{"id":712214,"date":"2026-07-26T16:06:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T16:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/712214\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T16:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T16:06:08","slug":"tour-de-france-2026-final-stage-to-paris-champs-elysees-live-tour-de-france-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/712214\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour de France 2026: final stage to Paris Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es \u2013 live | Tour de France 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Key events<\/p>\n

88km to go We\u2019re off, with the four classification winners leading a slow rollout. It looks like we\u2019re going to get a processional lap before the serious racing starts. No sign of any champagne, yet.<\/p>\n

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What do you, the reader, make of this stage? I find it quite strange as sporting spectacle. The pageantry is nice, but I\u2019d prefer more of a proper stage. Send me an email via the link at the top of the page with your thoughts.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a011.57 EDT<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not long now until the rollout of the final stage, I\u2019m not sure how this will play out initially given the precessional element.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s a reminder of what happened yesterday, Jeremy Whittle\u2019s report from Alpe d\u2019Huez:<\/p>\n

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A quick look at today\u2019s stage in Paris:<\/p>\n

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Share<\/a>William Fotheringham’s stage guide\"WilliamWilliam FotheringhamStage 21, Sunday 26 July: Thoiry to Paris Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, 133km<\/p>\n

The experiment last year with climbs of the Butte Montmartre was a success, an epic win for Wout van Aert in spite of rain meaning that the stage did not count for the overall; it\u2019s back again, but the circuit is extended so there are 10km from the top of the climb to the finish on the Champs. No Van Aert this year so watch out for Classics specialists such as Pedersen or Van der Poel, if he is still in the race. That\u2019s assuming Pogacar takes a back seat, but I\u2019d be hedging my bets on that.<\/p>\n

Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n

In a Tour de France<\/a> where the events away from the road have often been more prominent than the racing perhaps it was always going to end like this. A race seared in its early stages by a heatwave, now sees its finale shortened to divert vital services to the south of France to help battle the wildfires that have gripped the region and seen nearly 200,000 people evacuated.<\/p>\n

The riders have already done their pre-stage presentation in Thoiry, then been bused into Paris where the shortened 89km stage now starts and ends. The Tour is all over, bar the shouting, everything except the winner of stage 21 has been settled.<\/p>\n

Yesterday Mads Pedersen, Richard Carapaz and Isaac del Toro all secured their desired jerseys. Pedersen put the point classification out of reach of Jasper Philipsen with an incredible effort over the Galibier to win another intermediate sprint, Carapaz pocketed the polkadots with scintilating performance in the mountains that saw him win his second stage of this year\u2019s Tour, while Del Toro saw off Paul Seixas, with a mighty assist from Tadej Pogacar, in the battle for the young rider\u2019s white jersey. Pogacar, of course, had effectively made the maillot jaune his since his attack on the Tourmalet on stage six. Today will the Slovenian will be officially crowned champion for a fifth time. He could win the stage too.<\/p>\n

The route now takes in three trips up C\u00f4te de la Butte Montmartre, as well as a few laps of the Champs-Elys\u00e9es and has the feel of a spring classic. Mathieu van der Poel is an obvious pick as the winner, Pogacar and Pedrsen too but the sprinters can\u2019t be ruled out if they can survive the climbs. On a weary end to the Tour, whoever takes the initative today should well be the winner.<\/p>\n

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