Water is wet and the Tour de France always ends in Paris on the Champs-Elysees. Almost always. Because in 2024 the tour will make a change. The grand finale rises in the south of the country and evokes memories of a drama.
Mon dieu! The Tour de France breaks with an age-old tradition. The Tour de France has always ended in the French capital since 1905, and on the unyielding cobblestones of the Champs-Elysees boulevard since 1975.
Usually a last tryst of the Sprinter Guard. Whoever wins here has a place in the history books for sure.
Tour de France: Nice is the new Paris
But in 2024 all this will be thrown overboard. Because of the simultaneous Summer Olympics in Paris, the tour planners have moved the final to the south. Instead of Paris, the tour finale will be in Nice on the Cote d’Azur this time.
The last stage is planned as an individual time trial from the Principality of Monaco to Nice, around 30 kilometers away. Also means: Nothing with cycling and final sprint – but possibly a tour decisive time trial thriller. Just like in 1989. At that time, the last stage also led to Paris as a time trial.
America’s Greg LeMond started 50 seconds behind France’s Laurent Fignon in a battle against the clock. The comeback ended with an eight second lead and victory for LeMond. It is still the closest result in tour history.
Tour de France: Premiere in Italy
For a long time this year, it looked like a similar thriller. But after the Alpine stages and time trials in the third week, Jonas Vingegaard came to Paris with a clear 7:29 minutes ahead of Tadej Pogacar. The Dane defended his success from last year. The decision in 2024 between the two cycling giants may not be made until the last stage, then in Nice and not in Paris.
Because of the Olympics, the 2024 tour will be brought forward by a week. The Tour of France begins on June 29 in Florence, marking the first time in Tour history in Italy.