OFFICIAL Stage 21 Results and Final Standings: Team ANSEL Win!

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Laurens De Jong

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Jul 26, 2026, 8:34:25 PM (8 days ago) Jul 26
to AAVC Junior Cycling Team

Hello, Tour de France Gamers!

 

STAGE Grade: A-

 

I rate today’s stage an A.

 

I’ll confess I was wrong. This Montmartre variation of the finish on the Champs-Élysées is better than the original. I didn’t see last year’s stage but today, as soon as I saw the crowds on the cobblestone climb, I knew this was good. I didn’t know how well it would all work out, with maximum points for the sprint, the surprising way it came to be, and a good amount of tactical skirmishing to make it all work like that. The second-best stage of the 2026 Tour de France.

 

Route: 5/5         GC: 1/5             Tactics: 4/5       Sprint: 5/5         Surprises: 5/5

 

 

Du jamais vu. “Jamais vu is a psychological phenomenon meaning: never seen," I read in the dictionary. Yes, today’s stage was a psychological phenomenon. Let’s look at some of the symptoms.

 

One.

 

José de Cauwer is one of Sporza’s commentators. He was Hennie Kuiper’s superdomestique when Kuiper was second in the Tour de France twice, fourth once. Sports director for Predictor-Lotto, with Greg van Avermaet, Robbie McEwen, Cadel Evans. He has seen everything, at least once. No jamais vu for him and all his years of experience. Today as Mathieu van der Poel crossed the line he was overcome with emotion. “Man, man, man, that I get to experience this in my old age.” He’s 76. But he’s never seen this before. Du jamais vu.

 

Two.

 

I’ve heard riders talk about going beyond the black. Riding past their human limits. The world is reduced to intense enveloping pain and a small circle of vision ahead. Often they have no memory of these seconds or minutes. Their brain has left their body. That was van der Poel’s world in the last 500 meters of the stage. Afterwards, we see him staggering around. He embraces his pregnant partner Roxanne. But his eyes show no recognition. His body is there, his soul hasn’t crossed the finish line yet. Beyond the black. I’ve never seen van der Poel like this before. Du jamais vu.

 

Three.

 

Twelve seconds per kilometer. You’ve heard me say it many times. That’s what the peloton gains on the breakaway in the final kilometer towards a bunch sprint. On the Champs-Élysées we’ve seen it many times: there’s a breakaway. The breakaway gets caught. Every, single, time.

 

The peloton was twelve seconds behind Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel with three kilometers to go. Twelve seconds, but this is the mother of all breakaways. Together they’ve won the last three world championships and seventeen of the last nineteen Monuments of cycling.

 

Yet. It’s the Champs-Élysées. They’ve been racing for three weeks. Those two are tired. The peloton is completely committed. Twelve seconds, three kilometers. Surely, the peloton will catch them.

 

The two came out of the tunnel, just two kilometers to go and six seconds ahead. A beautiful sight, the two greatest Classics riders of their generation, steaming towards the Champs-Élysées. But, six seconds. Two kilometers.

 

De Cauwer’s co-commentator Renaat Schotte swore, actually swore at this point. At the final kilometer. Uphill, cobblestones. It eats breakaways, nobody has ever seen a breakaway survive here.

 

Then van der Poel had his out-of-body experience, dropped Pogačar, and won the stage. We’ve never seen this before on the Champs-Élysées. Du jamais vu.

 

It’s easy to celebrate this stage win, but it was unnecessarily close. After the second of the three Montmartre climbs, we learned that the peloton can just about catch a breakaway twenty seconds ahead. Changing the course to leave ten kilometers after the climb gave the sprinters an advantage.

 

For van der Poel and Pogačar the message was: take more than twenty seconds on the final climb. But at the start of the climb, I counted Pogačar in sixteenth position; van der Poel in his wheel. That’s too far back. It nearly cost van der Poel his race, and it cost Pogačar at least a shot at winning it.

 

Cycling is a team sport. For a while I was confused about who had won. Jasper Philipsen beat Mads Pedersen in the actual bunch sprint, and he celebrated. I was fooled, I and wasn’t the only one. But what Philipsen had done revealed supreme craftmanship. He had timed his finish exactly so that he would beat Pedersen, but sat up in time to allow van der Poel to win. Cycling is a team sport, and van der Poel and Philipsen are among the best teammates in cycling.

 

Cycling is a team sport. Florian Vermeersch understands that assignment. Even with Pogačar out of position, he tried to stay in Fred Wright’s wheel on that last climb. Hoping to make it easier for Pogačar to bridge to the front.

 

Some riders come to the Tour de France with no clear plan or objective. Not Vermeersch. Everything for Pogačar was his plan for the last three weeks. He finished 116th in the general classification, but mission accomplished: Pogačar won his fifth Tour de France, one step closer to the record of seven set by Lance Armstrong.

 

Racing for Team Furner Vermeersch scored only 9 points. Our game doesn’t recognize the value of the Vermeersches of the peloton.

 

Watch the final kilometer HERE (this ends with the commentator crediting Philipsen with the win. Understandable.)

Watch the FloBikes highlights HERE (“or Mathieu van der Poel,” he continues. Probably watch this if you have only five minutes.)

Watch NBC Sports’ Extended highlights HERE.

Read the TNT Sports report HERE.

 

Spoiler alert: There were no changes in the standings today.

 

Team Ansel and Team Josh nearly tied today. Team Josh had most points from the stage, both had six riders in the Top-25, but Team Ansel had most points from classifications and most points overall — first for them, second for Team Josh.

 

Second was Team Charles, and at a distance Team Hugo. Team Caleb took fifth place, one of the rare times they’ve been by themselves. Team Tadej sixth, Team Matthew seventh. Then Team Oliver in eighth, Team Amalia in ninth. Three teams missed the boat today: Team Grace in tenth, Team Wesley in eleventh, Team Cameron in twelfth.

 

Team Ansel also scored the most points in the Final Standings bonus points. They had ten riders in the GC Top-25, more than anyone else. Team Hugo took the honor of having the most points from the other classifications — thanks to Richard Carapaz’ polka dot jersey.

 

Congratulations to Team Ansel*. Winners of the AAVC Tour de France game overall, and winner of the Junior category. Congratulations also to Team Senna#, winners of the dog-based category.

 

As always, I want to thank everyone for playing. And I also want to thank everyone for reading the daily stage reports. I agree with José de Cauwer: how fortunate am I that I can provide commentary on our beautiful sport of cycling. We live in remarkable times.

 

We have a few days to catch our breath before the Tour de France Femmes. Just six sleeps before we do this all over again. As soon as the start list resembles finality, I will email all of you with the entry form.


And if nothing else: it is 340 days until the start of the 2027 Tour de France.

 

A bientôt!

 

Standings after stage 21:

 

Rank

Name

Points

WAS

MOVES

1

Team Ansel*

4879

1

0

2

Team Tadej*

4651

2

0

3

Team Josh*

4579

3

0

4

Team Hugo*

4412

4

0

5

Team Charles*

4057

5

0

6

Team Caleb*

3895

6

0

7

Team Matthew*

3807

7

0

8

Team Oliver*

3569

8

0

9

Team Amalia*

3245

9

0

10

Team Wesley*

2781

10

0

11

Team Grace*

1759

11

0

12

Team Cameron*

1563

12

0

 

Standings after Final Standings bonus points:

 

Rank

Name

Points

WAS

MOVES

1

Team Ansel*

5303

1

0

2

Team Tadej*

5060

2

0

3

Team Josh*

4925

3

0

4

Team Hugo*

4785

4

0

5

Team Charles*

4357

5

0

6

Team Caleb*

4213

6

0

7

Team Matthew*

4125

7

0

8

Team Oliver*

3856

8

0

9

Team Amalia*

3486

9

0

10

Team Wesley*

3102

10

0

11

Team Grace*

1935

11

0

12

Team Cameron*

1723

12

0

 

Standings after stage 21 (including dogs and adults):

 

Rank

Name

Points

WAS

MOVES

1

Team Ansel*

4879

1

0

2

Team Kent

4804

2

0

3

Team Kari

4779

3

0

4

Team Amelia

4672

4

0

5

Team Tadej*

4651

5

0

6

Team Melanie

4628

6

0

7

Team Josh*

4579

7

0

8

Team Eric

4550

8

0

Team Kurt

4550

9

1

10

Team Rob

4469

10

0

11

Team Hugo*

4412

12

1

12

Team Julie

4379

14

2

13

Team Jon

4377

13

0

14

Team Jonwaine

4347

11

-3

15

Team Craig

4304

15

0

16

Team Laurens

4165

16

0

17

Team Charles*

4057

17

0

18

Team Corsa

3960

18

0

19

Team Ed

3940

19

0

20

Team Caleb*

3895

20

0

21

Team Ambrose

3879

21

0

22

Team Matthew*

3807

22

0

23

Team Grace

3799

23

0

24

Team Kate

3710

24

0

25

Team Ellie

3695

25

0

26

Team Cameron

3626

28

2

27

Team Oliver*

3569

27

0

28

Team Jonathan

3545

26

-2

29

Team Charlotte

3488

29

0

30

Team Adam

3396

30

0

31

Team Erin

3286

32

1

32

Team Suzanne

3283

31

-1

33

Team Amalia*

3245

33

0

34

Team Furner

3239

34

0

35

Team Lichterman

3064

35

0

36

Team Allison

3036

36

0

37

Team Wesley

2781

38

1

Team Wesley*

2781

37

0

39

Team Chris

2722

39

0

40

Team Senna#

2644

41

1

41

Team Izzy

2636

40

-1

42

Team Valerie

1798

42

0

43

Team Grace*

1759

43

0

44

Team Cameron*

1563

44

0

45

Team Sam

1392

45

0

 

Standings after Final Standings bonus points (including dogs and adults):

 

Rank

Name

Points

WAS

MOVES

1

Team Ansel*

5303

1

0

2

Team Kent

5239

2

0

3

Team Kari

5222

3

0

4

Team Amelia

5107

4

0

5

Team Tadej*

5060

5

0

6

Team Melanie

5007

6

0

7

Team Kurt

4967

8

1

8

Team Eric

4954

8

0

9

Team Josh*

4925

7

-2

10

Team Rob

4854

10

0

11

Team Jonwaine

4843

14

3

12

Team Julie

4791

12

0

13

Team Hugo*

4785

11

-2

14

Team Jon

4744

13

-1

15

Team Craig

4682

15

0

16

Team Laurens

4540

16

0

17

Team Charles*

4357

17

0

18

Team Corsa

4308

18

0

19

Team Ed

4249

19

0

20

Team Caleb*

4213

20

0

21

Team Ambrose

4179

21

0

22

Team Grace

4163

23

1

23

Team Matthew*

4125

22

-1

24

Team Ellie

4051

25

1

25

Team Kate

4004

24

-1

26

Team Jonathan

3933

28

2

27

Team Cameron

3929

26

-1

28

Team Oliver*

3856

27

-1

29

Team Charlotte

3806

29

0

30

Team Adam

3683

30

0

31

Team Erin

3656

31

0

32

Team Suzanne

3652

32

0

33

Team Furner

3599

34

1

34

Team Amalia*

3486

33

-1

35

Team Lichterman

3344

35

0

36

Team Allison

3292

36

0

37

Team Wesley*

3102

37

0

38

Team Wesley

3045

37

-1

39

Team Chris

3000

39

0

40

Team Izzy

2872

41

1

Team Senna#

2872

40

0

42

Team Grace*

1935

43

1

43

Team Valerie

1892

42

-1

44

Team Cameron*

1723

44

0

 

Complete breakdown of points from stage 21:

 

Name

STAGE RESULTS

YELLOW JERSEY

GREEN JERSEY

POLKA DOT JERSEY

WHITE JERSEY

POINTS/CLASS

TOTAL

PREVIOUS

CUM. TOTAL

Team Amalia*

73

27

5

5

5

42

115

3130

3245

Team Ansel*

137

45

13

5

11

74

211

4668

4879

Team Caleb*

103

36

9

5

9

59

162

3733

3895

Team Cameron*

36

17

2

4

3

26

62

1501

1563

Team Charles*

128

36

13

5

9

63

191

3866

4057

Team Grace*

53

12

4

4

0

20

73

1686

1759

Team Hugo*

99

41

10

10

11

72

171

4241

4412

Team Josh*

140

40

13

5

11

69

209

4370

4579

Team Matthew*

91

36

9

5

9

59

150

3657

3807

Team Oliver*

71

30

12

8

2

52

123

3446

3569

Team Tadej*

80

46

12

5

14

77

157

4494

4651

Team Wesley*

14

39

0

5

9

53

67

2714

2781

 

Complete breakdown of points from Final Standings bonus points:

 

Name

STAGE RESULTS

YELLOW JERSEY

GREEN JERSEY

POLKA DOT JERSEY

WHITE JERSEY

POINTS/CLASS

TOTAL

PREVIOUS

CUM. TOTAL

Team Amalia*

220

0

8

8

5

21

241

3245

3486

Team Ansel*

388

0

23

8

5

36

424

4879

5303

Team Caleb*

288

0

17

8

5

30

318

3895

4213

Team Cameron*

150

0

3

7

0

10

160

1563

1723

Team Charles*

264

0

23

8

5

36

300

4057

4357

Team Grace*

162

0

7

7

0

14

176

1759

1935

Team Hugo*

332

0

18

18

5

41

373

4412

4785

Team Josh*

310

0

23

8

5

36

346

4579

4925

Team Matthew*

288

0

17

8

5

30

318

3807

4125

Team Oliver*

252

0

22

13

0

35

287

3569

3856

Team Tadej*

374

0

22

8

5

35

409

4651

5060

Team Wesley*

308

0

0

8

5

13

321

2781

3102

 

Complete breakdown of points from stage 21 (including dogs and adults):

 

Name

STAGE RESULTS

YELLOW JERSEY

GREEN JERSEY

POLKA DOT JERSEY

WHITE JERSEY

POINTS/CLASS

TOTAL

PREVIOUS

CUM. TOTAL

Team Adam

57

31

7

7

11

56

113

3283

3396

Team Allison

88

27

8

8

9

52

140

2896

3036

Team Amalia*

73

27

5

5

5

42

115

3130

3245

Team Ambrose

148

36

13

5

9

63

211

3668

3879

Team Amelia

87

49

10

5

15

79

166

4506

4672

Team Ansel*

137

45

13

5

11

74

211

4668

4879

Team Caleb*

103

36

9

5

9

59

162

3733

3895

Team Cameron

141

34

9

7

9

59

200

3426

3626

Team Cameron*

36

17

2

4

3

26

62

1501

1563

Team Charles*

128

36

13

5

9

63

191

3866

4057

Team Charlotte

42

36

4

12

12

64

106

3382

3488

Team Chris

42

28

4

7

4

43

85

2637

2722

Team Corsa

71

38

12

7

11

68

139

3821

3960

Team Craig

80

39

12

8

11

70

150

4154

4304

Team Ed

96

36

12

5

9

62

158

3782

3940

Team Ellie

106

34

12

12

7

65

171

3524

3695

Team Eric

106

43

12

13

11

79

185

4365

4550

Team Erin

50

37

3

12

7

59

109

3177

3286

Team Furner

50

34

4

11

12

61

111

3128

3239

Team Grace

106

36

12

12

7

67

173

3626

3799

Team Grace*

53

12

4

4

0

20

73

1686

1759

Team Hugo*

99

41

10

10

11

72

171

4241

4412

Team Izzy

91

21

9

11

5

46

137

2499

2636

Team Jon

106

44

12

5

14

75

181

4196

4377

Team Jonathan

44

38

0

7

7

52

96

3449

3545

Team Jonwaine

0

54

0

12

14

80

80

4267

4347

Team Josh*

140

40

13

5

11

69

209

4370

4579

Team Julie

106

43

12

12

11

78

184

4195

4379

Team Kari

106

49

12

10

14

85

191

4588

4779

Team Kate

119

28

12

10

2

52

171

3539

3710

Team Kent

106

49

12

10

14

85

191

4613

4804

Team Kurt

128

48

13

13

12

86

214

4336

4550

Team Laurens

87

46

5

10

11

72

159

4006

4165

Team Lichterman

97

28

12

6

7

53

150

2914

3064

Team Matthew*

91

36

9

5

9

59

150

3657

3807

Team Melanie

153

41

13

12

11

77

230

4398

4628

Team Oliver*

71

30

12

8

2

52

123

3446

3569

Team Rob

106

45

12

5

11

73

179

4290

4469

Team Sam

0

17

0

4

4

25

25

1367

1392

Team Senna#

124

21

9

7

0

37

161

2483

2644

Team Suzanne

50

36

3

7

9

55

105

3178

3283

Team Tadej*

80

46

12

5

14

77

157

4494

4651

Team Valerie

70

10

9

4

0

23

93

1705

1798

Team Wesley

103

24

9

7

0

40

143

2638

2781

Team Wesley*

14

39

0

5

9

53

67

2714

2781

 

Complete breakdown of points from Final Standings bonus points (including dogs and adults):

 

Name

STAGE RESULTS

YELLOW JERSEY

GREEN JERSEY

POLKA DOT JERSEY

WHITE JERSEY

POINTS/CLASS

TOTAL

PREVIOUS

CUM. TOTAL

Team Adam

258

0

12

12

5

29

287

3396

3683

Team Allison

222

0

15

14

5

34

256

3036

3292

Team Amalia*

220

0

8

8

5

21

241

3245

3486

Team Ambrose

264

0

23

8

5

36

300

3879

4179

Team Amelia

404

0

18

8

5

31

435

4672

5107

Team Ansel*

388

0

23

8

5

36

424

4879

5303

Team Caleb*

288

0

17

8

5

30

318

3895

4213

Team Cameron

274

0

17

12

0

29

303

3626

3929

Team Cameron*

150

0

3

7

0

10

160

1563

1723

Team Charles*

264

0

23

8

5

36

300

4057

4357

Team Charlotte

284

0

7

22

5

34

318

3488

3806

Team Chris

260

0

7

11

0

18

278

2722

3000

Team Corsa

310

0

22

11

5

38

348

3960

4308

Team Craig

338

0

22

13

5

40

378

4304

4682

Team Ed

274

0

22

8

5

35

309

3940

4249

Team Ellie

308

0

22

21

5

48

356

3695

4051

Team Eric

354

0

22

23

5

50

404

4550

4954

Team Erin

344

0

5

21

0

26

370

3286

3656

Team Furner

328

0

7

20

5

32

360

3239

3599

Team Grace

316

0

22

21

5

48

364

3799

4163

Team Grace*

162

0

7

7

0

14

176

1759

1935

Team Hugo*

332

0

18

18

5

41

373

4412

4785

Team Izzy

194

0

17

20

5

42

236

2636

2872

Team Jon

332

0

22

8

5

35

367

4377

4744

Team Jonathan

372

0

0

11

5

16

388

3545

3933

Team Jonwaine

470

0

0

21

5

26

496

4347

4843

Team Josh*

310

0

23

8

5

36

346

4579

4925

Team Julie

364

0

22

21

5

48

412

4379

4791

Team Kari

398

0

22

18

5

45

443

4779

5222

Team Kate

254

0

22

18

0

40

294

3710

4004

Team Kent

390

0

22

18

5

45

435

4804

5239

Team Kurt

366

0

23

23

5

51

417

4550

4967

Team Laurens

344

0

8

18

5

31

375

4165

4540

Team Lichterman

248

0

22

10

0

32

280

3064

3344

Team Matthew*

288

0

17

8

5

30

318

3807

4125

Team Melanie

330

0

23

21

5

49

379

4628

5007

Team Oliver*

252

0

22

13

0

35

287

3569

3856

Team Rob

350

0

22

8

5

35

385

4469

4854

Team Sam

132

0

0

7

0

7

139

1392

1531

Team Senna#

200

0

17

11

0

28

228

2644

2872

Team Suzanne

348

0

5

11

5

21

369

3283

3652

Team Tadej*

374

0

22

8

5

35

409

4651

5060

Team Valerie

70

0

17

7

0

24

94

1798

1892

Team Wesley

236

0

17

11

0

28

264

2781

3045

Team Wesley*

308

0

0

8

5

13

321

2781

3102

 

Allez le Tour!

 

-Laurens.

Robert Noble

unread,
Jul 27, 2026, 6:14:59 AM (8 days ago) Jul 27
to Laurens De Jong, AAVC Junior Cycling Team
Laurens 

Thank you once again for running the game.  This community is truly grateful. 

Your Stage 21 report is du jamais vu. Chapeau. 

It makes me wish there was a stage 22. Perhaps a race recap??  Or maybe it’s time for you to hang up your wheels for another year. 

Thanks mate!
Rob
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