Distance Slashed and Route Changed for Stage 21 Conclusion of Tour de France around Paris

Wildfires impacted the Tour de France earlier in the race and will do so again on the final stage, with stage 21 in Paris cut from 133km to 89km and the route drastically modified.

A joint announcement by Tour organizers ASO and the police prefecture has revealed that the original part of the route linking Thoiry to Paris has been abandoned, with the first 58km of the stage removed.

The race had been due to complete three laps of the traditional finish circuit from that point before starting three laps of the Montmartre circuit.

The new plan sees the riders line out at the finish line, then complete two additional laps of the traditional circuit, five in all, prior to the three loops of Montmartre.

The wildfires do not directly affect the route, but the manpower needed to keep the Tour safe will be channeled elsewhere.

“As numerous wildfires are currently affecting France, particularly the Gironde region, emergency services are fully mobilized to combat the blazes, while internal security forces are working to secure the affected areas and protect the population,” the statement explains.

“In light of this, the Ministry of Interior has decided to redeploy a portion of the internal security forces initially mobilized to ensure security for the final stage of the Tour de France, in order to reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.”

Big change for riders and publicity vehicles

So what exactly does that mean for the race entourage?

The riders will have their team presentation as originally planned in Thoiry. However once that is done they will travel direct to Paris by buses, with the publicity caravan also going directly to the capital. The race will start at 5.50pm local time, with the finish expected around 7.45pm.

The joint announcement hailed those involved in fighting the wildfires and expressed solidarity with the affected communities.

It said ASO and the Prefect of the Police “thank the riders, the teams, the local authorities, the partners and the public for their understanding regarding these exceptional measures made necessary by the situation.”

The race was previously impacted on stage 3 when the French portion of the route saw the publicity caravan removed and spectators dissuaded from traveling to the event.

Wildfires are unfortunately raging across France and Spain, with over 270,000 people displaced by evacuation orders.