Tour de France 2025: Final Stage Confirmed to Pass Through Montmartre and Rue Lepic, Rekindling Olympic Fever
EXCLUSIVE – LE PARISIEN. After lengthy negotiations and high-level political involvement, the Tour de France will indeed follow the spectacular route used during the Paris Olympics, including three ascents of the iconic Montmartre hill.
So, the 27th of July won’t be the usual sleepy finale of the Tour de France, that quiet final day before the frenzy of the Champs-Élysées sprint. While not yet officially announced, sources confirm that the 21st and final stage of the Tour will showcase a fresh, much more exciting format. The race will venture deep into the 18th arrondissement, with riders climbing the Montmartre hill not once, but three times—before the traditional laps on the Champs-Élysées bring the stage to a close.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the first finish on the world’s most beautiful avenue, organisers have decided to add some muscle to the Paris stage. Gone are the days of a slow procession into the capital, with riders sipping champagne at 25 km/h while TV commentators struggle to fill airtime and viewers battle drowsiness.
The thrilling route, first revealed by Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui-en-France on 14 January, is now set to become a reality. This summer’s Tour will offer a stunning postcard image and a powerful mix of publicity and tension—think Amélie, the Olympic Games, and modern flair all rolled into one.
The Paris Police Prefect Initially Said No
One of the most iconic images from the Paris Olympics was undoubtedly the men's road race on 3 August 2024, snaking through the heart of Montmartre with Rue Lepic packed with cheering crowds. The atmosphere resembled the legendary Alpe d’Huez, right in the middle of Paris. Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel took the win ahead of Frenchmen Valentin Madouas and Christophe Laporte, his triumph with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop etched into everyone’s memory.
That very evening, ASO officials (organisers of the Tour) allowed themselves to dream: what if the Tour came through here? What if permission could be granted?
Dreams are cheap. Getting official approval, on the other hand, took time, endless discussions, and a fair amount of stress. The process resembled a mountainous stage itself, with slow climbs of hope and rapid descents of disappointment.
ASO first submitted a formal request to Paris Police Prefect Laurent Nuñez. The answer was a firm no. The prefect feared, understandably, that a large crowd—much like during a major Alpine stage—would arrive days in advance. Closing off parts of Montmartre to traffic for that long, right in peak tourist season, seemed unmanageable. The security resources required also appeared excessive.
Paris City Hall Backed It—And So Did Emmanuel Macron
But the Tour de France is no ordinary event in the eyes of the political world. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has long had close ties with ASO, had previously helped bring the Grand Départ to the Vendée in 2018.
And then there’s Emmanuel Macron—a major supporter of the Tour. The French President personally got involved, signalling his backing for the project. With support at the highest level, doors began to reopen. Still, ASO didn’t want to force the issue or appear to be strong-arming the police prefecture. Negotiations continued quietly behind the scenes.
On the city side, things went smoothly. Earlier this year, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had lunch with Tour Director Christian Prudhomme. She expressed her enthusiasm for the plan, praising how it would revive the Olympic spirit in the city. She even pledged 300 city staff to help with security and traffic management.
Just when it all seemed on track, a new obstacle popped up in February. The 18th arrondissement had installed large concrete planters along a section of Rue Lepic over the winter, part of a greening initiative. This reduced the available space and made it impossible for the peloton to pass through as planned. It looked like the project might fall through—but a solution was found. A 50-metre detour will allow the race to bypass the planters.
A One-Off—Or the Start of a New Tradition?
Beyond the postcard-perfect visuals, this stage could also change the sporting dynamics of the Tour’s final day. A single climb of Montmartre might have been little more than a parade—but three ascents? That’s a proper race. Sprinters can no longer count on the usual straightforward sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées. This added tension could lead to a thrilling final twist—or, as the old cycling saying goes, it might change nothing at all: the organisers propose, the riders decide.
This shake-up of tradition reflects a growing desire to innovate and break the mould. Last year, with Paris unavailable due to the Olympics, the Tour wrapped up with an individual time trial in Nice—without much complaint over the missing sprint.
Officially, the special authorisation applies only to the 2025 edition. But if the stage is a hit with fans and riders alike, it may prove difficult not to make Montmartre a permanent fixture. In the Tour de France, once something works, there’s rarely any going back.
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