logo
Last Tour stage to go through Butte Montmartre in Paris

Last Tour stage to go through Butte Montmartre in Paris

CNA14-05-2025
PARIS : The final stage of this year's Tour de France will go up the Butte Montmartre, a year after the road race of the Paris Olympics went on the iconic hill, organisers said on Wednesday.
"An exceptional route has been designed, inspired by the course of the road race at the 2024 Olympic Games, which drew over 500,000 spectators last August," Amaury Sport Organisation said in a statement.
"The riders will climb Montmartre hill and pass at the foot of the Sacre-Coeur before contesting a stage whose scenario could break with the traditions established over the past 50 years in the heart of the capital."
The Tour has been finishing on the Champs Elysees every year since 1975, at the exception of 2024, when it ended up in Nice.
The Champs Elysees stage is usually a procession to the avenue, where only the final sprint is contested, but this year's route is likely to break this scenario.
The Tour starts on July 5 in Lille and ends on July 27.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

England coach Wiegman has learned to enjoy the good times
England coach Wiegman has learned to enjoy the good times

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

England coach Wiegman has learned to enjoy the good times

ZURICH - Sarina Wiegman sang a celebratory song in her native Dutch when England clinched a spot in the Euro 2025 final. She attempted to high-five assistant Darren Ward, but missed. She admitted she planned to treat herself with a "glass of something nice." If England's women's coach was reserved when hired in 2021, she said she has grown into the role, and her passion has been on full display at the Euros, particularly through two nail-biting knockout victories in which the Lionesses were on the brink of elimination. "First of all, my English has improved, so I understand a lot more, but also you learn more about people you work with," she said on Friday. "You learn more again about yourself and while I'm always working on developing the team, I always try to keep developing myself. "What I really wanted to do over all these years is try to enjoy it a little bit more, you have to be focused in this job, but you need to celebrate the moments that are good, it's really nice." As England get ready to contest their third successive major final on Sunday, when they face world champions Spain in the Euro 2025 showpiece, Wiegman's players have described her as a second mum -- direct and demanding but caring and supportive. Ella Toone said the coach has been kind-hearted in the midfielder's first major tournament after the death of her father. Aggie Beever-Jones said after England's loss to France in their Euro opener, Wiegman put a consolatory arm around her and explained her reasons for not playing her in the game. Midfielder Keira Walsh called her "one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved". "It's a really difficult job when you're in a tournament, and obviously people want to play, people aren't, but she really, really cares about the human side," Walsh said. "Another thing that you notice when you play for her is how calm she is. It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0, and you look to the side and she's very calm." Wiegman said the job can be a difficult balance. "I'm a caring person, so maybe that's the part, I care about them but at the same time I'm the coach, I'm making these hard decisions at the moment," she said. On Sunday, Wiegman will become the first person, in men's or women's soccer, to have coached teams in five consecutive major tournament finals. The 55-year-old, who is under contract through the 2027 World Cup, guided her native Netherlands to two finals before continuing that run with Euro 2022 champions England. Football Association executive Mark Bullingham said they will not let Wiegman leave for any amount of money, and Wiegman certainly does not sound like she is going anywhere. "I'm sorry, I'm still learning English but yes I have (fallen in love) with England," Wiegman said. "Otherwise I would not be sitting here with such a smile on my face. "This team has always shown so much resilience, I see that in abundance and I see that entirely through the prism of the Lionesses. They are absolutely the most resilient of people. They really want to work so hard and are so committed." REUTERS

Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb
Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb

LA PLAGNE, France - Such is Tadej Pogacar's domination on the Tour de France that what began as a frantic chase for stage wins has morphed into a racing masterclass - a reigning champion pulling the strings on his way to a fourth title. Since the Slovenian declared he would not grant any freebies after he won four of the opening 13 stages, he has not crossed the line first and Friday's final mountain trek showed that he might have changed his mind along the way. The UAE Emirates-XRG rider was just content with setting the pace in the final climb of Friday's 19th stage, a short yet brutal Alpine trek to La Plagne, letting Thymen Arensman celebrate a second victory this year after the Dutchman battled solo on the steep slopes through episodes of heavy rain in sub-10 degrees Celsius temperatures. The contrast with Pogacar's almost effortless style on the last mountain day was striking as the three-time champion controlled chief rival Jonas Vingegaard, who appeared resigned to defeat. "It started to be very long, especially with the weather today. I just want to go on the (team) bus and go take a hot shower, Pogacar told reporters. "I tried (to attack once) as soon as (the) Decathlon (team) stopped with their hard pace. It was too early and nobody contributed to the chase of Arensman. So I just kept the pace and I was counting down the kilometres to Paris. "I just set the pace that I felt comfortable with and if somebody would attack from my wheel, then I could still accelerate." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Singapore S'pore could have nuclear energy 'within a few years', if it decides on it: UN nuclear watchdog chief Life 'Do you kill children?': Even before independence, S'pore has always loved its over-the-top campaigns Singapore Lung damage, poor brain development, addiction: What vaping does to the body Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Singapore Fine for couple whose catering companies owed $432,000 in salaries to 103 employees Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly ULTIMATE LUXURY He did not need to and did not bother to either in the finale, where any move by the 26-year-old would have obliterated Arensman's chances. The same quiet authority was on display on Thursday on the Col de la Loze: no fireworks, just total control as he let Australian Ben O'Connor ride to the stage win. Pogacar leads the Danish rider by 4:24 and only a major incident would see him not win the race for the fourth time after his 2020, 2021 and 2024 triumphs. Pogacar is now unlikely to be bothered by Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike team, with the biggest scare over the last couple of days being when he bumped into the rear of one of their team cars. Saturday's stage is hilly but does not provide any major difficulty for the overall leaders. Sunday's stage to Paris, while it features three ascents of the Butte Montmartre, will not be tough enough to shake up the general classification. Asked if he was bored - having been sitting on a cushion of over four minutes since Stage 13 - as the race approaches the end, Pogacar said: "I'm obviously tired. It hasn't been an easy Tour. People have been attacking me from left, right and centre. "From day one to the end, I've had to stay focused and motivated. The main priority was always the yellow jersey. "Sometimes, all you can do is keep counting down the distance to the finish line. That's how it is." For most riders, counting down the kilometres to the finish line on the Champs Elysees is an act of survival. For Pogacar, it's the ultimate luxury. REUTERS

Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb
Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb

CNA

time4 hours ago

  • CNA

Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb

LA PLAGNE, France :Such is Tadej Pogacar's domination on the Tour de France that what began as a frantic chase for stage wins has morphed into a racing masterclass - a reigning champion pulling the strings on his way to a fourth title. Since the Slovenian declared he would not grant any freebies after he won four of the opening 13 stages, he has not crossed the line first and Friday's final mountain trek showed that he might have changed his mind along the way. The UAE Emirates-XRG rider was just content with setting the pace in the final climb of Friday's 19th stage, a short yet brutal Alpine trek to La Plagne, letting Thymen Arensman celebrate a second victory this year after the Dutchman battled solo on the steep slopes through episodes of heavy rain in sub-10 degrees Celsius temperatures. The contrast with Pogacar's almost effortless style on the last mountain day was striking as the three-time champion controlled chief rival Jonas Vingegaard, who appeared resigned to defeat. "It started to be very long, especially with the weather today. I just want to go on the (team) bus and go take a hot shower, Pogacar told reporters. "I tried (to attack once) as soon as (the) Decathlon (team) stopped with their hard pace. It was too early and nobody contributed to the chase of Arensman. So I just kept the pace and I was counting down the kilometres to Paris. "I just set the pace that I felt comfortable with and if somebody would attack from my wheel, then I could still accelerate." ULTIMATE LUXURY He did not need to and did not bother to either in the finale, where any move by the 26-year-old would have obliterated Arensman's chances. The same quiet authority was on display on Thursday on the Col de la Loze: no fireworks, just total control as he let Australian Ben O'Connor ride to the stage win. Pogacar leads the Danish rider by 4:24 and only a major incident would see him not win the race for the fourth time after his 2020, 2021 and 2024 triumphs. Pogacar is now unlikely to be bothered by Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike team, with the biggest scare over the last couple of days being when he bumped into the rear of one of their team cars. Saturday's stage is hilly but does not provide any major difficulty for the overall leaders. Sunday's stage to Paris, while it features three ascents of the Butte Montmartre, will not be tough enough to shake up the general classification. Asked if he was bored - having been sitting on a cushion of over four minutes since Stage 13 - as the race approaches the end, Pogacar said: "I'm obviously tired. It hasn't been an easy Tour. People have been attacking me from left, right and centre. "From day one to the end, I've had to stay focused and motivated. The main priority was always the yellow jersey. For most riders, counting down the kilometres to the finish line on the Champs Elysees is an act of survival. For Pogacar, it's the ultimate luxury.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store