Montmartre circuit brings risk and rivalry to Tour de France

The Tour de France will make three circuits of the historic Paris district of Montmartre on its last stage in 2025 in what organisers said on May 21 would add a competitive finale to the world's greatest bike race.

- 

PARIS - The Tour de France will make three circuits of the historic Paris district of Montmartre on its last stage in 2025 in what organisers said on May 21 would add a competitive finale to the world's greatest bike race.

The new format of the final stage on July 27 introduces an outside possibility that the leading contender could crash out, adding suspense to what had traditionally become a procession into the French capital.

The riders will for the first time on a Tour de France race a total of 16.8km in Montmartre before the peloton heads to the Champs- Elysees, where it will complete three circuits, instead of the previous eight.

The change prolongs the suspense because a breakaway on the narrow, cobbled streets of Montmartre could tempt a few adventurous riders to join and force the big guns to follow them.