Tadej Pogacar is set to enjoy a victory celebration in Paris, although the event will occur sooner than anticipated on Sunday, as the final stage of the Tour de France has been shortened due to wildfires raging in other regions of France. This stage will now cover just 89 kilometers, commencing on the iconic Champs-Élysées, where it will consist of two laps around the avenue, followed by the customary circuits of the Butte de Montmartre.
In a collaborative announcement with the police prefecture, the Tour’s organizing body, ASO, stated: “The Ministry of the Interior has decided to reallocate some of the internal security personnel originally assigned to the Tour’s final stage to bolster the response efforts in areas affected by the wildfires.”
The wildfires near the Arcachon lagoon close to Bordeaux and around Biscarrosse in Landes have caused the destruction of over 36,000 hectares of forest. This marks the third occasion this year that the Tour has faced intervention by authorities due to either wildfires or extreme heat conditions.
Concerns regarding resource allocation have also been raised following Pogacar’s remarkable victory on Alpe d’Huez on Friday. The four-time champion is now on track to claim a historic fifth title in Paris Sunday evening, following Richard Carapaz’s win in Saturday’s 20th stage.
After achieving a record time on the challenging hairpin turns of Alpe d’Huez, Pogacar was in a position to allow his nearest rival, Remco Evenepoel, to gain 39 seconds on Saturday. He heads into Sunday’s shortened stage with a substantial lead of six minutes and 26 seconds.
However, significant repercussions arose following Friday’s tumultuous climb, mainly due to the reckless actions of some spectators along the course. Several incidents endangered both riders and fans, reigniting discussions about the safety measures during Tour stages on Alpe d’Huez.
Motorbikes used during the race were hindered by the crowd, disrupting Evenepoel’s attempt to attack, while inadequate crowd control led to Movistar climber Einer Rubio abandoning the race after colliding with a UAE team car. This incident, which required Rubio to be airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble for treatment of facial injuries, occurred when an unruly fan fell in front of the vehicle, forcing it to brake suddenly.
Race director Thierry Gouvenou suggested that if older vehicle models had been in use, the accident might have been avoided, pointing to the car’s braking sensors as a contributing factor.
Videos of fans grappling for souvenirs from the promotional caravan and climbing on moving race vehicles, including the Guardian’s, have further emphasized concerns about the race’s control. Romain Grégoire, the French national champion, remarked that the behavior of the spectators was so extreme it felt more like being slapped than pushed.
Klaas Lodewyck, sports director for Evenepoel’s Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team, expressed that while enthusiastic cheering is welcome, actions such as hitting vehicle mirrors and banging on windows cross a line.
During Saturday’s final mountain stage, Pogacar, referred to as “the ogre” by L’Équipe, focused on supporting his UAE teammate, Isaac Del Toro, who is in third place. Carapaz, who previously won stages in Orcières-Merlette and Alpe d’Huez, was again a key player, launching an attack early in the stage, aiming to strengthen his position in the King of the Mountains classification.
As fatigue set in during the Tour’s most challenging mountain stage, Ilan Van Wilder, who started in 12th place overall, crashed during the descent of the Croix de Fer.
The tension between Carapaz and French climber Lenny Martinez continued into Saturday. Following an altercation where Carapaz accused Martinez of cutting him off on Friday, Martinez remained unfazed. “I knew I had to be first through the corner,” he stated. “We’re not at Club Med – I’m not letting him go first.”
Most of the excitement on the final mountain stage unfolded on the narrow ascent of the Col de Sarenne, where Paul Seixas lost ground to Pogacar, Del Toro, and Evenepoel.
Sepp Kuss from Visma-Lease a Bike, while closing in on a potential stage victory on the Alpe, crashed as he exited a tunnel and nearly plunged off the road on a sharp turn. He narrowly escaped falling over the cliff, thanks to crash netting installed along the route.
This mishap allowed Carapaz to surge ahead, and despite visible fatigue, he managed to secure his second stage win in three days and claimed the polka dot jersey.
