The route
Since its creation in 1903, the Tour has always finished in Paris, with the Champs-Elysées welcoming the grand finale since 1975. This year, the French capital is approached from the south in a clockwise half-loop, beginning in the industrial suburb of Corbeil-Essonnes. The route makes a brief incursion into the Chevreuse Valley (with the 4th category climb of Gif-sur-Yvette), before turning east to finally enter Paris via Issy-les-Moulineaux (headquarters of both the daily sports paper L’Equipe and ASO, the company that organises the Tour de France). From here, it’s just a short distance to the Champs-Elysées. The final 6.5km circuit, covered nine times, takes the riders from Place de la Concorde, up the avenue des Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. From here, it’s a sharp 180-degree turn back down the Champs-Elysées, via Concorde and down past the Tuileries gardens. A 90-degree left takes the peloton on a road that cuts between the Tuileries and the Louvre. When they emerge from a brief tunnel, it’s a left turn, past the other side of the Tuileries (along the rue de Rivoli), and back to Concorde and the Champs-Elysées.

Where to watch
Start: The Tour village will be located on the allées Aristide-Briand, with the ‘signing on’ podium situated in the Crété car park. An opening 4.7km loop of the town begins at 13h10 from the allées Aristide-Briand. After taking the cobbled rue Saint-Spire, the riders will take the RN7 and then the N191 towards Paris.
Finish: If you want to watch the race anywhere but on the finishing circuit, it should be fairly easy to find a spot. If you’re planning to stake out a slot on the final 6.5km loop, get there early. The immediate area around the finish line (about half-way up the Champs-Elysées, by the metro station Champs-Elysées Clemenceau) is taken over by stands reserved for officials, the press, riders’ families, etc. Further up, there’s still about a kilometre on either side of the Champs-Elysées to choose from. It’s probably best to be on the right-hand side (as you look at the Arc deTriomphe), as this is the side the riders climb. Arrive at least three or four hours before the race to secure even a half-decent spot. Alternatively, you can watch from the Tuileries gardens, or from place de la Concorde. The south side of the Tuileries is set above the road, and therefore offers good views of the peloton approaching (elsewhere it can be difficult to see more than a glimpse of the passing riders). The main disadvantage of watching the race here is that you’ll miss the 21 teams completing a final parade tour of the Champs-Elysées after the race has finished. Sometimes, riders even stop to sign autographs on this post-race lap.

The Pont des Arts, Paris

The favourites
Almost without exception, the final stage results in a big bunch sprint. Last year, Tom Boonen pipped 2003 winner Jean-Patrick Nazon, and Robbie McEwen will be looking to repeat the victories he had here in 1999 and 2002.

The last time a rider held off the sprinters was in 1994, when Eddy Seigneur took the stage. In 1979, race leader Bernard Hinault managed to escape the field – in a breakaway with second-placed Joop Zoetemelk. The two finished in Paris over two minutes ahead of the other riders, consolidating their top two places. In 1989, the stage was a time-trial from Versailles, with American Greg Lemond famously beating French yellow jersey Laurent Fignon by enough to seal overall victory by just 8 seconds.

Sight-seeing
Paris boasts enough sights, museums and monuments to keep the average tourist busy for a good week. Of the big art museums, the Musée d’Orsay (62 rue Lille, 75007, Tel. 01 40 49 48 14) is perhaps the most accessible and rewarding. Among many other works, the former railway station boasts an exemplary collection of expressionist painting, and a first-rate Van Gogh room.

A boat trip on the Seine is a good alternative way to see the city. Bâteaux Parisien (Port La Bourdonnais 75007, Tel. 08 25 01 01 01) depart from the beside the Eiffel Tower.

Food & Drink
Like most big capitals, Paris offers a huge variety of multi-cultural restaurants. For the authentic Parisian experience, sit yourself in a brasserie and try a steak tartare (raw meat prepared with eggs). The Latin Quarter around St. Michel is very touristy and not usually very good. Rue Mouffetard (5th arrondissement), however, is packed with restaurants that offer decent and very reasonably-priced three-course menus.

Paris Plage, a summer-time beach by the Seine

Events
The summer funfair in the Jardin des Tuileries (métro Concorde or Tuileries) is a familiar sight from the Tour de France helicopter pictures. The big ferris wheel offers some excellent views of the city, while adrenalin junkies can queue up for the American Bungee ride.

The finish of the Tour de France also coincides with one of Paris’s most recent and popular summer-time events – Paris Plage. For a month (21 July-21 August), the quays of the Seine (between the Pont des Arts and the Pont de Sully) are converted into a beach, complete with sand, water sprays, ice cream stalls, palm trees, music, and more. Acess is free.

Links and numbers
Corbeil Essonnes: Tourist Office, 36 rue Saint Spire, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, Tel. 01.64.96.23.97
Paris: Town Hall (Mairie), 4 r Lobau, 75004 Paris, www.paris.fr
Paris : Tourist Office, 25 rue des Pyramides, 75001, Tel. 08 92 68 31 12 or 08 92 68 3000, www.parisinfo.com

Road advice
NB: All road closure times are approximate and will depend on the amount of traffic.

Corbeil-Essonnes
Traffic will not be allowed in the town from 10h-14h. Four car parks will be open to the public from 7h-9h30. These are the Snecma car park, the Communauté d’Agglomération Seine-Essonne car park on the RN191, and the car parks on Quai bourgoin and rue du Bas-Coudray (behind the Mercier stadium).

The sprinters will be marking each other today