Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
33 | Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
34 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
35 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
36 | Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
37 | Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
38 | Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie | |
39 | Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | |
40 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
41 | Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | |
42 | Chad Haga (USA) Team Sunweb | |
43 | Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team | |
44 | Jack Bauer (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott | |
45 | Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar Team | |
46 | Robert Gesink (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
47 | Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
48 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
49 | Michael Hepburn (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | |
50 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
51 | Warren Barguil (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
52 | Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team | |
53 | Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team | |
54 | Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
55 | Mikel Nieve (Spa) Mitchelton-Scott | |
56 | Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
57 | Simon Gerrans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
58 | Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
59 | Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Team Sky | |
60 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Dimension Data | |
61 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors | |
62 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | |
63 | Kristijan Durasek (Cro) UAE Team Emirates | |
64 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Groupama-FDJ | |
65 | Egan Bernal (Col) Team Sky | |
66 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
67 | Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky | |
68 | Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates | |
69 | Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky | |
70 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
71 | Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team | 0:00:24 |
72 | Maxime Bouet (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
73 | Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team | |
74 | Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
75 | Thomas Degand (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
76 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida | |
77 | Tom-Jelte Slagter (Ned) Dimension Data | |
78 | Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal | |
79 | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky | |
80 | Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky | |
81 | Paul Martens (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
82 | Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
83 | Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
84 | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | |
85 | Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama-FDJ | 0:00:30 |
86 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
87 | Mathias Frank (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale | |
88 | David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | |
89 | Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
90 | Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
91 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
92 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Bahrain-Merida | |
93 | Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
94 | Simon Clarke (Aus) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
95 | Jesper Hansen (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
96 | Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
97 | Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
98 | Ian Boswell (USA) Katusha-Alpecin | |
99 | Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott | |
100 | Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
101 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Groupama-FDJ | |
102 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Sunweb | |
103 | Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data | |
104 | Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
105 | Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | |
106 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie | |
107 | Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
108 | Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | 0:00:38 |
109 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors | 0:00:39 |
110 | Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
111 | Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | 0:00:42 |
112 | Florian Vachon (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
113 | Michael Valgren (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
114 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:00:55 |
115 | Darwin Atapuma (Col) UAE Team Emirates | |
116 | Luke Durbridge (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott | 0:00:59 |
117 | Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:01:01 |
118 | Romain Hardy (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
119 | Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:01:03 |
120 | Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:01:07 |
121 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:01:11 |
122 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | |
123 | Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:15 |
124 | Omar Fraile (Spa) Astana Pro Team | |
125 | Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:01:22 |
126 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
127 | Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:01:28 |
128 | Rory Sutherland (Aus) UAE Team Emirates | |
129 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:34 |
130 | Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo | |
131 | Ion Izagirre (Spa) Bahrain-Merida | 0:01:45 |
132 | Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:02:07 |
133 | Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo | 0:02:16 |
134 | Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:03:19 |
135 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky | 0:03:21 |
136 | Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:03:23 |
137 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | 0:04:04 |
138 | Amael Moinard (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | 0:04:06 |
139 | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | 0:04:08 |
140 | Taylor Phinney (USA) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 0:04:10 |
141 | Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:04:11 |
142 | Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:04:18 |
143 | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
144 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:04:44 |
145 | Damien Gaudin (Fra) Direct Energie |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates | 50 | pts |
2 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | 30 | |
3 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 20 | |
4 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data | 18 | |
5 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 16 | |
6 | Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors | 14 | |
7 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida | 12 | |
8 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | 10 | |
9 | Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | 8 | |
10 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 7 | |
11 | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | 6 | |
12 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | 5 | |
13 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | 4 | |
14 | Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team | 3 | |
15 | Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 2:46:36 |
2 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Direct Energie | |
3 | Magnus Cort (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
4 | Timo Roosen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
5 | Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
6 | Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
7 | Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
8 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb | |
9 | Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
10 | Antwan Tolhoek (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
11 | Egan Bernal (Col) Team Sky | |
12 | Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
13 | Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:00:24 |
14 | Daniel Martinez (Col) EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale | |
15 | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | |
16 | David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:00:30 |
17 | Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | |
18 | Amund Grøndahl Jansen (Nor) LottoNL-Jumbo | |
19 | Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic | 0:00:42 |
20 | Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:00:55 |
21 | Michael Gogl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo | 0:01:15 |
22 | Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates | 0:02:07 |
23 | Nils Politt (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:03:19 |
24 | Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:04:18 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Wanty-Groupe Gobert | 8:19:48 |
2 | Team Sunweb | |
3 | Direct Energie | |
4 | Mitchelton-Scott | |
5 | Movistar Team | |
6 | LottoNl-Jumbo | |
7 | Quick-Step Floors | |
8 | AG2R La Mondiale | |
9 | BMC Racing Team | |
10 | Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
11 | Groupama-FDJ | |
12 | UAE Team Emirates | |
13 | Bora-Hansgrohe | |
14 | Team Sky | |
15 | Bahrain-Merida | 0:00:24 |
16 | Dimension Data | |
17 | Fortuneo-Samsic | |
18 | Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:30 |
19 | Katusha-Alpecin | |
20 | Lotto Soudal | 0:00:48 |
21 | Astana Pro Team | 0:00:54 |
22 | EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky | 83:17:13 |
2 | Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb | 0:01:51 |
3 | Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky | 0:02:24 |
4 | Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:03:22 |
5 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo | 0:06:08 |
6 | Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:06:57 |
7 | Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:07:37 |
8 | Daniel Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates | 0:09:05 |
9 | Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin | 0:12:37 |
10 | Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team | 0:14:18 |
11 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors | 0:16:32 |