“In Montmartre we should have a massive crowd” - Tour organisers anticipate epic Tour de France 2025 conclusion

Today’s final stage of the 2025 Tour de France marks a return to the capital after last year’s Olympic Games related detour to Nice, but the tradition of a predictable sprint on the Champs-Élysées won’t hold. Tour director Christian Prudhomme, now in his 18th year at the helm, spoke with Cyclism’Actu ahead of the finish and reflected on a Tour packed with dominance, exciting racing, and a different kind of finale.

“What I remember is a lot of fervor, a lot of passion, a lot of people,” Prudhomme said. “We forget, every year, that there are a lot of people on the roads of the Tour, from the start in the North, Normandy, so happy to see the Tour again, Brittany... everywhere there were a lot of people, a lot of young people and television audiences that match the world there is on the roadsides, that is to say quite remarkable. I remember that and of course, from a sporting point of view, the very strong domination of Tadej Pogacar and the will of Vingegaard to try to fight again.”

With Pogacar sealing his fourth title and Jonas Vingegaard again the closest challenger, the French director also took pride in local performances. “We were afraid of not having any stage wins and we had it almost on the best day. Valentin Paret-Peintre's victory at Ventoux is fantastic.

He acknowledged a generational shift is underway in French cycling. “We know that we are in a generation of transition with Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet who have left, Julian Alaphilippe who is the link but there are many new and young riders, who will shine tomorrow but who are already giving us a lot of satisfaction today.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Prudhomme mentioned rising star Paul Seixas with caution. “Paul Seixas is definitely a gem, now we have to be very careful not to damage him, we have to let him grow. If he's not at the start of the 2026 Tour, I wouldn't blame anyone.”

Part of this year’s success, he said, was the record youth engagement with the race. “There have never been so many young people watching the Tour as this year, since we've been doing this kind of study, so since 2006. And it shows, it feels on the side of the road, including in the selfie requests I get. Before, a young person would ask me for their grandfather, their grandmother, now it's for them.”

On today’s unique finish, which features the steep Montmartre climb, Prudhomme explained the choice. “There's been a huge crowd on the Tour since the beginning, so I'm curious to see what it's like in Paris. The Champs-Élysées is magnificent; we're going to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first finish on the Champs-Élysées, but you don't see the crowds on the Champs-Élysées; they're under the trees. In Montmartre, we should have a massive crowd.”

Prudhomme also touched on the growing stature of the Tour de France Femmes, which added two more days and expanded its reach. “It's an event that has gained two days compared to last year, which will go from Brittany to Haute Savoie. A very selective event that grows women's cycling but is also beneficial for the Tour itself.

“We're looking for other people, women but not only. There's also a cyclosportive event that's launching in eight days on the Women's Tour. The development of the sport is obviously very important, for women but more broadly for Tour enthusiasts. What I liked from the start with the Women's Tour de France is that it's the same family crowd, the same smiles, and that feels good.”

Asked about the prospect of a French winner in the women’s race, Prudhomme was hopeful. “It would be extraordinary if a French woman could win. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has all the gifts, we didn't imagine her winning Paris-Roubaix like that and she did. She has the Tour de France as her goal, but there are other quality French women: Evita Muzic, Juliette Labous... and while we wait, the younger ones. I still think the next French woman to win the Tour will be a French woman.”