The conclusion of the 2020 Tour de France brings one last hurrah for the sprinters and the crowning of the champion in the traditional Paris finale.
Ernest Hemingway once said, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” He might just as well have been talking about the Tour de France, which is the ultimate moveable feast.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The greatest bike race in the world gains its meaning and lustre from the fact that it is the same every year, but different. It belongs to all of France’s regions and none of them. It wouldn’t be the same if the route was identical every year. However, the Champs-Élysées is the one constant. Each Grand Départ is different; each route plotted around France attempts to tell a different story. But the endpoint has been the same for 45 years, and it’s hard to imagine that ever being changed. The Tour de France without its grand finale on the Champs-Élysées is unimaginable.
The 2020 finale goes from Mantes-la-Jolie to Paris, reversing the journey 150 years ago of the Impressionists, who headed to the suburbs to capture the elusive light and reflections of the Seine. The riders will head to the Champs in search of their own more tangible goals - to ride, to survive, or maybe to win.
Sprinters will have tired legs, but will be inspired on the Champs for a final momento. Whoever wears the yellow jersey after the TT atop the La Planche des Belle Filles will then ride into Paris as the 2020 Tour de France winner.
Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling. Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell, the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English. The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999, and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling. Since then, major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features, news, results, photos and tech reporting. The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling.
Hitting the trails after dark can double your riding time. We pick the best lights for handlebar and helmet, depending on your budget and whether you ride XC, trail or enduro
