PARIS (AP) — 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.