Paris Soir - Tour stage win 'not from my toes', says Van der Poel

The cobbled classics specialist escaped with Tadej Pogacar, who claimed a record-equalling fifth overall Tour victory, on the Montmartre climb that was heaving with ecstatic fans.

Both committed fully to the charge to the line for 10km as a group of sprinters just seconds behind inched closer to them.

In the final 700 metres, Van der Poel surged out alone and he narrowly held off the pack in a photo-finish.

The 31-year-old Dutchman admitted that he thought the chasers would catch him before the line.

In the end, it was his Alpecin Premier Tech team-mate Jasper Philipsen who came closest to pipping him to the line.

"I thought we were going to get caught back, but then I was just thinking about this moment, and I just put my head down in the last 500 metres," he said.

"I just went as hard as I could, and I was just waiting until a wheel was coming past, and it didn't happen, it didn't happen.

"In the very end, I see a Pirelli tyre next to me, and it's the one from Jasper.

"It just shows that we never give up. Maybe the start of our Tour was not good, but I won the Tour des Champs Elysees. I think it's pretty good."

Van der Poel said he did not know how he had found the strength to hold on.

"If there was one race I still wanted to win in my career, I have a few, of course, but this was one of them," he said.

"We have a saying in Dutch that it has to come from your toes.

"I don't know where this came from, but not from my toes!"

Y.Martinez--PS