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The Tour de France has finished on the Champs-Élysées every year since 1975. In the first edition of 1903, the finish was at Ville d'Avray; from 1904 to 1967 in Parc des Princes track and from 1968 to 1974 at the Vélodrome de Vincennes track.
Due to the high profile of the last day, the stage is prestigious. The overall Tour placings are typically settled before the final stage so the racing is often for the glory and/or to settle the sprinters' competition.
Traditionally, the stage starts with champagne served by the race leader's team, on the road photo-opportunities and joking around. As the riders approach Paris, the racing heats up as the sprinters and their teams begin the real racing of the day. When the riders reach central Paris, they enter the Champs-Élysées riding up the Rue de Rivoli, on to the Place de la Concorde and then swing right on to the Champs-Élysées itself. The riders ride laps (up towards the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs-Élysées, round les Tuileries and the Louvre and across the Place de la Concorde back to the Champs-Élysées).
The last stage has been the setting for dramatic moments. In 1989, Greg LeMond beat Laurent Fignon by 58 seconds over a 24 km time trial from Versailles. In doing so, he closed a 50-second gap to win the 1989 Tour de France by eight seconds. It was the first time trial final stage on the Champs-Élysées. The 1964, 1965 and 1967 Tours finished with time trials to the Parc des Princes, and the 1968 to 1971 stages had time trials to the Vélodrome de Vincennes (Cipale).
In 1991, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov clipped his wheels on barriers. With less than 100m left he tumbled head-over-heels in a spectacular crash. After he regained consciousness, he was helped across the line to clinch the sprinters' competition (the maillot vert). In 2001, Erik Zabel caught Stuart O'Grady at the final moment in the same competition.[1] In 2003, the green jersey was settled by a close finish between Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively, this meant that Baden Cooke finished with 216 points to Robbie McEwen's 214. In 2005, Alexander Vinokourov succeeded in a breakaway during the last kilometre and, because of his stage win and bonus seconds, overtook Levi Leipheimer for fifth position overall.[2]
| Year | Starting place | Distance (km) | Stage winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Montereau-Fault-Yonne | 160 |  Mark Cavendish (GBR) |
| 2008 | Étampes | 143 |  Gert Steegmans (BEL) |
| 2007 | Marcoussis | 130 |  Daniele Bennati (ITA) |
| 2006 | Antony, Parc de Sceaux | 152 |  Thor Hushovd (NOR) |
| 2005 | Corbeil-Essonnes | 144.5 |  Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ) |
| 2004 | Montereau | 163 | Tom Boonen (BEL) |
| 2003 | Ville d'Avray | 160 |  Jean-Patrick Nazon (FRA) |
| 2002 | Melun | 144 |  Robbie McEwen (AUS) |
| 2001 | Corbeil-Essonnes | 160.5 |  Jan Svorada (CZE) |
| 2000 | Paris | 138 | Stefano Zanini (ITA) |
| 1999 | Arpajon | 143.5 | Robbie McEwen (AUS) |
| 1998 | Melun | 147.5 | Tom Steels (BEL) |
| 1997 | Disneyland | 149.5 | Nicola Minali (ITA) |
| 1996 | Palaiseau | 147.5 | Fabio Baldato (ITA) |
| 1995 | Ste-Geneviève-des-Bois | 155 |  Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) |
| 1994 | Disneyland | 175 | Eddy Seigneur (FRA) |
| 1993 | Viry-Châtillon | 196.5 | Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) |
| 1992 | La Défense | 141 |  Olaf Ludwig (GER) |
| 1991 | Melun | 178 |  Dmitri Konyshev (RUS) |
| 1990 | Brétigny-sur-Orge | 182 | Johan Museeuw (BEL) |
| 1989 | Versailles | 24.5 ITT |  Greg LeMond (USA) |
| 1988 | Nemours | 172.5 |  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) |
| 1987 | Créteil | 192 | Jeff Pierce (USA) |
| 1986 | Cosne-sur-Loire | 255 | Guido Bontempi (ITA) |
| 1985 | Orléans | 196 | Rudy Matthijs (BEL) |
| 1984 | Pantin | 196.5 | Eric Vanderaerden (BEL) |
| 1983 | Alfortville | 195 |  Gilbert Glaus (SUI) |
| 1982 | Fontenay-sous-Blois | 186.8 | Bernard Hinault (FRA) |
| 1981 | Fontenay-sous-Blois | 186.8 | Freddy Maertens (BEL) |
| 1980 | Fontenay-sous-Blois | 186.1 | Pol Verschuere (BEL) |
| 1979 | Le Perreux | 180.3 | Bernard Hinault (FRA) |
| 1978 | St-Germain-en-Laye | 161.5 | Gerrie Knetemann (NED) |
| 1977 | Paris | 90.7 | Alain Meslet (FRA) |
| 1976 | Paris | 90.7 | Gerben Karstens (NED) |
| 1975 | Paris | 163.4 | Walter Godefroot (BEL) |
References
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