It's over, and it was beautiful.
The Tour de France 2022 arrives this Sunday in the sumptuous and traditional setting of the Champs-Élysées.
A sprint finish is expected on the most beautiful avenue in the world, before the awards ceremony and the coronation of Jonas Vingegaard.
A first indoor start
Paris La Défense Arena, the Nanterre-based performance venue in the business district, hosts this traditionally festive start of the final stage, with runners relaxed as the end is near.
The Tour had already passed through stadiums, notably during the 2017 time trial at the Vélodrome de Marseille.
But this is a first in a covered enclosure.
The peloton will take a tour of the arena which usually hosts Racing 92 rugby players and concerts.
The gates open at 12 noon, the caravan passes at 2.30 p.m., and the start of the stage is at 4.30 p.m.
This is the second time that La Défense has hosted a start of the Tour, thirty after the final stage in 1992.
The 48th arrival on the Champs-Élysées
Then, place at a flat stage of 115.6 km, with a course of 60 km in the Yvelines and the Hauts-de-Seine, before entering the circuit of the Champs-Élysées in Paris, which the runners will take 8 times .
The finish on the Champs has been a tradition since 1975. This is the 48th time that the Parisian avenue has hosted the last stage.
Last year, Wout van Aert won.
The 10th victory for a Belgian on the Champs-Élysées, the most successful nation here.
The favorite: Caleb Ewan revenge
The insatiable Wout van Aert is of course the main candidate for victory.
But we will put a small coin on Australian pocket sprinter Caleb Ewan.
Especially for the symbol: Ewan is last in the general classification.
A victory of the red lantern on the last stage, it would be a nice wink.
The Loto Soudal runner is capable of it.
The eye of Thierry Gouvenou, course manager
“It will be a festive and quite rare start because we will be inside a stadium, that of Paris La Défense Arena.
Really it will be the highlight of the heroes of the 3 weeks.
Entrance to La Défense Arena will be free.
This is reminiscent of the 2017 time trial in the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille.
This year, the show lasted all day.
There, it will be just for the start.
But it will provide a beautiful setting for all these champions who have managed to reach Paris.
In addition there is a victory of prestige to be offered.
It's always beautiful The Champs Elysées.
It cannot be refused.
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