“I feel pain in my sprinter's heart” – Marcel Kittel disappointed by Tour de France Montmarte finale

In a bold break from tradition, the Tour de France 2025 will end not with a gentle champagne procession but with a genuine day of racing, and it’s already dividing opinion across the cycling world.

For the first time in decades, Stage 21 will not be a ceremonial roll into Paris but a potentially explosive showdown. The final day of the race will feature five classified climbs, including a late ascent of the Butte de Montmartre via the rue Lepic, less than ten kilometres from the Champs-Élysées finish line. As the Tour’s official X account teased, “This final stage could be explosive!”

The change comes after the unique 2024 edition, which concluded with a time trial from Monaco to Nice due to the Paris Olympics. With the race returning to the French capital, organisers ASO have chosen to mark 50 years since the Tour's traditional finish in Paris by revamping the finale, and it’s a move that brings major consequences.

For fans and viewers, it’s an undoubted win. Gone is the predictable parade; in its place is a final stage that could deliver drama, attacks, and maybe even a last minute shake up in the general classification. The inclusion of the Montmartre climb, last featured in Remco Evenepoel’s Olympic road race triumph, brings an added layer of tactical uncertainty.

Remember, before Evenepoel won the race, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert lit up the climb with a titanic attack. Could we see the duo have another showdown in Paris?

But for sprinters, the news is a gut punch.

Sprint legend Marcel Kittel, who won 14 Tour stages including two on the Champs-Élysées, admitted to Cycling Weekly, “I feel pain in my sprinter's heart… It's going to be very, very hard to control the race there and it's going to definitely be far more difficult to force it into a sprint on the final day.”

Kittel is right to sound the alarm. The Montmartre climb, steep, narrow, and difficult to control, will shatter lead out trains before they even enter Paris proper. Teams built around flat sprints will now be forced to survive punchy terrain before setting up their finish. “If I was still a rider, I'd be quite disappointed that it won't be a controlled sprint day anymore,” Kittel admitted.

But it’s not just sprinters losing out, GC contenders will also be on edge. What was once a day of celebration will now require full focus. “With a final like this, it's also not going to be a quiet moment for the yellow jersey anymore. The Tour now has 21 stages for the GC, not 20,” Kittel added.

There’s also a question of safety. Wet weather has previously led to neutralised final laps on the Champs-Élysées. With Montmartre’s twisting descents and tight roads added to the mix, wet conditions could raise new risks. “Sometimes in the past the race was neutralised. But with the Montmartre climb and a few descents, it will be even more challenging,” Kittel warned.

Yet for puncheurs and versatile sprinters, the change could open a door. Riders like Jasper Philipsen who can survive the short climbs on a good day may still find themselves in contention for one of cycling’s most iconic wins. “There will be guys who have a better chance to attack to make the race difficult,” Kittel said. “It’s going to be really exciting to watch… it will just depend on what other teams want when it comes down to it.”

Ultimately, the Tour de France’s reimagined finale shows that the sport is evolving to meet the expectations of modern fans, who crave unpredictability over procession. While it may disappoint purists and frustrate sprinters, there’s no question that it raises the potential for drama, and ensures that the 2025 edition will remain compelling right up until the final metres in Paris.