The final stage of the Tour de France in Paris has been shortened to 89km, with the route now commencing directly on the Champs-Élysées. This adjustment was made due to the redeployment of internal security forces to address ongoing wildfires in other parts of France, particularly around the Arcachon lagoon near Bordeaux and Biscarrosse in the Landes region. These fires have affected more than 36,000 hectares of forest. This marks the third instance in this year’s race where a stage has been altered due to wildfires or a heatwave.
Tadej Pogacar is anticipated to secure his fifth Tour de France title on Sunday evening. His overall lead stands at six minutes and 26 seconds ahead of the shortened final stage. On Saturday, Richard Carapaz claimed victory in the 20th stage, marking his second stage win in three days and securing the polka dot jersey for the King of the Mountains classification.
Stage 20 Drama and Incidents
The 20th stage saw significant action, particularly on the Col de Sarenne. Carapaz, riding for EF Education-EasyPost, capitalised on two falls by Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) in the final 10km. Kuss, who had been leading after attacking on the Col du Galibier and Col de Sarenne, crashed first at the exit of a tunnel and then nearly went over a cliff edge on a fast bend, being stopped by crash netting. Carapaz then passed him, extending his lead to 31 seconds at the finish line.
Pogacar, despite his commanding lead, adopted a domestique role during stage 20, assisting his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Isaac del Toro. This effort helped Del Toro secure a podium finish and the white jersey for the best young rider. Pogacar rode alongside Del Toro across the finish line, celebrating their team’s success.
The previous day’s stage to Alpe d’Huez was marred by chaotic crowd behaviour, leading to safety concerns. Incidents included in-race motorbikes being blocked by spectators, which stalled an attack from Remco Evenepoel. Additionally, a lack of crowd control resulted in Movistar climber Einer Rubio abandoning the race after colliding with the rear windscreen of a UAE team car. Rubio was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble and received 20 stitches for facial injuries, with the crash attributed to an unruly spectator causing the car to brake suddenly.
The behaviour of some fans, including wrestling over gifts from the caravane publicitaire and climbing on moving race vehicles, contributed to a perception of the race being out of control. Romain Grégoire, the French national champion, described spectators as being “so drunk that it was more like being slapped on the arse, than getting pushes.” Klaas Lodewyck, Evenepoel’s Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe sports director, expressed concern about fans punching side mirrors and banging on windows.
Carapaz’s Dominance and Pogacar’s Support
Carapaz’s victory on stage 20 solidified his position in the mountains classification. He attacked early on the Col de la Croix de Fer, aiming to extend his lead in the King of the Mountains competition. He also claimed the Souvenir Henri Desgranges for being the first rider over the race’s highest point, mathematically confirming his polka dot jersey win.
The stage also featured a notable performance from Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who managed to stay with the leaders over the first HC climb to secure points in the intermediate sprint, effectively sealing the green jersey for the points classification. Pedersen’s efforts involved breaking away from the main bunch 5km from the summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer to bridge a gap to the leading group.
Pogacar’s decision to support Del Toro was a key narrative of the stage. He worked to protect Del Toro’s position against challenges from riders like Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA-CGM). Pogacar’s efforts ensured Del Toro maintained his third-place overall standing and secured the white jersey, despite Evenepoel’s attempts to gain time.
The final mountain stage also saw a dispute between Carapaz and French climber Lenny Martinez, which stemmed from an incident on Friday’s stage to the Alpe. Carapaz accused Martinez of “cutting in front” on the final corner, to which Martinez responded, “I knew I had to be first through the corner. We’re not at Club Med – I’m not letting him go first.”
The shortened final stage on Sunday will see the publicity caravan depart from Thoiry at 1:20 PM, with team presentations scheduled for 3:40 PM.
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Source: theguardian.com
