LE MARKSTEIN, France, July 22 (Reuters) - Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark was set to win his second Tour de France title after keeping a close tab on his main rival and 20th stage winner Tadej Pogacar in the final mountain ride of the race on Saturday.
Overall, Jumbo-Visma rider Vingegaard leads Pogacar by seven minutes and 29 seconds with his United Arab Emirates team mate, Briton Adam Yates, in third position, 10:56 off the pace.
Pogacar attacked on the last climb of the day, the Col du Platzerwazel (7.1km at 8.4%), and was followed by Vingegaard and Gall.
Enormously popular local boy Pinot, riding his last Tour on his training roads with thousands of fans gathered with flags, beers and flares to support him one last time.
Pinot went solo on the ascent to the Petit Ballon, riding as stage leader through a sea of roaring fans like a man possessed.
Persons:
MARKSTEIN, Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Pogacar, Austrian Felix Gall, Vingegaard, Briton Adam Yates, Giulio Ciccone, Belgian Jasper Philipsen, du Platzerwazel, Gall, Thibaut, Warren Barguil, Tom Pidcock, Yates, Simon, Adam, Pinot, Petit Ballon, Julien Pretot, Andrew Cawthorne, Hugh Lawson
Organizations:
de France, United Arab Emirates, Lombardia, Thomson
Locations:
France, Denmark, Belfort, Austrian, Belgian, Paris