In the closing moments of the mountain stage, Pinot's attack was thwarted, and Ciccone emerged as the winner of the polka-dot jersey. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) showcased his unwavering determination by triumphing in the final mountain stage of the 2023 Tour de France. Riding alongside him, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) secured overall victory for a second year, leaving only the final parade stage to Paris to be raced on Sunday.

Despite facing difficulties in the Alps and falling seven minutes behind Vingegaard, Pogačar displayed resolute determination to stage a remarkable comeback. Navigating closely behind his formidable rivals through the final corners, he sprinted to secure a well-deserved victory in the stage, celebrating the triumphant win.

Felix Gall (AG2R-Citroën) secured the second position at the finish line, followed by Vingegaard in third, and Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) in fourth.

During his final mountain stage of the Tour, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) initiated a solo attack in front of his home crowds, but he was caught and left behind by Pogačar, Vingegaard, and a select group of five riders. Despite the chance for a fairy tale ending, UAE pursued the attacks tirelessly throughout the day, and on the final climb, Pogačar and Vingegaard caught and surpassed Pinot. His consolation came in the form of the Prix de la Combativité award and the opportunity to launch an attack on the ultimate day.

With the final stage approaching in Paris on Sunday, Vingegaard continues to hold a lead of 7:29 over Pogačar, while Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) occupies the third position overall with a gap of 10:56. Simon Yates managed to surpass Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and secure the fourth place overall, with a time difference of 12:23.

Despite the disappointment of not securing the overall victory, Pogačar's face brightened with a smile following his triumph in the stage. 

“I finally feel like myself again. It was good to feel good again from start to finish after many days of suffering, I was waiting for Adam to come back, and his brother again, they were super good. I know him very well, he led me out really good. Thanks to him it was a bit easier to prepare the final and less nervous. I was super happy that the team did such a great job again." 
With a smile once more, Pogacar felt a sense of relief as the Tour drew closer to its end. Although facing defeat, he maintained an optimistic outlook, treasuring the special memories woven throughout his race.

Once again, when asked about his worst memory, he deftly sidestepped discussing defeat and instead brought up the challenging day he faced on the Col de la Loze climb, where he had to battle to retain his second-place position overall.

“Everytime Marc Soler looked at me on Col de la Loze with his scary eyes. That was the most terrifying moment,”  Pogacar acknowledged the crucial role Soler played in helping him reach the finish line on the crucial day that ultimately decided the outcome of the 2023 Tour de France.

Vingegaard's 7:29 lead over Pogačar in the general classification allowed him to begin celebrating his overall victory.

“Of course, there’s still the stage into Paris, we have to be careful and not to do anything stupid, but it’s amazing to take my second victory in the Tour de France. I almost can’t believe it.”

Vingegaard showed evident delight in the extended and intense rivalry he engaged in with Pogačar.

“It was definitely a crazy battle we had all these three weeks. I think it has been a really nice race to watch, Also for us, I really appreciated the battle I had with Tadej in this year’s Tour de France. He’s a super great guy. It’s been an amazing fight since Bilbao and hopefully also in the future. I felt good on the bike today and so it was another nice fight between me and Tadej.”

Vingegaard appropriately acknowledged his Jumbo-Visma teammates' contribution to his success and shared the triumph with them.

“We had a plan and it was the way we executed the plan every day like we wanted to. Thanks to the team, they were so good every day. I’d never have been able to do this without my fantastic team, they’ve been there every day for me. They’ve done so well over the last three weeks, I’m so happy for all of us. It’ll be super nice in Paris tomorrow,” he said.