Big news! Tour de France 2025 set to copy Olympics with cobbled finale in Paris

The long-standing tradition of a serene final day parade into Paris for the Tour de France is about to be turned on its head. According to Le Parisien, the 2025 edition of the race will take a bold new route through the heart of the capital, including three ascents of the iconic Montmartre hill.

Following last year's Olympic road race, which used the same spectacular route and saw explosive attacks from Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert before Remco Evenepoel surged to gold, the Tour looks set to embrace the same setting, this time, as a dramatic closing stage.

Originally considered unlikely due to logistical complications, the Montmartre finale has now become a reality thanks in part to high-level political backing. French President Emmanuel Macron is said to have supported the organisers' request behind the scenes, helping smooth the path with city officials and law enforcement.

ASO was reportedly cautious about appearing too forceful with their proposal, but quiet negotiations have paid off. Now, the July 27th finale promises to offer far more tension than the usual ceremonial cruise toward a bunch sprint on the Champs-Élysées.

Unlike previous editions, where the final day was more about celebration than competition, this reimagined conclusion could genuinely impact the general classification. With three climbs of Montmartre, the racing is expected to be intense, and far from the traditional sprinter-friendly finish.

Had the peloton been asked to tackle Montmartre just once, it may have felt like a nod to tradition. But three times up the cobbled ascent will ensure a race, not a parade. For the sprinters, this spells bad news, the certainty of a gallop down the Champs is gone. And for the yellow jersey contenders, it means staying on high alert right until the end.

This change is part of a broader push by Tour organisers to innovate and reimagine the race’s iconic moments. In 2024, with Paris unavailable due to the Olympic Games, the race concluded in Nice with a thrilling individual time trial. The absence of a traditional bunch sprint was hardly missed, and instead, the finale was widely praised for its unpredictability.