Stage 21

Tour de France final stage shortened as emergency teams tackle wildfires

Coverage starts: 16:30 BST / 17:30 CEST / 11:30 EDT

The final stage of the Tour de France has been shortened and rerouted, with first responders diverted from Paris to tackle wildfires that are raging in the southwest of France.

Sunday’s traditional stage in Paris has been shortened from 133km (82 miles) to just 89km (55 miles), with the riders starting on the Champs-Elysees rather than in Thoiry, west of the French capital.

The newly designed stage 21 will still end along the famed Champs-Elysees, with the riders taking two extra circuits of the road before heading out for the Montmartre climb.

The Montmartre circuit has proven to be popular after it was used in the 2024 Paris Olympics and then added to the 2025 Tour de France. The area can accommodate large gatherings of fans, who turn the area into a party atmosphere.

Just like last year, the Côte de la Butte Montmartre once again features in the finale. This time, the cobbled climb of 1.1 kilometres at 5.9% comes 10.3 kilometres from the finish line.

After the one-off finish in Nice in 2024, Paris once again provides the finale – though, as last year, not with the usual sprinters’ stage. The cobbled climb towards the Sacré-Cœur produced such spectacular racing last time that it makes a return this year. The section, which runs for 1.1 kilometres at an average gradient of 5.9%, will be tackled three times in total, with the final ascent coming 10.3 kilometres from the finish line.

One difference from last year is that the climb now comes 4.2 kilometres further from the finish. In theory, that gives dropped sprinters – or rather, dropped riders in general – more time to regain contact.

The run-in to Paris follows the familiar pattern. After plenty of chatter and even more photo opportunities, the riders reach the French capital after roughly 50 kilometres. Then come four laps of 6.8 kilometres on the Champs-Élysées, before heading for the Côte de la Butte Montmartre for the first time. The circuit including the cobbled climb measures 16.7 kilometres and is ridden three times.

Wout van Aert pulled off the unseen in last year's finale: he dropped Tadej Pogacar. On the cobbles of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre, the yellow jersey launched an attack, but the Belgian countered and rode away solo to a resounding victory. With that, the Slovenian missed out on his fifth stage win, but he still crossed the line in fourth place to secure his fourth overall Tour de France title.