The one without the Champs Élysées ending

Since this year started, there have been rumours that following the success of last year’s Paris Olympics cycling road race, the Tour de France (TdF) would look to revisit the iconic hill climb up to the Parisian district of Montmartre. ASO - the organisers of the Tour - were quick to dismiss the rumours. The TdF peloton was double the size of the Olympic one, there’s a huge retinue that follows every stage - team cars, officials, TV and press motorbikes and cars, sponsors, medical teams and gendarmerie. The narrow streets around Montmartre simply couldn’t support all this, and there was absolutely no space to support all the vast finish line facilities that appear ever day at the Tour.

By February, some sort of circuit of Montmartre, followed by the traditional finish on the Champs Élysées was being mooted - and in fact I saw a provisional map. Perhaps it was just another rumour, perhaps it was possible. It even looked like I could watch somewhere around the crowded Montmartre streets and then sprint down to the Champs Élysées on the Brompton and catch a glimpse of the circuits. 


By May, it seemed that it was going to happen - ASO were teasing us on X. 

And then on Tuesday, Christian Prudhomme made this announcement on X: https://x.com/letour/status/1925164586438680973?s=46

It was far from clear what was going to happen. A couple of circuits of the Champs Élysées, and then circuits of Montmartre ? How was it going to finish ? Disaster ! The whole premise of 21 Étapes was the final stage finishing on Champs Élysées. 


Things became a little clearer when the detailed route map was released. Three circuits of Champs Élysées, followed by three circuits of Champs Élysées and Montmartre, dropping down to a swift finish 500m along  Champs Élysées by the Grand Palais. 

Phew! I was never going to get anywhere near the actual finish line in Paris, so situation retrieved. I’ve now just got to work out if I can still see the riders on both Champs Élysées and Montmartre. 

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