Adieu to the 2022 edition of the Tour de France

When I first watched the Tour de France 9 years ago at my husband’s behest, I didn’t know what I was in for. There was a lot to get my head around, from the motivations of the individual riders and their teams, to the classification system, and of course the different jerseys. Trying to comprehend all of this at the sleepiest hour of the night was a big ask. ‘This is a race isn’t it?’ I found myself asking. ‘Then why are they all bunched up together and riding so slowly?!’ The first of many, many questions I would be drowsily asking.

Peloton, slip stream, domestique, head wind, intermediate sprint, hors catégorie climb. I was learning a new language. It was a lot to take in and I had to stay up past 1am for it. Even as a novice it’s amazing how much you learn by simply watching. That, the expert commentary team of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, and the passion and enthusiasm of the rest of the SBS crew (Mike Tomalaris, Robbie McEwen, Matthew Keenan, Bridie O’Donnell, David McKenzie, Gracie Elvin & Simon Gerrans) saw me transition from confused, to bemused, to intrigued, to flat-out spell bound. A race within a race within a race, the Tour, as it’s affectionately called, had me mesmerised. The late nights and the sleepy mornings brought with them a certain charm. I was now part of a late night wintry community – the #couchpeloton. The Tour was layered and complicated and for all its curiosities, I absolutely loved it.

The first few years of my Tour education were marked by a wave of victories from British team Sky (now Ineos Grenadiers). The team with Chris Froome at the helm was supremely powerful. Fans of the race were calling the Sky riders Skybots because of their almost mechanical methods in defending the yellow jersey. They stayed up the front, set the tempo, and controlled the race as much as humanly possible. For some, this was boring and a little predictable. But as we know, things can change very quickly in professional road race cycling.

In 2020, the race was turned on its head with the entrance of a young Slovenian rider named Tadej Pogačar. With the world firmly in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessing the beaming Pogačar emerge effortlessly as the new leader, the wearer of the yellow jersey was simply joyous. The Tour might have looked different - the hairpin bends of the most arduous mountain stages were not lined with overzealous flag waving crowds and at times there was an eerie silence in the broadcast, but in essence the race was unchanged. In 2021, another young gun showed himself to be worthy of attention – Danish rider Vingegaard who placed second in his Tour de France debut after his team’s GC rider crashed out.

This year, Tadej Pogačar, two time winner of the Tour de France at the ripe young age of 23 was the firm favourite. He had seemed unbeatable. Any suggestion that he might somehow finish up less than first seemed an incredulous notion. Defeating Tornado Tadej would be an insurmountable feat. All was tracking well for Pogačar until stage 11 when the the unpredictability of the Tour showed itself and a perfect storm of events saw Tadej lose time to his biggest rival.

It’s an individual race, we all know that. After all there’s only space for one sole winner on the podium but it’s a team effort through and through and never has that been more acutely felt than in this year’s Tour. Vingegaard’s team, Jumbo Visma, has been unflinching in its clever and aggressive style of racing. The sacrifice of Vingegaard’s team mates throughout the race has been admirable. Watching them push their bodies to the limit for their GC rider, knowing all the while that the glory will never be theirs is an illustration in tragedian poetry. Having said that, a win for the team is a win for the individual and seeing the pure, genuine joy that these riders exude for the wins of their team mates is delightful.

For cycling fanatics, the Tour de France is the epitome of world racing; it is the mother of the three grand tours. It is steeped in rich tradition and history – both wonderfully euphoric and devastatingly sombre. For people like me who are far from being cycling aficionados, the Tour means so many different things.

It’s a display of elite physical performance, camaraderie and unwritten rules. It’s a celebration of beautifully colourful names and personalities. It’s a showcase of determination and tenacity in the face of adversity and constant set backs. For the sprinters, dreams are made or shattered in mere seconds. For the climbers, victories are marinated in pain and discomfort.

Then of course there is the stunning scenery to soak up, the goosebump inducing frenetic energy of the spectators, the menacing mountains, the tour art on the side of the road, the anticipation, the wildlife, and the scorching heat. All this makes the race a complete viewing experience. Drama, suspense, comedy – it has it all. Visually, there is so much to absorb, and strategically, it is a masterclass in the psychology of tactical decision making.

Every Tour has at least one special moment. This year, that moment came in stage 18, from Lourdes to Hautacam, the final stage in the Pyrenees. Our two rivals were going head to head. Vingegaard, wearing yellow with a two plus minute advantage, was on course to maintain the status quo while Pogačar was ravenous, desperate to take the jersey and become the race leader. Putting everything on the line, Pogačar furiously descended the climb, crashing on some loose gravel. Thankfully, nothing too serious, only grazed skin and bruising, both physical and emotional, but enough to severely damage his chances of winning the race. In the ultimate display of sportsmanship, Vingegaard, the wearer of the yellow jersey slowed down and waited for Pogačar to get up and rejoin him. The yellow jersey waited for the defending champion; the very rider racing to claw the jersey off Vingegaard’s back. A brief hand shake captured the respect between the two riders and how profound the moment was. In what other sport do you see such chivalry?

This Tour had everything we expected and more, blisteringly fast finishes, achingly torturous mountain summit finishes, crashes, injuries, illnesses, attacks, and controversies. But it also brought us something new and exciting – a rivalry to keep us engaged for years to come.

Another epic edition of the Tour de France comes to an end today and this year, while I look forward to seeing the race conclude on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and witnessing Jonas Vingegaard rightfully take his place as sole winner, I equally look forward to seeing the Tour de France Femmes commence. A momentous year indeed. Vive le Tour!