2018 Tour de France: Stage 21 Preview
Houilles - Paris, 116km
The second last stage being even further from Paris than last year in Marseille, it'll be late afternoon again when the riders hit the Champs-Elysées after 6pm and the traditional walk in the park that includes the necessary Champagne pictures.
Since the 100th edition in 2013, the curtain comes down just before sunset. This year, the start is located in Houilles in the Yvelines province that has been hosting the inaugural stage of Paris-Nice for 10 years. It's a relief for the riders to see the Eiffel Tower from far out. It means the suffering comes close to an end.
A bunch gallop is always expected on the world's most prestigious avenue. However, attacks are also a valuable ingredient of the conclusive stage. The last time it wasn't a sprint was in 2005 when Alexandre Vinokourov counter-attacked behind Bradley McGee. From the currently active riders, Daniele Bennati (2007), Mark Cavendish (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), Marcel Kittel (2013, 2014), André Greipel (2015, 2016) and Dylan Groenewegen (2017) know the special feeling of winning in Paris.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Tour Down Under stage 3 LIVE: Sprinters' teams keeping the break on a tight leash
Peloton tackles Wickham Hill and Mount Barker in a 140.8km hilly race from Henley Beach to Nairne -
Nicole Frain sweeps RADL GRVL and first-ever Oceania Gravel Championship for elite women while Romain Bardet earns gravel race victory for elite men
Unbound Gravel 200 winner Cameron Jones survives two punctures to finish second overall and earn Oceania title -
Peter Stetina, Kate Courtney line up at Low Gap on Sunday while Cameron Jones, Romain Bardet, Nicole Frain headline new Rapha Cycling Club team at RADL GRVL
Gravel Bits - Lauf Gravel Worlds address course safety at intersections and SBT GRVL offers scholarships for juniors -
How to watch ProVelo Super League 2026 – Live streams for Australia's national road series, where a pro team contract is up for grabs
Broadcast information for all six rounds of the ProVelo Super League, with live streams and highlights




