Latest news with #ChristianPrudhomme
NBC Sports
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Tour de France final stage will include Montmartre climb, three times
PARIS — Tour de France riders will climb the Montmartre hill three times during this year's final stage — a significant break from tradition that will add a dose of suspense and requires heightened security measures. There was a village atmosphere when massive crowds lined the streets of Montmartre during last year's Olympics to cheer on riders who climbed narrow cobbled streets in the northern area of Paris. Tour director Christian Prudhomme said that he wanted to recapture that popular fervor, while offering new race scenarios. Traditionally, the final stage is largely processional until a sprint decides the day's winner on the Champs-Elysées. This summer, the final climb up the cobbled Rue Lepic will come less than 7km from the finish, and it's unlikely many sprinters will still be in the mix for the stage win when the leading group reaches the iconic avenue. 'It will be more complicated for the sprinters,' Prudhomme said as he unveiled the stage route, which could however favor one-day classic specialists good at tackling short and steep hills. The 21st stage of the Tour on July 27, starting from the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Ville, will include three passages beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica. The Montmartre area is a maze of narrow streets and it will require a deployment of extra security forces, urban planning and many security barriers. During the Olympics, the road races attracted more than 500,000 spectators in Paris, organizers said. Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefect, said 'several thousand' security forces will be on duty to guarantee the safety of riders and fans. 'But it does not pose any particular challenge, we proved that during the Paris Olympics,' he added. The inclusion of Montmartre will derail the pure sprinters' quest for glory on the Champs-Elysées. It could even have an influence on the general classification if gaps between the main contenders remain tight heading into the final stage. 'Imagine an attack by one of the main contenders of the Tour de France at the last moment, a few kilometers from the finish,' Prudhomme said. The last time the final stage proved decisive was in 1989, when Greg LeMond won his second Tour de France with the closest finish ever, edging Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds. LeMond started the day 50 seconds behind Fignon and won the final stage, a 15-mile race against the clock from Versailles to Paris. Not all riders are thrilled by the change. 'Montmartre was nice to do in the Olympics, it seemed good, a lot of people, a really good atmosphere,' two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard said. 'But when they came to the Montmartre, there was only 15 riders left in the bunch. And when we do the Tour de France, there will be 150 guys fighting for positions on a very narrow climb. It could end up being more stress than they want to have.' The Tour starts from the northern city of Lille on July 5, and the women's race kicks off on July 26 from the Brittany town of Vannes. Last year's final stage was held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to Nice. The Champs-Élysées returns this year for the conclusion of the 2,060-mile race.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tour de France final stage will include Montmartre climb, three times
PARIS (AP) — Tour de France riders will climb the Montmartre hill three times during this year's final stage — a significant break from tradition that will add a dose of suspense and requires heightened security measures. There was a village atmosphere when massive crowds lined the streets of Montmartre during last year's Olympics to cheer on riders who climbed narrow cobbled streets in the northern area of Paris. Tour director Christian Prudhomme said on Wednesday that he wanted to recapture that popular fervor, while offering new race scenarios. Traditionally, the final stage is largely processional until a sprint decides the day's winner on the Champs-Elysées. This summer, the final climb up the cobbled Rue Lepic will come less than 7km from the finish, and it's unlikely many sprinters will still be in the mix for the stage win when the leading group reaches the iconic avenue. 'It will be more complicated for the sprinters," Prudhomme said as he unveiled the stage route, which could however favor one-day classic specialists good at tackling short and steep hills. The 21st stage of the Tour on July 27, starting from the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Ville, will include three passages beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica. The Montmartre area is a maze of narrow streets and it will require a deployment of extra security forces, urban planning and many security barriers. During the Olympics, the road races attracted more than 500,000 spectators in Paris, organizers said. Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefect, said 'several thousand' security forces will be on duty to guarantee the safety of riders and fans. 'But it does not pose any particular challenge, we proved that during the Paris Olympics,' he added. The inclusion of Montmartre will derail the pure sprinters' quest for glory on the Champs-Elysées. It could even have an influence on the general classification if gaps between the main contenders remain tight heading into the final stage. 'Imagine an attack by one of the main contenders of the Tour de France at the last moment, a few kilometers from the finish,' Prudhomme said. The last time the final stage proved decisive was in 1989, when Greg LeMond won his second Tour de France with the closest finish ever, edging Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds. LeMond started the day 50 seconds behind Fignon and won the final stage, a 15-mile race against the clock from Versailles to Paris. Not all riders are thrilled by the change. 'Montmartre was nice to do in the Olympics, it seemed good, a lot of people, a really good atmosphere,' two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard said this week. 'But when they came to the Montmartre, there was only 15 riders left in the bunch. And when we do the Tour de France, there will be 150 guys fighting for positions on a very narrow climb. It could end up being more stress than they want to have.' The Tour starts from the northern city of Lille on July 5, and the women's race kicks off on July 26 from the Brittany town of Vannes. Last year's final stage was held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to Nice. The Champs-Élysées returns this year for the conclusion of the 3,320-kilometer (2,060-mile) race.
Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Tour de France final stage will include Montmartre climb, three times
PARIS (AP) — Tour de France riders will climb the Montmartre hill three times during this year's final stage — a significant break from tradition that will add a dose of suspense and requires heightened security measures. There was a village atmosphere when massive crowds lined the streets of Montmartre during last year's Olympics to cheer on riders who climbed narrow cobbled streets in the northern area of Paris. Tour director Christian Prudhomme said on Wednesday that he wanted to recapture that popular fervor, while offering new race scenarios. Traditionally, the final stage is largely processional until a sprint decides the day's winner on the Champs-Elysées. This summer, the final climb up the cobbled Rue Lepic will come less than 7km from the finish, and it's unlikely many sprinters will still be in the mix for the stage win when the leading group reaches the iconic avenue. 'It will be more complicated for the sprinters,' Prudhomme said as he unveiled the stage route, which could however favor one-day classic specialists good at tackling short and steep hills. The 21st stage of the Tour on July 27, starting from the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Ville, will include three passages beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica. The Montmartre area is a maze of narrow streets and it will require a deployment of extra security forces, urban planning and many security barriers. During the Olympics, the road races attracted more than 500,000 spectators in Paris, organizers said. Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefect, said 'several thousand' security forces will be on duty to guarantee the safety of riders and fans. 'But it does not pose any particular challenge, we proved that during the Paris Olympics,' he added. The inclusion of Montmartre will derail the pure sprinters' quest for glory on the Champs-Elysées. It could even have an influence on the general classification if gaps between the main contenders remain tight heading into the final stage. 'Imagine an attack by one of the main contenders of the Tour de France at the last moment, a few kilometers from the finish,' Prudhomme said. The last time the final stage proved decisive was in 1989, when Greg LeMond won his second Tour de France with the closest finish ever, edging Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds. LeMond started the day 50 seconds behind Fignon and won the final stage, a 15-mile race against the clock from Versailles to Paris. Not all riders are thrilled by the change. 'Montmartre was nice to do in the Olympics, it seemed good, a lot of people, a really good atmosphere,' two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard said this week. 'But when they came to the Montmartre, there was only 15 riders left in the bunch. And when we do the Tour de France, there will be 150 guys fighting for positions on a very narrow climb. It could end up being more stress than they want to have.' The Tour starts from the northern city of Lille on July 5, and the women's race kicks off on July 26 from the Brittany town of Vannes. Last year's final stage was held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to Nice. The Champs-Élysées returns this year for the conclusion of the 3,320-kilometer (2,060-mile) race. ___ AP cycling:
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Tour de France final stage will include Montmartre climb, three times
PARIS (AP) — Tour de France riders will climb the Montmartre hill three times during this year's final stage — a significant break from tradition that will add a dose of suspense and requires heightened security measures. There was a village atmosphere when massive crowds lined the streets of Montmartre during last year's Olympics to cheer on riders who climbed narrow cobbled streets in the northern area of Paris. Tour director Christian Prudhomme said on Wednesday that he wanted to recapture that popular fervor, while offering new race scenarios. Traditionally, the final stage is largely processional until a sprint decides the day's winner on the Champs-Elysées. This summer, the final climb up the cobbled Rue Lepic will come less than 7km from the finish, and it's unlikely many sprinters will still be in the mix for the stage win when the leading group reaches the iconic avenue. 'It will be more complicated for the sprinters,' Prudhomme said as he unveiled the stage route, which could however favor one-day classic specialists good at tackling short and steep hills. The 21st stage of the Tour on July 27, starting from the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Ville, will include three passages beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica. The Montmartre area is a maze of narrow streets and it will require a deployment of extra security forces, urban planning and many security barriers. During the Olympics, the road races attracted more than 500,000 spectators in Paris, organizers said. Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefect, said 'several thousand' security forces will be on duty to guarantee the safety of riders and fans. 'But it does not pose any particular challenge, we proved that during the Paris Olympics,' he added. The inclusion of Montmartre will derail the pure sprinters' quest for glory on the Champs-Elysées. It could even have an influence on the general classification if gaps between the main contenders remain tight heading into the final stage. 'Imagine an attack by one of the main contenders of the Tour de France at the last moment, a few kilometers from the finish,' Prudhomme said. The last time the final stage proved decisive was in 1989, when Greg LeMond won his second Tour de France with the closest finish ever, edging Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds. LeMond started the day 50 seconds behind Fignon and won the final stage, a 15-mile race against the clock from Versailles to Paris. Not all riders are thrilled by the change. 'Montmartre was nice to do in the Olympics, it seemed good, a lot of people, a really good atmosphere,' two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard said this week. 'But when they came to the Montmartre, there was only 15 riders left in the bunch. And when we do the Tour de France, there will be 150 guys fighting for positions on a very narrow climb. It could end up being more stress than they want to have.' The Tour starts from the northern city of Lille on July 5, and the women's race kicks off on July 26 from the Brittany town of Vannes. Last year's final stage was held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to Nice. The Champs-Élysées returns this year for the conclusion of the 3,320-kilometer (2,060-mile) race. ___ AP cycling:
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tour de France route hopes high in the Borders
The leader of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) has said he hopes the Tour de France can come through the region when the race comes to Scotland in was unveiled recently as the venue for the Grand Depart but the route for the opening stage has not been Jardine said he hoped the track record of the region in hosting cycling events could see the world's top racers pass through the 2027 Tour de France stage routes are expected to be officially announced later this year. Race organisers confirmed Edinburgh would host the start of the men's race in the summer of 2027 earlier this director Christian Prudhomme said Scotland would offer a "magnificent backdrop".Mr Jardine said he hoped the Borders could make a convincing case for the route to come through his said Kelso's Oscar Onley could be a contender for a good finish in the race and the local authority would be working hard to ensure he could compete on roads near where he learned his skills. "We will be championing for this region to be part of the Tour," said Mr Jardine."It is 100% up to the organisers on where they wish to go with the Tour and how they wish it to be planned out."But please be assured that we will be championing for this region to be part of it."He said the Borders already had a good reputation in the sport."We have showcased what we can do with the Tour of Britain, we have showcased what we can do with so many other opportunities with the UCI world championships," he said."We are used to these big events, we are used to delivering - we have a reputation for doing that."I will be reaching out to organisers, working with them saying - please come to the Borders."He said it was an "exciting prospect" for Scotland and the sport and could be a real boost to the region."In the Borders, we will really put in a campaign to hope that a stage does come to the Borders," he added.
