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Less than three weeks away, the outcome of the 2020 Tour de France is still hardly a reality. Tadej Pogachar decimated the field in the stage 20 time trial, and Primoš Roglic fell back from an unassailable lead to hand victory to his young compatriot.

The thrilling conclusion of the Tour and the rest of the action can be relived in the latest issue of Procycling magazine. It features interviews with Richie Porte and Sam Bennett, as well as a feature on Pogachar and Roglic, along with a recap of this year's La Course. Also included are reports on each stage and a diary of the race.

Procycling editor Edward Pickering writes of the Tour as a whole: "No one will ever know exactly how the Tour was lost for Roglic. But we do know roughly when it was lost. The Slovenian raced down the Planche time trial start slope with the yellow jersey and the title of champion in his hands. The last few kilometers looked like a log-rich affair. In the mountain stages before that, he had been focused, in control, and showing his strength from where he sat. Now he stood awkwardly on the pedals, on his knees and elbows, his face pale with shock."[9

Tadej Pogachar's last win in the Tour came the day before his 22nd birthday, in his first and second Grand Tour.

Alasdair Fotheringham wrote a profile of Pogachar in France: "The lack of pressure extended to the time trial. No one looked on as Pogachar rode without a power meter, nor did they watch as the mechanics assembled the white bike for the parade to Paris on Friday evening. He already knew that he had done well enough for the Tour, even if he was battered and bruised on the road to Place Belle Fille."[14

Richie Porte was one of the stars of the Tour, finally reaching the podium in Paris on his tenth attempt and his last race as overall leader. In an interview with Sophie Harcum, Porte spoke about the relief of his third place finish and the freedom of racing.

Porte said: "I had a disaster in the Tour this year that could have ruined everything, but I was able to bail out in a way that I couldn't in previous years. I finally won the race and didn't get sick. ...... It was a great three weeks."

He said.

Another outstanding rider in this year's Tour was Sam Bennett, the first Irishman to win the green jersey since Sean Kelly in 1989, winning two stages including the Champs Elysees. Sophie Halcombe followed Bennett's progress and analyzed how he won the green jersey.

A few days after the Tour ended, Bennett said: "Sometimes I have a little imposter syndrome, wondering if I am good enough to be in this position. Now I feel like this is my position and I've earned it. I can relax because I know I belong where I am."

The 2020 Tour was the first time since 2014 that Sky and Ineos Grenadiers riders did not finish in the yellow jersey. Richard Moore examines what went wrong for the leaderless British team after Egan Bernal abandoned the race.

Powerful long-distance breakaways have been a theme of this year's Tour and were successful in five stages of the race. Adam Beckett and Sophie Halcombe spoke with some of the race's main protagonists, including Nielson Powles, Nicolas Roche, and Matt Winston, to gain insight into the most fascinating aspects of Grand Tour riding.

Another young rider who caught our eye was Marc Hirschi. The young Swiss cyclist won stage 12 and was voted the most combative rider at the end of the race. Edward Pickering spoke with the Sunweb rider who is always on the attack and exudes class.

Elsewhere, Adam Beckett spoke to Conor Swift, the tall Yorkshireman who switched from the Tour Series to the Tour to support Nairo Quintana. Swift said: "I wanted to be in the biggest races in the sport, the highest level races, so that was definitely something I was looking at.

Also in this month's Pro Cycling Magazine, an interview with Guy Niv, the first Israeli to participate in the Tour, an analysis of Nice's Grande Pearl in the covid-19 era, and EF Pro Cycling's DS Tom Southam's take on the success of this year's includes a discussion of the following.

Pro Cycling Magazine: the best writing and photos from inside the world's toughest sport. Pick up a copy at your local newsstand or supermarket today, or subscribe to Pro Cycling (opens in a new tab).