Cycling: The older ones among us may still remember – there was a time when the Tour de France did not reach its final climax on the Champs-Elysées. But since 1975, the final sprint of the world's greatest race has been inextricably linked to the world-famous road. Now, just in time for the 40th anniversary, the cooperation between the tour and the French Office for the Protection of Monuments has been extended.
The finish against the backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe has meanwhile become one of the most defining symbols of the Tour de France. The decision to immortalize this symbol as a silhouette on this year's classification jerseys was no coincidence. The Arc de Triomphe is as much a part of the Tour as the baguette is part of France – since the 100th anniversary of the Grand Boucle, the route has also led the field on the final circuit around the Arc de Triomphe. This was only made possible through the cooperation between the tour and the French Monument Protection Agency - now this contract has been extended.
“The Tour and the Champs-Elysées belong together, everyone knows that. Nobody can imagine crossing the finish line anywhere else. At that time it was a historic turning point and now the field even leads around the triumphal arch - this gives this stage even more prestige," said Christian Prudhomme about the collaboration. In any case, we are curious to see who will be at the top of the foot of the Arc de Triomphe on July 26th.
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