Stage twenty would provide the last opportunity for those with any GC ambitions to do something about it. Of course, it was always unlikely that anyone would dethrone Chris Froome from the top spot, but with Qunitana, Rodriguez, Contador and others looking to get on the podium, it was always likely to be an eventful day. In the end, it turned out that Quintana was the strongest, winning the stage and, in the process, taking runner-up spot. He was followed by Rodriguez, who finished 18 seconds down and secured third place on the podium, with Froome finishing third, 29 seconds down on the winner. Contador finished 2:23 down and consequently lost his podium position. With such an impressive display from the Colombian youngster, not only did he manage to secure the white jersey, but also the polka dot jersey.
Stage twenty-one was the usual procession. After three weeks of racing, all the riders were able to enjoy to an easy ride into Paris, this time later in the evening and taking in the Arc de Triomphe for the first time. There were the usual attacks - with David Millar and Juan Antonio Flecha giving it their all, but there was never any question that this would come down to a sprint finish. The question was would Cavendish achieve an unprecendented fifth win in along the Champs-Élysées, or would it be the turn of someone else? On the day, it turned out that Kittel would be the sprinter to triumph over Greipel and Cavendish. Whether it was due to a better leadout train or better legs, Kittel has shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with! All that remained was for Froome to stand on the podium and collect his yellow jersey, along with the other jersey wearers - Quintana and Sagan, who appeared to win the green jersey with ease. It was certainly an exciting edition of the Tour de France, but can it be topped in 2014?
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