In Bern everyone was waiting for Fabian Cancellara, the national idol who will hang up his bike at the end of the season and who is said to have decided to participate in his last Tour precisely because he was arriving in his city. But Spartacus, wearing the yellow jersey 29 times – no other rider who isn't also a Tour winner has worn it so much – didn't make it to victory. But he fought it out until the end in the final rush, finishing sixth, his best finish in this edition of the Grande Boucle.
The photo-finish winner from Alexander Kristoff was the phenomenon of Peter Sagan who slipped out in the final fray pairing the Norwegian to overtake him – a matter of centimeters – with a prodigious kick that propelled the bike forward. Third Sondre Holst Henger, another Norwegian although less known than Kristoff. Fourth John Degenkolb who is regaining confidence with the thrill of the sprint after the terrible winter accident. Fifth Matthews.
Cavendish, after Saturday's poker, immediately slipped away finishing only 23rd also because the small tear plus the cobblestone before the finish line packed Cannonball's legs. It's the third Tour finish that requires an electronic eye exam to determine the stage winner: in Angers Cavendish mocked Greipel; the same fate of the German Gorilla befell Bryan Coquard in Limoges narrowly beaten by Kittel; yesterday the photo finish froze Kristoff always looking for a success.
For Sagan it is the third personal success but above all the confirmation of being one of the few champions around today. He is now awarded the fifth consecutive green jersey in the points classification, which brings Sagan to within one point of Eric Zabel's lead. And who knows whether Oleg Tinkoff, faced with so many performances by his world champion, could withdraw from the decision to abandon cycling next year.
Even the Tour has to thank Sagan (and also Cavendish) if it was able to offer emotions and moments of great cycling so far missed at the top of the classification, effortlessly dominated by Froome. And the Briton in the yellow jersey hasn't even needed his famous shakes to annihilate his opponents to date. Never an attack, never an ambush, never anything: the rivals, Quintana above all, seem resigned, almost happy to lose without being beaten.
After today's rest in Bern, there are still four stages in the Alps before the final parade in Paris to try and give the Tour master at least a pinch.
