Cycling: The 112th edition of the Tour de France ends tomorrow. As always, the pros will celebrate the end of the three weeks in Paris. This time, however, a bunch sprint is anything but likely.
What is the Côte de la butte Montmartre doing?
Traditional cycling fans are criticizing the profile of the final stage of the 2025 Tour de France. Unlike usual, there will be no leisurely stage on the Champs-Élysées . The 132,3-kilometer stage from Mantes-la-Ville to Paris will indeed finish on the Champs-Élysées, but it won't be a classic flat stage. While the Côte de Bazemont and the Côte du Pavé des Gardes are unlikely to have a significant impact, the Côte de la Butte Montmartre could prove decisive. This climb, familiar from last year's Olympic Games, will have to be tackled three times tomorrow – in the second half of the race. With a length of 1,0 kilometer and an average gradient of 4,8 percent, it could prove disastrous for the sprinters. The road surface is a particular concern for some of the professionals.
Velomotion prediction: Pogacar wants victory in Paris
How many chances does the Tour de France winner in the yellow jersey get to win a stage in Paris? Probably not very many, if the organizers revert to the old system after this year's experiment. Tadej Pogacar is someone who wants to win every race in his life at least once. He certainly dreams of a victory in Paris. Tomorrow he has the best chance. The climb suits him because it's cobbled and short. Hardly anyone – apart from the abandoned Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel, or the absent Mads Pedersen – can match him here. Wout van Aert will be lurking here, waiting for his opportunity.
*** Tadej Pogacar (UAE – XRG)
** Wout van Aert (Visma – Lease a Bike), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor)
* Kaden Groves (Alpecin – Deceuninck), Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Romain Grégoire (Groupama – FDJ)