The Tour de France has decided to retain the Montmartre circuit as the race's finale for years to come, following the huge success of this year's radical change to the traditional sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées.

Despite the riders' initial concerns about the safety of the wet cobblestones, the fast descent, and the city center streets, the decision proved to be a winning one. With the times taken before the three laps on Rue Lepic, the riders had the choice of whether to fight or simply celebrate the end of the Tour alongside the huge crowd that created a festive atmosphere along the streets of Montmartre.

In the 2025 edition, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) decided to go all out on the circuit, with the Belgian managing to drop the Tour winner on the final climb to Montmartre, before launching himself down the descent and taking a solo victory on the Champs-Élysées. Other top riders like Jonas Vingegaard, Geraint Thomas, and Primož Roglič, however, preferred to enjoy the moment, waving to the crowd at a more leisurely pace.

"We absolutely want to continue running through Montmartre," enthused deputy race director Pierre-Yves Thouault. "The success has exceeded our expectations, and we naturally want to make this new route a lasting success."

The addition of the Montmartre circuit came after the success of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 50th anniversary of the Tour's use of the 'most beautiful avenue in the world'. Despite some logistical challenges for the organizers and a break with the tradition of a final sprint, it breathed new life into the final day of racing.

The Tour will soon submit an official request to the Paris Préfecture to include Montmartre in the route of the final stage of 2026 and subsequent years. Final approval is expected in September, with the official announcement taking place during the presentation of the 2026 Tour route on October 23 in Paris.

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