"I don’t think it’s a good idea" - Jonas Vingegaard questions safety of adding Montmartre to Tour de France final stage

The incredible parcours of the road race at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games has inspired the Tour de France organisers to change the iconic Champs-Elysees final stage for 2025. Rather than the processional ride before the final bunch sprint, this year, the cobbled Montmartre climb that ripped up that battle for Olympic gold, will be added to the Grand Tour finale.

There's been a somewhat mixed reception to the news. Whilst for fans of the sport, the addition of the climb is likely to raise the excitement levels of the final stage, for the riders themselves it's just one more thing to worry about navigating safely.

For Jonas Vingegaard, safety is the key issue when it comes to finding a fault with the race organisers adding Montmartre. “To be honest, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” the two-time Maillot Jaune winner stated at a press conference on Monday. “It was great to include Montmartre in the Olympics. It worked well — there were lots of people and a fantastic atmosphere.”

"But in that race, there were only 50 riders left in the peloton when they reached Montmartre. In the Tour de France, we’ll be 150 riders all fighting for position on a very narrow climb,” the Dane explains. “It could end up being a lot more stressful than the organisers are anticipating.”

Vingegaard isn't the only one of the Tour de France's leading stars to question the decision either. Remco Evenepoel, the man who won Olympic gold in Paris last summer has also raised concerns. "Don't make it too complex and just stick to that local round. I think there will be enough battle for positioning in the first week of the Tour. With Montmartre added, that would mean we have to do the same on the last day. We will be tired enough by then," the Belgian told Sporza previously.