Tour de France confirms Paris course: Several laps on the Champs-Élysées, followed by triple Montmartre climb in finale

Last year, due to the Olympics, the Tour de France concluded with a mountain time trial in Nice. This year, however, the race returns to its traditional Paris finish. Riders will again complete the usual laps through the city, but before they hit the local circuits, they’ll also take on the decisive climb from last summer’s Olympics. French newspaper Le Parisien first reported this in January, and rumors gained momentum in the months that followed.

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The ASO, the Tour’s organizing body, submitted a proposal detailing their vision to Paris police a few weeks ago: "The peloton would tackle the Olympic route three times, passing the famous Rue Lepic and circling around the Butte Montmartre, after entering Paris via the Quai d’Issy, as has been tradition for years. After crossing the Seine at Concorde, the riders would do laps in the 18th arrondissement before descending via Rue Royale to the Champs-Élysées for the finish."

Initially, the police weren’t too keen. "There are numerous logistical and safety constraints that explain the authorities' reluctance, not to mention the associated costs." Even Remco Evenepoel, who became Olympic champion on this course in Paris, would rather not see it happen. "Don't make it too complicated; just stick to the local lap. I think there will be enough competition for positioning in the first week of the Tour. With Montmartre added, we would have to do the same thing on the last day. We'll be tired enough by then."

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Soudal Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels is fully behind his team leader and questions the decision to add a cobbled climb to the final stage. “In a way, I get him. You've already raced flat out for three weeks and now they throw in an extra element right at the end. That is added stress, especially for the GC riders. What if you have bad luck on Montmartre, with the team cars far behind and the pace full-on up front? On the Champs Élysées you could usually still fix something. But now?”

Johan Museeuw, a former winner on the Champs Élysées, is also critical of the change. “Cavendish will be glad they are only adding this now,” Museeuw told Het Nieuwsblad. “He retired just in time. For a pure sprinter like him, this is bad news. It’s a shame. But this trend has been going on for a while. Every race organizer wants to make their course harder. A full-on bunch sprint, with all the top sprinters, fast and clean, it’s like that’s no longer allowed. And yet a proper sprint finale can be just as beautiful. The Tour is breaking with tradition. That’s unfortunate.”

One voice in favor of the new finale is Thijs Zonneveld, who shared his excitement on In de Waaier. “At first I thought they were just adding the climb once, far from the finish, just for the scenery. But once I looked into it and heard the first rumors, I got genuinely excited. We might see time gaps between GC riders in the final stage of the Tour. That could be magical.”

The cobbled Montmartre climb is expected to be tackled three times, with the final summit coming just four kilometers from the line — something that sounds tailor-made for Mathieu van der Poel. “This finale really screams one name: Mathieu van der Poel. If you remember how fast he flew up that climb at the Olympics, it fits him perfectly. This could be a spectacular end to the Tour de France.”

Despite all the doubts and potential problems, the Tour de France organization issued a clear statement on Wednesday, May 14: "A real favorite, Montmartre, and the Champs-Elysées: a unique setting for the Paris finale of the Tour. See you on May 21 for the details!"

And on May 21, the Tour de France officially revealed the route for the final stage. In the video below, ASO outlines the course, showing — as the rumors suggested — that there will first be three full laps on the Champs-Élysées (four passes over the finish line), followed by three laps of the final circuit.

In the final circuit, riders will tackle Montmartre, with every lap including a return to the Champs-Élysées. The finish remains on this iconic boulevard, as is the tradition in Paris. After the final climb of Montmartre, it’s just under five kilometers to the line.