Tour de France Stage 21: Bring Out the Champagne
The last stage of the Tour de France is largely a processional, celebratory affair. With the General Classification decided and no real difficulties on the relatively short route, riders just enjoy the achievement of having completed the race. There will be jokes, champagne, and a pace you’d normally see on a recovery spin.
Riders will start in the Parisian suburb of Houilles before taking a gently rolling, 60K tour of the surrounding countryside and outlying suburbs. Then they head to the famed Champs-Elysées for a first crossing of the finish line.
That’s when the action will heat up as the inevitable breakaway gets going on the Champs. Riders will do eight laps of the 7K finish circuit between the Arc de Triomphe and the Jardin des Tuileries, including one with Intermediate Sprint points, before a final dash to the line.
Riders to Watch
So many sprinters dropped out of the race, so this one’s really up for grabs. Peter Sagan would normally be a top choice, but that largely depends on how he’s recovering from a crash on Stage 17. In any case, he’s got the green jersey competition sewed up and will tie Erik Zabel for the most all-time wins there, with six.
Other sprinters to watch are Sonny Colbrelli, Alexander Kristoff, and John Degenkolb. And don’t count out French riders like Christophe Laporte or Stage 18 winner Arnaud Démare, who would love to give their country a win in Paris. That said, a breakaway hasn’t succeeded on the Champs in over a decade and, with so few sprinters left in the race, there’s always the chance an opportunistic rider breaks that streak.
When to Tune In
Because of the long transfer from Pau, the final stage gets underway late: 10:15 a.m. EST. Riders should reach the Champs-Elysées around noon, when the racing will really start. The final sprint should go down around 1 p.m.
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