Tour de France: Stage 21 Debrief - Yell for Cav 'n' Cadel!

Cavendish

The final stage of a Tour can sometimes be a little boring when we're spoiled by the superb racing and excitement that comes in the run-up to it. It looked a little like this year might turn out that way early on in the race, but it was not to be - while we all knew Andy Schleck wouldn't even dream of being so crass as to try to challenge Cadel Evans' triumph, Mark Cavendish and Jose Joaquin had every reason to fight right up to the end: all it would have taken was Rojas to win the final sprint to the finish and Cav to come fourth and the green jersey wouldn't have been coming to Britain. Then, instead of the clear-cut stage winning solo breakaway that can so easily happen, the race ended with a mass sprint; meaning massively increased chances of snarl-ups that could give a lucky chancer the opportunity to take his glory.

But with Cav defending it that obviously didn't happen, even though a mechanical problem saw him have to take a bike from a domestique and be paced back to the peloton by team mates. He crossed the line just ahead of the rest after 2h27'02", his 20th stage win and the first British rider to ever win the Points Classification in the Tour de France.

Evans

Cadel Evans crossed the line to a hero's welcome, the only type fitting for a Tour de France winner. He's the only Australian to have won a Tour and, at 34, the oldest rider to have done so since World War 2. There are several petitions currently doing the rounds in Australia with the aim of having the 24th of July declared a national public holiday - this is a perfect reason to have one.

Despite the flurry of doping scandals shortly before the Tour - Wim Vansevenant, Sven S., the BMC bus - only one rider provided a positive sample during the race and was expelled immediately. This already being hailed as the cleanest Tour in years; and that means everyone wins.

Stage 21 Results:

1. CAVENDISH Mark 2h 27' 02"  

2. HAGEN Edvald Boasson

3. GREIPEL André

4. FARRAR Tyler

5. CANCELLARA Fabian

6. OSS Daniel

7. BOZIC Borut

8. VAITKUS Tomas

9. CIOLEK Gerald

10. ENGOULVENT Jimmy (all same time)

Benjamin du Tour Arnold Jeannesson

Overall Results 2011:

General Classification:

1. EVANS Cadel 86h 12' 22"  

2. SCHLECK Andy 86h 13' 56" (+ 01' 34")

3. SCHLECK Frank 86h 14' 52" (+ 02' 30")

4. VOECKLER Thomas 86h 15' 42" (+ 03' 20")

5. CONTADOR Alberto 86h 16' 19" (+ 03' 57")

6. SANCHEZ Samuel 86h 17' 17" (+ 04' 55")

7. CUNEGO Damiano 86h 18' 27" (+ 06' 05")

8. BASSO Ivan 86h 19' 45" (+ 07' 23")

9. DANIELSON Tom 86h 20' 37" (+ 08' 15")

10. PERAUD Jean-Christophe 86h 22' 33" (+ 10' 11")

Points:

1. CAVENDISH Mark 334 pts

2. ROJAS Jose Joaquin 272 pts

3. GILBERT Philippe 236 pts

4. EVANS Cadel 208 pts

5. HUSHOVD Thor 195 pts

6. HAGEN Edvald Boasson 192 pts

7. GREIPEL André 160 pts

8. FARRAR Tyler 127 pts

9. SANCHEZ Samue 105 pts

10. CONTADOR Alberto 105 pts

King of the Mountains:

1. SANCHEZ Samuel 108 pts

2. SCHLECK Andy 98 pts

3. VANENDERT Jelle 74 pts

4. EVANS Cadel 58 pts

5. SCHLECK Frank 56 pts

6. CONTADOR Alberto 51 pts

7. ROY Jérémy 45 pts

8. ROLLAND Pierre 44 pts

9. IGLINSKIY Maxim 40 pts

10. HOOGERLAND Johnny 40 pts

Youth:

1. ROLLAND Pierre 86h 23' 05"  

2. TAARAMAE Rein 86h 23' 51" (+ 00' 46")

3. COPPEL Jérôme 86h 30' 58" (+ 07' 53")

4. JEANNESSON Arnold 86h 33' 42" (+ 10' 37") (Benjamin du Tour)

5. RUIJGH Rob 86h 45' 26" (+ 22' 21")

6. URAN Rigoberto 86h 55' 10" (+ 32' 05")

7. THOMAS Geraint 87h 13' 10" (+ 50' 05")

8. GESINK Robert 87h 17' 31" (+ 54' 26")

9. GAUTIER Cyril 87h 40' 05" (+ 1h 17' 00")

10. ZEITS Andrey 87h 44' 10" (+ 1h 21' 05")

Team Classification:

1. TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 258h 18' 49"  

2. TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 258h 29' 53" (+ 11' 04")

3. AG2R LA MONDIALE 258h 30' 09" (+ 11' 20")

4. TEAM EUROPCAR 259h 00' 42" (+ 41' 53")

5. EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 259h 10' 49" (+ 52' 00")

6. SKY PROCYCLING 259h 17' 13" (+ 58' 24")

7. KATUSHA TEAM 259h 28' 28" (+ 1h 09' 39")

8. SAXO BANK SUNGARD 259h 35' 01" (+ 1h 16' 12")

9. FDJ 259h 49' 05" (+ 1h 30' 16")

10. COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 260h 06' 18" (+ 1h 47' 29")

Combativity: To be confirmed

Lanterne Rouge Fabio Sabatini. Hurrah!

Lanterne Rouge: 167. SABATINI Fabio 90h 10' 05" (+ 3h 57' 43")

British Riders:

Stage 21

1. CAVENDISH Mark 2h 27' 02"

63. THOMAS Geraint 2h 27' 02" 

146. SWIFT Ben 2h 27' 02" 

158. MILLAR David 2h 27' 37"

Overall General Classification

31. THOMAS Geraint 87h 13' 10" 

76. MILLAR David 88h 27' 18" 

130. CAVENDISH Mark 89h 27' 27" 

137. SWIFT Ben 89h 30' 29"