Tour de France’s new Montmartre climb could be a game changer. It sparks controversy

PARIS: Breaking with tradition at the Tour de France is stirring controversy.
Since race organizers announced plans last week to climb the iconic Montmartre hill in Paris during the final stage in July, the cycling world has been abuzz. Could the climb actually decide the Tour winner? Or disrupt the final sprint by injecting tactical uncertainty into what is usually a celebratory day?
Well, that remains to be seen.

But one thing seems certain: The stage will be a spectacle.
At last year’s Olympics, massive crowds lined the streets of Montmartre — the area in the northern part of Paris that is popular among artists and offers grand vistas of the city — to cheer on riders.
Inspired by the frenetic atmosphere and willing to build on the momentum, Tour organizers said this month that riders competing in cycling’s biggest race this summer would climb the Montmartre hill and pass beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica before “battling it out on a stage that may break from the traditions established over the past 50 years in the heart of the capital.”
Traditionally, the Tour final stage is largely processional until a sprint decides the day’s winner on the Champs-Élysées. Last year’s final stage was held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to Nice.

The world famous avenue is back on the program this year for the conclusion of the 3,320-kilometer (2,060-mile) race.
The inclusion of the steep Montmartre climb could dramatically change the dynamics of the stage. If the hill features just a few kilometers from the finish line, or is climbed several times, pure sprinters will likely be dropped before they can compete for the stage win.