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Stage 20, Sunday, July 22: Rambouillet - Paris/ Champs Élysées, 120 km

Rated climbs:

• Km 36.5: Côte de Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, 1.1 km @ 6.7% - Category 4
• Km 40.5: Côte de Châteaufort (Stèle Jacques Anquetil), 0.9 km @ 4.5% - Category 4

The Race: After the usual celebrations along the way to Paris, the pack hit the Champs Elysées. George Hincapie , who will retire this year with a record 17 Tour starts, was allowed to lead the pack onto the circuit. Then it was elbows, belly buttons and ears all over the place when Jens Voigt ripped himself clear of the field with Danilo Hondo close on him. Eventually eleven riders formed a hard-charging break that extracted a half-minute from the Sky-led peloton.

Late in the stage the break fell apart, but Voigt, Sebastian Minard and Rui Faria da Costa fought on. With a couple of kilometers to go it looked like the break might make it. But Liquigas had joined the chase, the break was snuffed and the pack was together for a perfect leadout for Mark Cavendish. It was no contest, Cavendish was blindlingly fast as his won his 23rd Tour stage and fourth straight victory on the Champs Elysées.

Sky executed a fabulous Tour. Wiggins, never lower than second in GC, won both time trials and never had a serious challenge in the mountains from another team. Teammate Chris Froome was a strong second in GC while Mark Cavendish won three stages.

Results:

1. Mark Cavendish (Sky) 3hr 8min 7sec. 38.3 km/hr
2. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) s.t.
3. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
4. Juan José Haedo (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
5. Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil) s.t.
6. Gregory Henderson (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
7. Borut Bozic (Astana) s.t.
8. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) s.t.
10. Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun) s.t.
11. Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
12. Koen De Kort (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
13. Luca Paolini (Katusha) s.t.
14. Yohann Gene (Europcar) s.t.
15. Sébastien Hinault (Ag2r) s.t.
16. Ruben Perez (Euskaltel) @ 4sec
17. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
18. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) s.t.
19. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) s.t.
20. Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) s.t.
21. Vasili Kiryienka (Movistar) s.t.
22. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) s.t.
23. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) s.t.
24. Jonathan Cantwell (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
25. Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) s.t.
26. Julien Simon (Saur-Sojasun) s.t.
27. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 7sec
28. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
29. Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
30. Michael Schär (BMC) s.t.
31. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
32. Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar) @ 9sec
33. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) s.t.
34. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
35. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) s.t.
36. Juan José Cobo (Movistar) s.t.
37. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
38. Kevin De Weert (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
39. Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
40. Cyril Gautier (Europcar) s.t.
41. Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) s.t.
42. Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-Quick step) s.t.
43. Christophe Riblon (Ag2r) s.t.
44. Gullaume Levarlet (Saur-Sojasun) s.t.
45. Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
46. George Hincapie (BMC) s.t.
47. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) s.t.
48. Luis Angel MAte (Cofidis) s.t.
49. StevenKruijswijk (Rabobank) s.t.
50. Dominic Nerz (Liquigas) s.t.
    

Final General Classification: 3,488 km raced at an average speed of 39.83 km/hr

1. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) 87hr 34min 47sec
2. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 3min 21sec
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) @ 6min 19sec
4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) @ 10min 15sec
5. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 11min 4sec
6. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 15min 41sec
7. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 15min 49sec
8. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) @ 16min 26sec
9. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) @ 16min 33sec
10. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 17min 17sec
11. Andréas Klöden (Radi Shack-Nissan) @ 17min 54sec
12. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 19min 33sec
13. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 19min 55sec
14. Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 25min 27sec
15. Denis Menchov (Katusha) @ 27min 22sec
16. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 28min 30sec
17. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) @ 31min 46sec
18. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Movistar) @ 27min 3sec
19. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) @ 38min 16sec
20. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 42min 26sec
21. Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) @ 45min 43sec
22. Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 46min 52sec
23. Michael Rogers (Sky) @ 54min 52sec
24. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 58min 37sec
25. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 59min 44sec
26. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) @ 1hr 4min 41sec
27. Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 1hr 5min 10sec
28. Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) @ 1hr 5min 39sec
29. Jelle Venedert (Lotto-Belisol) @ 1hr 8min 26sec
30. Juan José Cobo (Movistar) @ 1hr 9min 19sec
31. Alexandre Vinokoruov (Astana) @ 1hr 15min 21sec
32. Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 1hr 16min 29sec
33. Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) @ 1hr 16min 52sec
34. Richie Porte (Sky) @ 1hr 20min 49sec
35. Daniel Martin (Garmin-Sharp) @ 1hr 25min 23sec
36. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 1hr 27min 52sec
37. Gianpaolo Caruso (Katusha) @ 1hr 28min 32sec
38. George Hincapie (BMC) @ 1hr 30min 38sec
39. Gorka Izaguirre (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 32min 19sec
40. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) @ 1hr 34min 33sec
41. Rafel Valls (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 37min 57sec
42. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) @ 1hr 38min 37sec
43. Andriy Grivko (Astana) @ 1hr 38min 41sec
44. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r) @ 1hr 40min 44sec
45. Amaël Moinard (BMC) @ 1hr 41min 0sec
46. Philippe Gilbert (BMC) @ 1hr 41min 35sec
47. Dominik Nerz (Liquigas) @ 1hr 42min 12sec
48. Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 1hr 42min 39sec
49. Michael Schär (BMC) @ 1hr 43min 53sec
50. Sergio Paulinho (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 1hr 47min 14sec

Climber:

1. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar): 135 points
2. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana): 123
3. Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo-Tinkoff): 77
4. Pierre Rolland (Europcar): 63
5. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 51

Points:

1. Peter Sagan (Liquigas): 421 points
2. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol): 280
3. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge): 268
4. Mark Cavendish (Sky): 220
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky): 160

Young Rider:

1. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) 87hr 45min 46sec
2. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 6min 13sec
3. Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) @ 1hr 5min 48sec
4. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 1hr 16min 48sec
5. Gorka Izaguirre (Wuskaltel) @ 1hr 21min 15sec

Team Classification:

1. Radio Shack-Nissan: 263hr 12min 1sec
2. Sky @ 5min 54sec
3. BMC @ 36min 36sec
4. Astana @ 43min 35sec
5. Liquigas @ 1hr 4min 58sec

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Stage 20 map and profile

Stage 20 map

Stage 20 profile

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Stage 20 photos

Before the riders arrive there is the publicity caravan.

Panorama

The British fans were out in force.

Team Sky with Saxo-Tinkoff moving up

Mark Cavendish spent the stage glued to Wiggins' wheel.

What a Tour for Thomas Voeckler!

Another panorama

For a while it looked like the Jens Voigt break was going to make it.

Peter Sagan congratulates Mark Cavendish

That should be 23 carrer Tour stage wins for Cavendish.

We'll be seing a lot more of Peter Sagen in the future.

Thomas Voeckler, the smartest rider in the peloton

Tejay Van Garderen, best young rider

Chris "It's Only a Flesh Wound" Anker Sorensen, winner of the Tour's combativity prize.

Radio Shack-Nissan won the team prize.

Final 2012 GC podium: Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, Vincenzo Nibali

Braley Wiggins and Sky executed a perfect Tour. No one or team was on their level. It will be interesting next year when Alberto Contador is in the mix.

The jersey winners

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