The final stage of the Tour de France in Paris has been shortened due to ongoing wildfires in other parts of France. The decision, made by the Tour organiser ASO in conjunction with the prefecture police, means the stage will now cover 89km, commencing on the Champs-Élysées with two laps before the traditional circuits of the Butte Montmartre.
The Ministry of the Interior decided to reallocate internal security forces, initially designated for the final stage, to assist with wildfire response efforts. Wildfires near Bordeaux and Biscarrosse have affected more than 36,000 hectares of forest. This marks the third instance in this year’s race where a stage has been impacted by prefecture intervention due to either wildfires or a heatwave.
Carapaz secures stage victory
On Saturday’s 20th stage, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) claimed his second stage victory in three days, triumphing on Alpe d’Huez. Carapaz capitalized on two late falls by Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) in the final 10km, passing the American with only a few kilometres remaining. This win also secured Carapaz the King of the Mountains jersey.
The stage was a drama-filled mountain challenge, with Carapaz and Kuss being part of a 14-rider breakaway. They attacked each other on the Col du Galibier and Col de Sarenne, emerging as the strongest climbers in the group alongside Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
Kuss initially made a move with 17.4km to go, dropping his companions by approximately 20 seconds. However, his falls, first at the exit of a tunnel and then near a wall on a descent, allowed Carapaz to take the lead. Carapaz extended his advantage to 31 seconds over Kuss by the finish line. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) overtook Kuss in the final 500 metres to finish second, 26 seconds behind Carapaz.
Pogacar’s commanding lead and team support
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who is expected to secure a record-equalling fifth title, maintained a substantial lead. He finished fourth on stage 20, effectively confirming his fifth overall victory. Pogacar conceded 39 seconds to Evenepoel on Saturday but will start the shortened final stage with a lead of six minutes and 26 seconds.
Pogacar spent the stage working as a domestique for his teammate, Isaac del Toro, ensuring Del Toro secured the final spot on the General Classification podium and the white jersey for the best young rider. Pogacar’s efforts also helped to distance Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA-CGM), who had attempted to challenge Del Toro’s position.
The world champion expressed his appreciation for his teammates, stating that he now has an even greater understanding of their hard work. He described the moment he and Del Toro crossed the finish line together as “goosebumps” and “one for the memories.”
Safety concerns and incidents
The chaotic scenes on Friday’s climb up Alpe d’Huez raised significant safety concerns, particularly regarding crowd control. Incidents included in-race motorbikes being stalled by crowds, which affected Evenepoel’s attack. A lack of crowd management also led to Movistar climber Einer Rubio abandoning the race after colliding with a UAE team car. Rubio was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble and received 20 stitches for facial injuries, with the crash attributed to an unruly spectator.
The race director, Thierry Gouvenou, commented on the incident, suggesting that older car models might have prevented the accident. Footage of fans wrestling for gifts and climbing on moving race vehicles further fueled discussions about the race’s safety. Romain Grégoire, the French national champion, described spectators as being “so drunk that it was more like being slapped on the arse, than getting pushes.”
Evenepoel’s sports director, Klaas Lodewyck, acknowledged the positive atmosphere created by cheering fans but drew a line at disruptive behaviour such as punching side mirrors and banging on windows. The spat between Carapaz and French climber Lenny Martinez also continued into Saturday morning, stemming from an incident on Friday’s stage where Carapaz accused Martinez of “cutting in front” of him.
Despite the challenges, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) made a significant push to secure the green jersey, achieving points at the intermediate sprint after making it over the first HC climb. Carapaz, meanwhile, continued to accumulate mountain points, claiming the Souvenir Henri Desgranges for being the first rider over the highest point of the race.
Source: theguardian.com
Daniel Fairbrother is the Senior Football Correspondent at Latest News UK, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with over a decade of reporting experience. He spent eight years on the football desk of a Yorkshire daily before moving into national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Leeds, he watches non-league football and runs a five-a-side league. “The best football stories are won in the week, not on the whistle.”