Memorable Montmartre wows fans

Naysayers silenced as crowds roar for the Tour

- James Shrubsall

When it was announced in January that the final stage of this year's Tour de France would follow the Olympic road race over the climb at Montmartre, much head scratching and hand-wringing ensued.

But on Sunday all those pub arguments and all those lines of copy were incinerated in the flames of half an hour of the most exciting race anyone can remember seeing at the Tour.

Yes, the sprinters missed out on their unofficial world championship. And yes, the GC had to be neutralised before the riders reached the cobbles for fear of a crash ending someone's race.

But those were facts that were forgotten in the moment as the best riders in the race ploughed a furrow through crowds whose fervour refused to be dampened by the rain.