The 2025 Tour de France concluded Sunday with stage 21. Race organizer A.S.O. had designed a 132.3-kilometer route from Mantes-la-Ville to Champs-Elysees in Paris. Stage 21 of Tour de France was traditionally contested as a parade stage, which celebrated the Tour de France winner and the winners of the other classifications, but this year A.S.O. had included the Cote de la Butte Montmartre climb on the route – a steep climb that would have to be contested three times. The climb was known from the grand performance of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) in last year’s Paris Olympics.

The weather forecast for Paris on Sunday afternoon was predicting a relatively high risk of rain showers in late afternoon and the race organizer had very disappointingly promised to neutralize the stage in case of rain, though the Tour de France is a legendary outdoor event, which traditionally includes both rain and risks. Noone is forcing cyclists to be cyclists, and anyone can opt for indoor track cycling instead.

The increasingly popular habit of neutralizing races in case of rain, snow, wind, crashes, and beyond is damaging the reputation and popularity of races and will result in fewer viewers and sponsors – and eventually lower wages for the riders. Few viewers and fans have an interest in spending three weeks watching a race, which has already been decided in the first week and where any chance of changes to the classification will be automatically neutralized.

The cyclists in the Tour de France peloton left Mantes-la-Ville west of Paris on Sunday afternoon. The weather conditions for stage 21 were overcast and the pace was slow and celebratory with smiling and laughing riders and good spirits. It would be the final Tour de France stage for Geraint Thomas as the Welshman would sadly retire at the end of the season. The 2018 Tour de France champion had delivered a neutral and unnoteworthy performance in this year’s Tour and fans who had hoped to see him win a stage had been gravely disappointed.

Together with his UAE Team Emirates teammates, Tadej Pogacar rode ahead of the main peloton with 130 kilometers to the finish line on Champs-Elysees. The whole team was celebrating Pogacar’s overall victory in this year’s Tour and the riders were wearing a special edition of the team jersey, which featured a random yellow version of the sponsor logo – apparently a designer would have been beneficial and could have come up with a more creative design. Bar tape and cycle gloves had also received a yellow treat.

The next riders to move to the front of the peloton were the Italian riders because the proud cycling nation had finally secured stage victories in this year’s Tour after a long wait.

The seven remaining riders from Team Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe were next to line up in front of the peloton while holding each other. The team was celebrating Germany’s Florian Lipowitz, who was the winner of the youth classification as well as third-place finisher on the general classification podium

Other teams were next in line and also got their five minutes in the limelight. 

UAE Team Emirates later took control of the main peloton, and the speed had been increased when one hundred kilometers of the stage remained. The peloton was stretched out.

The riders passed the historic Versailles castle where le Roi Soleil had ruled France in historic times while honoring architectural magnificence and grandiosity.

It was still raining and race organizer A.S.O. announced its embarrassing decision to neutralize the stage, so all times for the general classification would be taken after the fourth circuit and before the Cote de la Butte Montmartre climbs, which could possibly have influenced the GC outcome. The organizers had admirably introduced this new element to the otherwise traditional Paris stage and now it would end up neutralized as the riders and teams had sadly taken control of the race, which was no longer controlled by its proud organizer that had given viewers so many spectacular experiences through the proud history of the greatest cycling race of them all.

The riders entered the streets of Paris and passed through the courtyard of the Louvre Museum. The cyclists later reached the Champs-Elysees, and the roads had dried up, which rendered the decision to neutralize the stage and register times for the GC before the Montmartre climb even more ridiculous and certainly unnecessary. The riders rode around the famous Arch of Triumph without any riders sliding on the dry roads.

Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) had been invisible all three weeks, but the Dane suddenly emerged at the front of the peloton and launched a solo attack on the famous avenue. Julian Alaphilippe tried his luck for Tudor Pro Cycling Team as did Sepp Kuss (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), and Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R).

Ben O’Connor of Team Jayco-Alula suffered a flat tire on Champs-Elysees. Planes were flying above Champs-Elysees while spraying the colors of the French Drapeau Tricolore flag.

The attacking groups got reeled in by the main peloton, where riders from multiple teams were taking turns at the front. 

Neilson Powless launched an attack with Santiago Buitrago and Cort joined in. The trio passed the Jeanne d’Arc statue and Jonas Vingegaard led the main peloton passed the statue of the courageous heroine who perhaps pondered why the Dane had shown so little initiative and determinism in this year’s Tour. Other breakaway attempts followed.

Florian Lipowitz, who was third-ranked in the GC, attacked with Quinn Simmons and the duo formed a lead of twelve seconds.

The finishing times were clocked and saved fifty kilometers from the finish of the stage due to rain that wasn’t there. For no valid reason and due to pressure from the riders, the race organizer had removed any additional ambitions and courage within all GC riders in the peloton – including the Frenchmen.

The riders exited the traditional round stretch in the roads of Paris and were now exploring the extended version, which would include the Cote de la Butte Montmartre hill. The riders would also pass the Sacre Coeur Basilica – the white church which watches over Paris – the city of lights.

Simmons and Lipowitz got reeled in by the chasing peloton 44 kilometers from the final crossing of the finish line.

Marco Haller of Tudor Pro Cycling Team led the peloton onto the Montmartre climb. Proud Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe later attacked on the climb and near the Moulin Rouge. Arnaud de Lie joined the front for Team Lotto-Caps.

Pogacar had been lured into action and was now chasing the front group. The soon-to-be Tour de France winner joined a front group on the climb. Pogacar was there with Wout van Aert, Julian Alaphilippe, Davide Ballerini, Tobias Andresen, Arnaud de Lie, and Jenno Berckmoes. Jonas Vingegaard had announced his resignation before the stage and was nowhere to be seen near the front of the action. The Dane was now focusing on Vuelta a Espana, he said.

The attackers got reeled in with 37 kilometers left. But the riders would still have to climb the Cote de la Butte Montmartre two times. The riders reached Place de la Concorde.

It started raining when the cyclists reached the cobbled Champs-Elysees again. The riders passed the Arc de Triomphe again without crashing. Pogacar was still near the front, while Vingegaard was absent.

A thirty-man front group were in front with 27 kilometers to the finish of the stage and the race. The group included a very active Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious), Tadej Pogacar, Fred Wright, Axel Laurance, Jasper Stuyven, Kaden Groves, Julian Alaphilippe, Biniam Girmay, Neilson Powless, Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, Victor Campenaerts, Matteo Trentin, Kevin Vauquelin, Jonas Abrahamsen, Arnaud de Lie, Alex Aranburu, and other riders.

Campenaerts led the front group into the final 24 kilometers. The streets were now narrow and with some road furniture obstacles to challenge the experienced professional cyclists.

The riders entered Cote de la Butte Montmartre for the second time. Tadej Pogacar wanted to give the spectators a show and immediately attacked in his beautiful yellow skinsuit. The cobbles of Montmartre did not appear to have any influence on the proud Tour de France champion who pressed on without delay or second-thought. What a joy to watch for the many fans on site in Paris and around the world.

Pogacar crossed the summit with Jorgenson, Van Aert, Mohoric, Trentin, and Ballerini. A chase group was thirteen seconds behind.

Twenty kilometers remained and the Pogacar-spearheaded front group was now fifteen seconds ahead of the chase group, with the main peloton almost a minute behind. Vingegaard, Lipowitz, and Jonathan Milan were all in the main peloton with Oscar Onley.

Pogacar pressed on in front while looking stunning in yellow. The Slovenian rider was eager to show his general classification challengers who was the real boss and who had the courage to challenge on the cobbled streets of the city of passion.

The riders crossed the finish line and entered the final lap on the streets of Paris. Fifteen kilometers now remained of Tour de France 2025. The six-man front group had increased its advantage to 33 seconds with twelve kilometers to the finish line. 

Matteo Jorgenson launched an attack with eleven kilometers left, but Mohoric had anticipated the attack and immediately countered. The six riders stayed together on the wet roads and now with ten kilometers left.

Jorgenson attacked again but failed to form a viable lead. The riders were now approaching the final climb on Cote de la Butte Montmartre.

Pogacar led the group onto the climb and accelerated. The Slovenian rider was determined to drop the other riders. Van Aert counterattacked and dropped Pogacar, and the Belgian rider was now in front on the cobbled climb and was the first man to reach the summit while being cheered on by the many fans along the narrow streets.

Van Aert had formed a lead of ten seconds to Pogacar when five kilometers remained. The popular Belgian rider from Team Visma-Lease a Bike now had five kilometers ahead of him in narrow, curvy and tricky streets that were still wet. The other chasers caught up with Pogacar while Van Aert extended his lead.

Pogacar proved unable to keep up with the other chasers and apparently signaled a problem in his right thigh. 

Wout van Aert entered the Champs-Elysees for the final time and crossed the finish line as winner of stage 21 of Tour de France 2025 for Team Visma-Lease a Bike. Davide Ballerini of Italy crossed the finish line nineteen seconds later, while Matej Mohoric completed the stage podium for Bahrain-Victorious.

“It was a special day out on the bike, and it is really special to win here on the Champs-Elysees. The rain made it quite sketchy today, but I had the full support from my teammates, and I thank them for believing in me and they were there to support me,” stage winner Wout van Aert told Roadcycling.com shortly after the stage.

“We reached the final climb, and it was an all-out effort. I came pretty close on previous occasions of this tour and then I finally succeeded today. We came here to win the yellow jersey, but the biggest and strongest cyclist in the world won it. I’m proud of how we kept trying every day and we win the team classification, so we should be proud,” Van Aert explained.

Tadej Pogacar has won the 2025 Tour de France for UAE Team Emirates. The Slovenian rider won the general classification ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), while Florian Lipowitz completed the final podium for Team Red Bull – Bora - Hansgrohe.

“In the end I found myself at the front of today’s stage, though I didn’t really have the energy to motivate myself. I was happy they neutralized the stage, and I just had the legs to try to be in front. Wout was incredibly strong at it was a really nice race today. I’m speechless to be winning my fourth Tour de France and I’m super proud that I can wear this yellow jersey,” general classification winner Tadej Pogacar explained to Roadcycling.com after the stage.

“We have a great atmosphere within the team, and we just started from stage one and moved on. The second week was the decisive moment where we increased my advantage and became more comfortable. I talked with Jonas this afternoon about how much we have changed these five years and how we have developed as riders. Jonas is a tough challenger. Now is the time to celebrate. Everyone wants to celebrate in his own way, and I want to celebrate with peace and quiet at home in nice weather” Pogacar added.

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