If the riders find themselves in Paris on July 26th then they will have completed the three week Tour de France. The final day is a celebration of accomplishment for all and a historical day of prestige and glory for the winner. Champagne will be passed around from the team cars, the riders will pose for pictures, and the stage will have a relaxed feel to it that none of the previous stages contained.
Monterau-Fault-Yonne had two previous starts in 1997 and 2004. The later was remembered for Filippo Simeoni attacking early on and Lance Armstrong bridging up to him to order him back to the peloton. With 160km in front of them the race will cruise until they reach the entrance of the circuits and the final 50km.
The finish in Paris is one of the most prestigious sprinting stages a rider can win. Seldom does a break stay away but it does happen as in 2005 with Vinokourov, 1994 with Eddy Seigneur and 1987 when the American Jeff Pierce won.
The Champs Elysees, in 1991, was the stage for a horrific crash when Djamolidine Adboujaparov clipped a wheel on the barriers, in the final 100 meters, spectacularly taking a bunch of riders down including himself. It was the scene for a final battle for the Green jersey in 2003 when Baden Cook overtook Robbie McEwen because he placed one spot ahead in the final sprint. Of course, in 1989, there was the final time trial on the Champs where Greg Lemond beat Laurent Fignon by 58” to win the Tour by only 8” over Fignon.
The sprinters will hope to have their best legs on this final day. It’s very possible that after tackling Mont Ventoux, the day before, the power and speed they are accustomed to might be missing some kick. The fast men will be determined, but with such a different last few days of the Tour, we might once again see a break make it to the finish line first.
The 96th Tour will be complete when the riders take their traditional lap of honor on the race course, the podium awards are presented at the finish line, and the loudspeakers finally go quite.
