{"id":9238,"date":"2026-07-25T18:04:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T16:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/?p=9238"},"modified":"2026-07-26T08:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T06:58:19","slug":"tour-de-france-2026-stage-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/es\/tour-de-france-2026-stage-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour de France 2026 Stage 21: Wildfires Reshape the Finale, But Not the Coronation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);text-transform:uppercase\">Tour de France 2026 Stage 21: Wildfires Reshape the Finale, But Not the Coronation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>Last updated: 8:58 am CEST - Sunday,\u00a026 July 2026<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stage 21 of the Tour de France 2026 will not be the stage anyone planned for. The final day into Paris has been cut from 133 kilometres to 89, and the traditional start in Thoiry has been abandoned entirely for racing purposes, after wildfires tearing through the Gironde and Landes regions forced police to redeploy security resources away from the Tour&#8217;s finale. Riders will still gather in Thoiry for the team presentation \u2014 but from there, they&#8217;ll board buses into Paris and start the actual race fresh on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, adding two extra laps of the famous avenue before joining the Montmartre circuit exactly as originally planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of this changes what today actually means. Tadej Poga\u010dar sealed his fifth Tour de France title on Saturday, riding the entire Queen Stage as a domestique for teammate Isaac del Toro rather than chasing a stage win of his own, the kind of quiet, controlled performance that finishes a Tour rather than headlines it. That result places him alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indur\u00e1in in the only club that&#8217;s ever mattered in this sport. Today in Paris is his coronation. It just arrives 44 kilometres shorter than expected, and by a route nobody had drawn up a week ago.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-id9238_4b9fc4-50 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id9238_4b9fc4-50 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id9238_4b9fc4-50 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);max-width:500px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id9238_4b9fc4-50 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_4b9fc4-50 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_4b9fc4-50 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id9238_4b9fc4-50 alignnone wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top\">\n<style>.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7{text-align:left;}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7{position:relative;}.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7, .kt-inside-inner-col > .kadence-column9238_19b072-d7:not(.specificity){margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column9238_19b072-d7 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column9238_19b072-d7\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;border-left:8px solid #ffff00;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);border-top:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-right:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-bottom:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-left:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-size:25px;letter-spacing:6px;font-family:\"Lucida Console\", Monaco, monospace;font-weight:inherit;font-style:normal;text-transform:uppercase;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{font-family:Courier, monospace;font-weight:inherit;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);margin-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);margin-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);margin-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-content-list li{margin-bottom:15px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-content-list li .kb-table-of-contents-list-sub{margin-top:15px;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-left:8px solid #ffff00;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{border-top:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-right:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-bottom:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-left:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{border-left:8px solid #ffff00;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{border-top:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-right:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-bottom:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);border-left:0px solid var(--global-palette5, #4A5568);}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id9238_365962-e7 .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-size:22px;}}<\/style><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">TL;DR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>What is Stage 21 now?<\/strong> An 89km stage entirely within Paris, cut down from the original 133km Thoiry-to-Paris route. Riders still attend the team presentation in Thoiry before being bussed into the capital to start the actual racing. Two extra laps of the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es have been added; all three ascents of the Montmartre circuit remain unchanged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Why did it change?<\/strong> Wildfires in the Gironde (Arcachon Bay area) and Landes have burned more than 36,000 hectares and forced thousands of evacuations. Police and security resources originally assigned to the Tour\u2019s finale have been redeployed to fight the fires, prompting ASO and the Prefecture of Police to shorten and relocate the stage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>What\u2019s already decided?<\/strong> Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s fifth Tour title, sealed on Stage 20. Isaac del Toro held off Paul Seixas by 24 seconds to secure third overall and the white jersey. Richard Carapaz won the King of the Mountains jersey and two stages. Mads Pedersen sealed green. The stage win in Paris, however, remains a completely open contest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_ba3fe6-30 .kt-block-spacer{height:51px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_ba3fe6-30 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_ba3fe6-30\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Stage 21 key facts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Detail<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Confirmed data (revised route)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Stage number<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">21 of 21 \u2014 Grand Finale<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Date<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Sunday, 26 July 2026<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Original route<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Thoiry \u2192 Paris, 133km (cancelled)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Revised route<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Starts on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, 89km entirely within Paris<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Reason for change<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Police\/security forces redeployed to fight wildfires in Gironde and Landes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Thoiry&#8217;s role today<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Team presentation only \u2014 riders then travel to Paris by bus<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Unchanged<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Three ascents of the Montmartre cobbled circuit (16.7km loop each)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Added<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Two extra laps of the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es to partly offset the lost distance<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Est. finish<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">~19:45 CEST<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Why the final stage got shorter, in full<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wildfires have been burning across southwest France in the days leading into this final weekend, concentrated around Arcachon Bay in the Gironde and near Biscarrosse in the Landes. More than 36,000 hectares of wooded land have been destroyed, and thousands of people have been evacuated from affected areas, many of them from popular tourist spots caught in the path of the fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A joint statement from the Prefecture of Police and ASO, the Tour&#8217;s organisers, explained the decision plainly: &#8220;As numerous wildfires are currently affecting France, particularly the Gironde region, emergency services are fully mobilised to combat the blazes, while internal security forces are working to secure the affected areas and protect the population. In light of this, the Ministry of Interior has decided to redeploy a portion of the internal security forces initially mobilised 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.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The statement closed with a note of solidarity: &#8220;In the spirit of national solidarity with the affected regions and populations, it has been decided to adjust the route of the final stage between Thoiry and Paris.&#8221; It&#8217;s the second time this exact issue has touched the 2026 Tour; wildfires and extreme heat already forced adjustments earlier in the race, back in the opening week. This time, it&#8217;s the Tour&#8217;s showpiece finale that&#8217;s been reshaped.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-id9238_2972be-ba > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id9238_2972be-ba > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id9238_2972be-ba > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);max-width:900px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id9238_2972be-ba > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_2972be-ba > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_2972be-ba > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id9238_2972be-ba alignnone wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top\">\n<style>.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column9238_97b011-2c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column9238_97b011-2c\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tour de France 2026 Stage 21 Route Animation | Paris \u2014 Montmartre Finale (Wildfire-Shortened, 89km)\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s-TLGyh6JmY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_9dad9f-66 .kt-block-spacer{height:47px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_9dad9f-66 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_9dad9f-66\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">What actually happens now: the revised route<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team presentation goes ahead in Thoiry as planned, meaning fans who travelled out to see the riders before the finale still get that experience. From there, though, the riders don&#8217;t race the 133 kilometres back into the city. They board their team buses, travel into Paris, and the race effectively starts over \u2014 fresh, on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make up for some of the lost distance, organisers have added two extra laps of the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es before the race joins its already-planned circuit. From that point, the stage proceeds exactly as designed: three full laps of the 16.7-kilometre Montmartre circuit, cobbled climb included, unchanged from the route revealed weeks ago. The first 58 kilometres of the original course, the rural run from Thoiry through the Yvelines countryside, simply don&#8217;t happen this year.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-id9238_aced10-59 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id9238_aced10-59 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id9238_aced10-59 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);max-width:900px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id9238_aced10-59 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_aced10-59 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_aced10-59 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id9238_aced10-59 alignnone wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top\">\n<style>.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column9238_f7cedd-50\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image9238_61dfc8-4c .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image9238_61dfc8-4c size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"541\" src=\"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tour-de-france-2026-stage-21-profile.jpg\" alt=\"tour-de-france-2026-stage-21-profile\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-9256\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tour-de-france-2026-stage-21-profile.jpg 960w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tour-de-france-2026-stage-21-profile-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tour-de-france-2026-stage-21-profile-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tour-de-france-2026-stage-21-profile-18x10.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_b66a90-fe .kt-block-spacer{height:47px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_b66a90-fe .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_b66a90-fe\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Poga\u010dar&#8217;s fifth title is sealed \u2014 here&#8217;s how it happened<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stage 20, the Tour&#8217;s Queen Stage, delivered its result a day before Paris got to see it. Richard Carapaz won the stage, his second victory of this Tour, after Stage 18, overtaking Sepp Kuss on the final descent after the American suffered two separate crashes in the closing kilometres, the second of them on a technical section of the descent that had already claimed one earlier fall. Carapaz&#8217;s day also mathematically sealed the King of the Mountains jersey, finishing on 156 points, comfortably clear of Poga\u010dar&#8217;s 100 and Valentin Paret-Peintre&#8217;s 99.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-id9238_3885db-80 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id9238_3885db-80 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id9238_3885db-80 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);max-width:900px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id9238_3885db-80 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_3885db-80 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id9238_3885db-80 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id9238_3885db-80 alignnone wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top\">\n<style>.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column9238_e36eb7-b5\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image9238_7ff916-51 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image9238_7ff916-51 size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/richard-carapaz-won-the-queen-stage-1024x536.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-9244\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/richard-carapaz-won-the-queen-stage-1024x536.webp 1024w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/richard-carapaz-won-the-queen-stage-300x157.webp 300w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/richard-carapaz-won-the-queen-stage-768x402.webp 768w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/richard-carapaz-won-the-queen-stage-1536x803.webp 1536w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/richard-carapaz-won-the-queen-stage-18x9.webp 18w, https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/richard-carapaz-won-the-queen-stage.webp 1734w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tadej Poga\u010dar finished fourth on the stage. That result was not an accident or a sign of fading form; it was the entire point. Rather than chasing the stage win himself, Poga\u010dar spent the closing climbs setting pace at the front of the GC group, protecting teammate Isaac del Toro&#8217;s position rather than his own glory. Del Toro, Evenepoel, Seixas, and Lenny Mart\u00ednez all followed through the Galibier and onto the Col de Sarenne, where Poga\u010dar continued to control the race, this time explicitly for del Toro rather than himself, while Paul Seixas was distanced and dropped from the podium fight entirely. Juan Ayuso&#8217;s own GC ambitions ended on the same climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result of all that quiet, controlled riding: Poga\u010dar&#8217;s overall victory was mathematically confirmed, his fifth Tour de France title, tying him with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indur\u00e1in as the only riders in the sport&#8217;s history to win five times. Mads Pedersen, meanwhile, sealed the green points jersey with an attack of his own up the Galibier that caught the day&#8217;s breakaway outright.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_d71439-31 .kt-block-spacer{height:46px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_d71439-31 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_d71439-31\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The white jersey battle is over: del Toro holds off Seixas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tightest ongoing story of this Tour&#8217;s final week ended on the Col de Sarenne. Isaac del Toro had led Paul Seixas by just 24 seconds heading into Stage 20, the smallest meaningful gap left anywhere in the general classification. Seixas was dropped on the Sarenne&#8217;s steep upper slopes, and the gap that had held at 24 seconds for days finally moved decisively in del Toro&#8217;s favour. He crosses into Paris third overall and wearing the white jersey as best young rider, a result UAE Team Emirates-XRG protected as carefully as they protected Poga\u010dar&#8217;s own lead.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_a5c2e8-f4 .kt-block-spacer{height:47px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_a5c2e8-f4 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_a5c2e8-f4\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Montmartre: unchanged, and still the whole ballgame for the stage win<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whatever else has been rearranged about Stage 21, the feature that actually decides who wins it hasn&#8217;t moved at all. The C\u00f4te de la Butte Montmartre, 1.1 kilometres at 5.9% up cobbled streets toward the Sacr\u00e9-C\u0153ur, is climbed three times, with the final ascent arriving 10.3 kilometres from the finish line. That&#8217;s 4.2 kilometres further from the line than the equivalent climb was positioned last year, in theory giving any rider dropped on the cobbles more room to fight back before the finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the yellow jersey no longer a contest, Tour tradition holds that nobody attacks the race leader on the final stage, and Poga\u010dar&#8217;s fifth title is treated as settled business today, Montmartre becomes the entire story of the afternoon. It&#8217;s a genuine, wide-open fight between sprinters hoping to survive three trips up a cobbled hill and puncheurs built for exactly this kind of racing.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_2a7654-0f .kt-block-spacer{height:49px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_2a7654-0f .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_2a7654-0f\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2025&#8217;s ghost: the day Van Aert dropped Poga\u010dar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn&#8217;t Montmartre&#8217;s first appearance in a Tour finale, and last year&#8217;s edition is the reason nobody&#8217;s treating the stage win as a formality. The cobbled climb was introduced in 2025, inspired directly by the reception it received during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games road race, when thousands of spectators packed its streets to watch the Games unfold. In its Tour debut, it produced a genuine shock: Wout van Aert attacked on the cobbles, and when Poga\u010dar, wearing yellow at the time, countered, Van Aert simply rode away from him and soloed to a resounding win. Poga\u010dar crossed the line fourth on the stage that day, missing out on what would have been a stage win, though the overall result was never in doubt \u2014 he still secured his fourth Tour de France title regardless. Today, the same climb, the same cobbles, and after a year of speculation about whether he&#8217;d want revenge, the same rider who lost that duel is racing it again.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_0c7d72-d9 .kt-block-spacer{height:50px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_0c7d72-d9 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_0c7d72-d9\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage winner prediction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph translation-block\"><strong>Top tier:<\/strong> Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, and Tadej Poga\u010dar himself lead the favourites \u2014 all three have the combination of raw power and cobbled-climb comfort that Montmartre specifically rewards, and van der Poel in particular has reportedly had this exact stage circled since the route was revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph translation-block\"><strong>Second tier:<\/strong> Tom Pidcock, Jasper Philipsen, Maxim Van Gils, and Mathias Vacek round out the next tier, all capable of surviving the cobbles and contesting a reduced sprint if the front group stays together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph translation-block\"><strong>Third tier:<\/strong> Magnus Cort, Jasper Stuyven, Arnaud De Lie, Paul Seixas, and Matej Mohori\u010d complete a deep and genuinely unpredictable field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shortened route subtly shifts the maths in favour of the stronger climbers and puncheurs over the purest sprinters. Fewer kilometres overall means less time for anyone distanced on Montmartre&#8217;s cobbles to fight back to the front group before the finish, a small but real consequence of today&#8217;s forced route change that&#8217;s worth factoring into any prediction.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_194d43-da .kt-block-spacer{height:49px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_194d43-da .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_194d43-da\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Full climb profile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Feature<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Detail<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">C\u00f4te du Pav\u00e9 des Gardes<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left translation-block\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Removed entirely<\/strong> \u2014 this climb sat on the now-cancelled Thoiry approach road and does not feature in the revised 89km route<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">C\u00f4te de la Butte Montmartre (1st ascent)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.1km at 5.9%, cobbled<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">C\u00f4te de la Butte Montmartre (2nd ascent)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.1km at 5.9%, cobbled<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">C\u00f4te de la Butte Montmartre (3rd\/final ascent)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">1.1km at 5.9%, cobbled \u2014 10.3km from the finish line<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Circuit length<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">16.7km per lap, including the Montmartre climb, ridden three times<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">World start times and how to watch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Time zone<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Region<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Est. finish<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">CEST (UTC+2)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">France, Germany, Italy<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>~19:45<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">BST (UTC+1)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">United Kingdom, Ireland<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>~18:45<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">EDT (UTC-4)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">New York, Miami<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>~13:45<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">CDT (UTC-5)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Chicago, Dallas<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>~12:45<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">PDT (UTC-7)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Los Angeles, Seattle<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>~10:45<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">IST (UTC+5:30)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">India<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>~23:15<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">AEST (UTC+10)<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Sydney, Melbourne<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>~03:45 +1<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>How to watch:<\/strong> France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions carries the stage free in France. Eurosport 1 and HBO Max cover it across the rest of Europe. UK viewers have TNT Sports. In the US, NBC Sports and Peacock carry the finale, with FloSports covering Canada and SBS broadcasting free in Australia; <a href=\"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/es\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"6926\">complete live streaming guide<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_75db1a-88 .kt-block-spacer{height:49px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_75db1a-88 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_75db1a-88\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The podium ceremony and the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es tradition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the stage winner crosses the line, the day shifts from racing to ceremony. The traditional jersey presentations follow on a podium erected on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es itself, yellow, green, polka dot, and white all presented in turn, with Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s fifth-title ceremony carrying obvious extra weight this year. The overall winner&#8217;s team traditionally leads a champagne toast during the race&#8217;s final laps in a normal year, though with today&#8217;s compressed, shortened format, exactly how that tradition folds into the revised schedule will likely be confirmed closer to the race itself. The closing lap of honour past the Arc de Triomphe remains the image most people associate with a Tour de France ending, regardless of how many kilometres came before it this particular year.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_010467-b9 .kt-block-spacer{height:48px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_010467-b9 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_010467-b9\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Equipment for cobbles and a sprint finish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stage 21 asks riders&#8217; equipment to do two very different jobs in the same afternoon. The Montmartre cobbles reward slightly wider tyres and lower pressures for comfort and grip on an uneven, historic surface, while the smooth tarmac of the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es rewards exactly the opposite setup for a flat-out sprint. Most teams split the difference with a single, compromise setup for the whole circuit \u2014 there&#8217;s no time to swap bikes between three laps of the same course.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_bd8fbf-ed .kt-block-spacer{height:48px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_bd8fbf-ed .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_bd8fbf-ed\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spectator guide \u2014 Paris and the Montmartre circuit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Thoiry no longer part of the actual racing, anyone watching Stage 21 in person is watching entirely within Paris today. The Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es straight remains the classic viewing spot for the sprint finish and the ceremonial atmosphere afterward. Montmartre itself is the more demanding watch, steep, cobbled, densely packed streets where crowd safety matters as much as it does at Alpe d&#8217;Huez&#8217;s Dutch Corner. Anyone planning to watch from the Montmartre climb should expect serious crowds and narrow roads, and should arrive well before the first passage of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_fec8db-15 .kt-block-spacer{height:46px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_fec8db-15 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_fec8db-15\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Visiting Paris for the finale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For anyone building a trip around today&#8217;s finish, the revised route doesn&#8217;t change what makes Paris worth the visit around it. The Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es circuit runs past some of the city&#8217;s most recognisable landmarks, the Arc de Triomphe anchoring one end, the Seine crossed nearby, the Eiffel Tower visible from several points along the route. Montmartre itself, beyond its role in today&#8217;s race, remains one of Paris&#8217;s most characterful neighbourhoods, steep streets, the Sacr\u00e9-C\u0153ur basilica at its summit, and a village atmosphere that feels distinct from the grander boulevards the race spends most of its time on.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_09d1a3-a2 .kt-block-spacer{height:50px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-9238_09d1a3-a2 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#eee;width:80%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-9238_09d1a3-a2\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ \u2014 Tour de France 2026 Stage 21<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why was Stage 21 of the Tour de France 2026 shortened?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stage 21 was shortened from 133km to 89km after wildfires in the Gironde and Landes regions of France forced police and security services to be redeployed away from the Tour&#8217;s finale to help fight the fires and manage evacuations. The wildfires had burned more than 36,000 hectares and displaced thousands of people. Organisers described the change as an act of national solidarity with the affected regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the new route for the final stage?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The revised Stage 21 starts on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es in Paris rather than in Thoiry, with two additional laps of the avenue added before the race joins the previously planned Montmartre circuit. Riders still attend the team presentation in Thoiry before travelling to Paris by bus. The three ascents of the cobbled Montmartre climb remain completely unchanged from the original route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Has Tadej Poga\u010dar won the 2026 Tour de France?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Tadej Poga\u010dar secured his fifth Tour de France title on Stage 20, riding as a domestique for teammate Isaac del Toro rather than contesting the stage win himself. The result ties him with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indur\u00e1in as the only riders to win five Tour de France titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Who won the battle for third place and the white jersey?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Isaac del Toro secured third overall and the white jersey as best young rider, holding off Paul Seixas by 24 seconds after Seixas was dropped on the Col de Sarenne during Stage 20. It was the tightest general classification battle of the Tour&#8217;s final week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Who won the King of the Mountains and points classifications?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Richard Carapaz sealed the King of the Mountains jersey during Stage 20, finishing with 156 points, well clear of Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s 100. Mads Pedersen secured the points (green) jersey on the same stage with an attack up the Col du Galibier that caught the day&#8217;s breakaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Is the Montmartre climb still part of the shortened Stage 21?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Despite the overall distance being cut from 133km to 89km, all three ascents of the C\u00f4te de la Butte Montmartre remain in the route exactly as originally planned, including the final climb 10.3 kilometres from the finish. It is the part of the stage that was removed entirely, was the rural approach road from Thoiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What happened the last time the Tour de France finished on Montmartre?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025, Montmartre&#8217;s Tour debut produced a major shock when Wout van Aert attacked on the cobbled climb and countered a response from race leader Tadej Poga\u010dar, riding away solo to win the stage. Poga\u010dar finished fourth that day but still secured his fourth overall Tour title regardless of the stage result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why is this the second time wildfires have affected the 2026 Tour de France?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wildfires and extreme heat had already forced route adjustments earlier in the 2026 Tour, before recurring in the race&#8217;s final week and forcing the Stage 21 shortening. The recurrence highlights how repeatedly this year&#8217;s race has had to adapt to weather-related disruption across the three weeks of racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What time does Stage 21 finish?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the shortened distance, Stage 21 is still expected to finish at approximately the traditional time of around 19:45 CEST, with the extra Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es laps added partly to preserve a broadly similar overall stage duration and finishing window for broadcast purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Is the yellow jersey still being contested on the final stage?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Tour de France tradition holds that the yellow jersey is not attacked on the final stage once the overall result is effectively decided, and Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s fifth title, sealed on Stage 20, is treated as settled. The stage win itself, however, remains a fully open and genuine contest among the sprinters and puncheurs in the field.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tour de France 2026 Stage 21: Wildfires Reshape the Finale, But Not the Coronation Last updated: 8:58 am CEST &#8211; Sunday,\u00a026 July 2026 Stage 21 of the Tour de France 2026 will not be the stage anyone planned for. The final day into Paris has been cut from 133 kilometres to 89, and the traditional&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tour-de-france"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":28,"label":"Tour de France"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/franceletour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tour-de-france-2026-stage-21-grand-finale-in-paris-1024x537.webp",1024,537,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Gautier Durfort","author_link":"https:\/\/franceletour.com\/es\/author\/gautier-durfort\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":28,"name":"Tour de France","slug":"tour-de-france","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":28,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Live the Tour de France cycling race. Get stage results, route maps, team insights, and historical highlights from every edition of Le Grand Boucle.","parent":0,"count":94,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":28,"category_count":94,"category_description":"Live the Tour de France cycling race. 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