For the last 35 years the most beautiful avenue in the world has provided the Tour de France with a gem of a location for its grand finale. Walter Godefroot was the first to win on the Champs, since followed by all of cycling’s greatest sprinters, and some phenomenal hard-hitters. This year Cavendish once again won the sprint down this magnificent avenue, but it was Contador who won the Tours for the third time in a grand finish!
Paris loves cycling and is delighted to welcome to its unique setting, like every year for more than a century, the breath-taking sprint of the Tour de France’s heroes. What better a sight is there than this Homeric battle of a finish that snakes for several kilometres through the streets of the French capital’s centre and the exceptional avenue of the Champs-Elysées? This carnival of sport that brings together Parisians and many tourists enables us to celebrate cycling in its full diversity. It brings to mind another popular and audacious great adventure, the Vélib bicycle service, which is now celebrating its third anniversary. It now accounts for 71 million journeys and exists in 30 of Paris’ neighbouring municipalities. Today, it is possible to use almost 600 km of cycling tracks. It is therefore with great pleasure that Paris offers its streets to bicycle-lovers and especially to the athletes of the Tour who delight us year upon year and who, from the Yellow Jersey winner to the wooden spoon holder in the final standings, all deserve to be lauded with the same praise.
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