Sunday’s traditional stage in Paris was cut short to ease the burden on emergency services dealing with wildfires.
Published July 26, 2026
The final stage of the Tour de France has been shortened and rerouted, with first responders being diverted from Paris to tackle wildfires raging in southwestern France.
Sunday’s traditional stage in Paris will be shortened from 133km (82 miles) to just 89km (55 miles), with riders starting from the Champs-Elysées rather than Thoiry, west of the French capital.
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Changes were deemed necessary as multiple security personnel were reassigned to the fire scene. The new route will mean a smaller race footprint for local authorities to secure.
“With a number of wildfires currently affecting France, particularly the Gironde region, emergency services are mobilized to fight the fires, while domestic security forces are working to secure the affected areas and protect the population,” the Amauri sports organization, which organizes the tour, said in a statement.
“In light of this, the Ministry of Interior has decided to redeploy some of the internal security forces initially mobilized to ensure the security of the final stage of the Tour de France, in order to strengthen response operations in areas affected by wildfires,” the statement added.
Wildfires raging across France and Spain have forced more than 267,000 people from their homes, closed Bordeaux airport and prompted the French government to warn of a total ban on road and rail travel to the region.
The newly designed stage 21 will continue to finish along the famous Champs-Elysées, giving riders two more laps before heading up the climb of Montmartre.
The Montmartre circuit proved so popular that it was used in the 2024 Paris Olympics and later added to the 2025 Tour de France. This area attracts a large number of fans, creating a party-like atmosphere.
Early in the Tour de France, fans were asked to stay away from the final 40km of Stage 3 due to wildfires that required first responders to be in the area.
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar is on track to dominate the three-week race and secure a record fifth Tour de France victory.
