Tour de France final stage rerouted as French security forces pivot to wildfire response
The Amaury Sport Organisation and the French Ministry of the Interior have shortened the final stage to 89km and moved the start to Paris to redeploy internal security troops to the Gironde region.
The final stage of the Tour de France has been significantly altered, with the route shortened from 133km to 89km and the start location moved from Thoiry to the Champs-Elysees in Paris. The decision, jointly announced by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and the French Ministry of the Interior, reflects a strategic reallocation of internal security resources to combat severe wildfires in the southwest of France, particularly in the Gironde region.
The revised stage 21 will commence on the Champs-Elysees, featuring two extra circuits of the road before concluding with a climb up Montmartre. This section, previously utilised during the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 Tour de France, was selected for its capacity to accommodate large fan gatherings while minimising the logistical footprint required for security operations. The change aims to reduce the pressure on emergency services, which are currently fully mobilised to protect populations and secure affected areas.
The move comes as wildfires driven by extreme heat continue to rage across France and Spain, forcing more than 267,000 people from their homes. In France alone, over 110,000 residents have been evacuated, with 14,000 hectares of forest destroyed. The French government has warned against all road or rail travel to the affected southwestern areas, and Bordeaux airport has been closed due to the ongoing blazes.
President Emmanuel Macron has mobilised the military to assist with the crisis, while Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu has chaired government crisis meetings to coordinate the response. In Spain, a national emergency has been declared after two major wildfires west of Madrid merged, necessitating the evacuation of more than 19,000 residents. The diversion of security personnel from the Tour de France to these emergency zones underscores the scale of the operational challenge facing French authorities.
Earlier in the race, fans were asked to avoid the final 40km of stage 3 due to security concerns related to the deployment of first responders. Despite the logistical adjustments, the sporting outcome remains largely unaffected, with Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar expected to secure a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title on the revised Parisian route.
