Stage 21 Breakdown:

Stage 21 takes the riders on a flat 133km journey from Thoiry to Paris Champs-Élysées. While the final stage traditionally serves as a celebration for the Tour winner, the 2026 edition once again promises an entertaining finale thanks to the return of the Montmartre circuit. With around 1000m of climbing, this is no longer a straightforward sprint stage, as the repeated ascents of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre could encourage late attacks before the race returns to the Champs-Élysées.

After the ceremonial opening kilometres, the riders head towards Paris and complete several laps of the traditional Champs-Élysées circuit before the race tackles the Côte de la Butte Montmartre on three occasions. The climb itself is short but steep enough to put pure sprinters under pressure, especially after three ascents over the cobbled Rue Lepic. Unlike in 2025, the final passage over Montmartre comes around 15 kilometres from the finish, giving sprint teams a realistic opportunity to bring attackers back before the final dash down the Champs-Élysées.

The finale creates an intriguing tactical battle between puncheurs looking to escape on the final climb and sprint teams determined to set up a bunch finish. If the peloton remains largely intact after the last ascent of Montmartre, the world’s fastest finishers should have their chance on the Champs-Élysées. However, with the repeated climbs and technical streets of Paris, a late solo attack or a small elite group could once again spoil the sprinters’ plans and provide a spectacular conclusion to the Tour.

Favorites:
| +++ | Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Philipsen
| ++ | Biniam Girmay, Tom Pidcock, Magnus Cort Nielsen
| + | Quinn Simmons, Victor Campenaerts