The Festival That Ended in Paris

We've completed another Tour de France (TDF).

Another great champion, Philippe Gilbert, is one of the names to say goodbye this year... 41-year-old Spanish legend Alejandro Valverde is another name whose retirement is being talked about.
broken memorization
It's been talked about for a couple of years that a new generation has arrived in cycling, that this generation breaks everything we know, that it breaks the rules. 
Obviously, we will be more and more surprised.
This is what makes cycling so rewarding. 
The Tour de France is the star of this sport. It will dazzle our eyes for many years to come. 

Post: Aydan Çelik

Tour de France Tour de France interview with Burcu Biçer and Aydan Çelik on Audio Sports: Podcast

Take Mathieu Van der Poel... The Dutch süper talent, who participated in the TDF for the first time, started to cry when he finished the second stage in önbsp;ngür hüngür. 
Those who followed cycling closely knew the reason for those tears. Mathieu's grandfather Raimond Poulidor, Mathieu's beloved cycling grandfather, came second many times in his career and was even given the title of "eternal second". They were tears in memory of his grandfather, who never wore a yellow swimsuit and who died in 2019. 
https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2021/tour-de-france-i-have-no-words-emotional-mathieu-van-der-poel-in-disbelief-after-stage-2-victory_sto8392755/story.shtml
(Mathieu kept the yellow jersey he wore on stage 2 in memory of his grandfather until stage 8.)

CAVENDISH BORN OF KÜLLERS
Another actor in the Tour's "flood of tears" was Mark Cavendish. The British sprinter, who gave tearful interviews last year when he thought his career was coming to an end, was reborn from the dead, so to speak.
Cavendish, who has had a troubled last few years, had a change of fortune at the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey in April this year. After winning 4 stages on Turkish soil, he regained his old confidence and found himself racing in France.  Then he went on to incredible victories. He won exactly 4 stages. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMDfQyeprBY&ab_channel=FloBikes
Cavendish equalled the Tour de France record of 34 stages won by Eddy Merckx of Belgium, considered the biggest name in cycling history. But in Paris, he managed to make it 35, taking the green points jersey even though he didn't have the chance to break the record.
**
The final stage in Paris was won by Wout Van Aert from Belç. 
Wout Van Aert has been one of the most incredible athletes at this year's TDF. He has accomplished feats that shattered all beliefs in many different disciplines. He won a stage like Mont Ventoux, a stage that appeals to the pür hillclimbers. He won the last individual time trial. As if that wasn't enough, he also won the last sprint stage in Paris. 
It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is one of the most anticipated athletes at the Olympics. We'll see you on the 24th.

RETIREMENTS
While Mark Cavendish was born from the dead, another great sprinter announced his farewell to cycling. Andre Greipel, who like Cavendish has ridden the Presidential Tour of Turkey many times and won countless stages, said in an interview in the final days of the Tour that he would retire at the end of the season. 

When the 108th TDF caravan crossed the finish line in Paris on July 18, they left 3414.4 km behind.
Of the 184 bicycles that set off from Brest on June 26, only 141 of them made it to Paris.
There were so many accidents that dozens of bicycles, including favorites, had to return home before reaching Paris.
In the first place, a young woman caused a frightening accident that probably never crossed her mind. He knocked down dozens of bicycles while trying to say hello to his grandparents via television. Tony Martin, who was holding a piece of corrugated cardboard with the words "Allez Opi-Omi" written on it, fell and the bicycles behind him were knocked down like dominoes.
Even Türkia media, which has little to do with cycling, published news and video footage of that moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5y1q-MDl0&ab_channel=FloBikes

This was not the only accident of the first week. Primoz Roglic, who lost the championship at the last moment in 2020 and was considered one of the most important favorites this year, was one of those unlucky ones. Roglic, who suffered a hard fall on stage 3, continued the race but had to abandon after stage 8.
Caleb Ewan and Peter Sagan were among the stars who said goodbye to the tour after crashes.
Crashes were certainly not the only reason why the Tour ended with fewer cyclists. A number of cyclists left France early for the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed to 2021. 
(The road race in Tokyo will be held on July 24th. It is said that the race, in which Türkiye participates with Ahmet Örken and Onur Balkan, will be very difficult and will be the scene of a great battle." 
O GENÇ SLOVEN AGAIN
Last year's TDF champion Tadej Pogacar became the champion again this year. The 22-year-old Slovenian completed the Tour in 82 hours, 56 minutes, 36 seconds. He was followed by 1 minute 56 seconds by Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, who was one of the surprises of the Tour. 2019 Giro d'Italia champion Richard Carapaz took part in the üçüncüncüncülürsüsüsüs. Carapaz made history by becoming the first Ecuadorian cyclist to stand on the podium in Paris. 
Let's add that Tadej Pogacar took home not only the Yellow Swimsuit, but also the White Swimsuit, worn by the most successful young cyclist, and the Spotted Swimsuit, worn by the best hill cyclist.

What the figures don't show
Numbers say a lot, no doubt. But when it comes to explaining the emotional, mental side of things, they are not very useful. 
2021 TDF has been a tour full of tears, anger, joy, sorrow, sorrow, joy, unexpected victories, unexpected defeats, and certainly a lot of emotions.