Stage 21: La Défense Arena to Paris Champs-Elysées

Double threat

While the men’s Tour may have been decided in the previous days’ time trial, and their final stage into the Champs-Élysées will likely see a mass-sprint finish in the early evening, the first Women’s Tour de France with Zwift will get underway a few hours earlier on the same course. An interesting aspect of the men’s stage 21 is that it will start indoors, just to the west of Paris, in the Paris La Défense Arena—a French rugby team’s stadium, a major concert venue and what will host the swimming competitions at the 2024 Olympic Games.

From there, the men will climb Mont Valérien, head through Versailles and then pick up the same route taken last year. It will pass by the Luxembourg Gardens and in front of the Louvre pyramid, after which the riders will enter the traditional finishing circuit on the Champs-Élysées. As last year, the finish will be 200 meters farther up the avenue than in the past. As a result, the sprinters will need an extra lead-out man. Maybe Wout Van Aert will repeat his 2021 stage victory.