Every vantage point is taken. –Commentator on the crowds in Montmatre on the final stage of the 2025 Tour
By Roger Childs
Back in Paris
Because the Olympics were on in Paris at the time, the 2024 Tour de France finished in Nice. Traditionally the most famous bike race on the world has ended on the Champs-Élysées, so it was back to normal in 2025. However there was a twist. The organisers decided to include four circuits of a loop through Montmatre before a final sprint down the Champs.
This proved to be highly successful as huge crowds filled the streets including dancers from the Folies Bergère, and were able to be close to the riders as they flew by four times. It is estimated that over a million people watched Stage 21 in the French capital.
Tour winner already decided
Coming into Paris there was no doubt about this year’s winner of Le Tour. Slovenian Tadej Pogacar had held the yellow jersey from Stage 12 and built up a lead of more than 4 minutes over two times winner Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark. In the last 10 stages the Dane tried his utmost to break Pogacar, but the Slovenian legend was always too strong. The yellow jersey holder just had to stay on his bike in Paris and cross the finish line on the Champs-Élysées to claim his fourth title.
A small group of great riders – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin – have won five tours. It is highly likely that Tadej Pogacar will join this illustrious bunch in time.
Hinault was actually the last yellow jersey holder to win the final stage in Paris back in 1982. On the last circuit in Montmatre it looked as if Pogacar would emulate this feat. But Belgian champion Wout van Aert had other ideas. He raced past the Slovenian with 5km to go and crossed the finish line comfortably first on the Champs-Élysées.
2025 jersey winners
As well as winning the overall event Tadej Pogacar also took the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey. Jonathan Milan from Italy won the green sprinter jersey and Belgian Florian Lipowitz was the best young rider. The winner’s time for the 21 stages was 76 hours and 32 seconds.
160 bike riders finished the gruelling 3338.8km event which included 52,500m of climbing, including Kiwi Laurence Pithie who was 89th. Many of the Tour riders will now move on to another punishing event: the Vuelta a Espania, which covers 3151km in 21 stages and begins on August 23. Pogacar is contemplating taking part after a week off!