Newly-crowned Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar had his image projected on to the Burj Khalifa after winning the world's most famous cycling race on Sunday. The Slovenian rookie rode triumphantly into Paris in the race leader's yellow jersey at just 21 years old. The UAE Team Emirates rider became the Tour's youngest champion since 1904 as Ireland's Sam Bennett won the 21st and final stage after the eight-lap dash around the Champs-Elysees to clinch the green sprint points jersey. The Dubai Sports Council released a picture of Pogacar on the Burj with the message: "We congratulate the leadership and people on the ocassion of UAE Team Emirates' sensational triumph at the 107th edition of Tour de France, one of the most prestigious global cycling race.<br/> "This win is the latest addition to UAE's ever-growing list of achievements on the global stage." The Tour will forever be remembered for a dramatic last-gasp turnaround as Pogacar grabbed the overall lead when his rival Primoz Roglic suffered a mountainside meltdown on the penultimate day. This storied edition of the century-old race packed with thrills and spills will be equally recalled for outsprinting the dark shadow of Covid-19. _____________________ Starting two months late due to the global pandemic, the race set off under strict health guidelines in Nice with doubts it would make it all the way to Paris. But after 3,400km of intense racing the 146 remaining riders embarked Sunday for a parade of the winners until the hotly-disputed sprint in Paris. The race was a triumph of organisation after the French president gave them the green light to belatedly stage the event, although just 5,000 fans lined Sunday's finish due to the health protocol. <strong>_____________________</strong>
