Tadej Pogacar is one victory lap away from becoming the first rider since Bernard Hinault to win five Tours de France, and he'll do so in a Parisian spectacle like no other. The traditional final stage, which was always going to be a celebratory procession around the iconic Champs-Élysées, has been truncated due to the raging wildfires elsewhere in France. Organisers have pulled out all stops to support the emergency services, redeploying internal security forces to aid with firefighting efforts.
The 89-kilometre shortened stage will get underway directly on the famous avenue, riders set for two laps of the Champs-Élysées before tackling the familiar circuits around the Butte de Montmartre. It's a stark reminder that this year's Tour has been anything but conventional, with stages impacted by external factors such as wildfires and extreme heat.
Despite conceding 39 seconds to Remco Evenepoel on Saturday's Stage 20, Pogacar heads into the final day with a commanding lead of six minutes and 26 seconds. This cushion was forged despite being tested by the likes of Richard Carapaz, who claimed victory in Orcières-Merlette and asserted his dominance in the King of the Mountains classification.
But it's not all been smooth sailing for Pogacar or the peloton. Friday's ascent of Alpe d'Huez was marred by controversy, with numerous incidents involving unruly spectators raising serious safety concerns. Einer Rubio's gruesome crash into a UAE team car – attributed to a spectator falling in front of the vehicle – left the Movistar rider with 20 stitches for facial injuries.
Race director Thierry Gouvenou pointed fingers at modern car technology, suggesting that ancient braking sensors might have prevented the incident. Meanwhile, riders and team officials vented their frustrations, with French national champion Romain Grégoire branding spectators as "so drunk they were more of a hindrance than help." Evenepoel's sports director, Klaaas Lodewyck, chipped in: "We want to see the fans enjoying themselves, but when it turns into punching side mirrors and banging on windows, that's no longer acceptable."