The good news is that there is not long to go until this stage bursts into life.

The riders are on the banks of the Seine now, and will head towards the Louvre before they make a complete circuit of the Arc de Triomphe. Then come the eight circuits of the Champs Elysees, when the fireworks will begin.

Every time I mention Marcel Kittel, I look up and something has gone wrong for the German. Not sure if he needed more treatment on that injured wrist or if he suffered a mechanical, but he has fallen off the back of the peloton and is trying to make up ground.

It does not bode well for his hopes of a fourth stage win in this year's Tour.

When the race does hit Paris (in about 10km or so), expect to see Peter Sagan jostling for position near the front of the peloton. The green jersey winner told the Tour de France's official website at the start of the day that "My chance to win on the Champs-Elysees depends on my position in the last corner. If I take the curve in third place, I can win but it's a special sprint.

"On the flat, Marcel Kittel, Andre Greipel and maybe Alexander Kristoff are faster than me but since I haven't won a stage yet, I want to believe that I still have an opportunity in Paris."

Speaking of British riders, for those of you still wondering how Lizzie Armitstead is after her crash at the end of La Course, she has tweeted to say she is OK.

Armitstead said:, external "Well 2 bike changes and a crash, Paris you didn't deliver my romantic dreams! Going home with stitches but I'll be fine :) "

Image source, Getty Images

Er, and here's Geraint Thomas, pictured with all the British riders still in this Tour. Ahem.

The other three who started the race - defending champion Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish and Simon Yates - either crashed out or pulled out a long time ago.

We are used to seeing British riders on top of the podium in Paris but at least Thomas has survived another testing Tour and is going to finish 22nd overall - he is currently 59 minutes and 29 seconds behind Vincenzo Nibali.

Here's another picture of Vincenzo Nibali, posing with all the Italian riders still in this year's Tour. He will become the first man from Italy to win the Tour de France since Marco Pantani in 1998.

Image source, EPA

Image source, AP

Cheers! This was Tour de France champion elect Vincenzo Nibali toasting his victory with a swig of champagne at the start of this final stage. Plenty more of that to come for the Italian but he has not been drinking all the way into Paris.

Although, with him only having to stay on his bike all the way to the finish line, I suppose that would add a 'final challenge' to the Tour which would make this part of the race a bit more interesting.

The riders have around 30km to go until the race hits Paris, and then another 55km to get to the finish, and the pace is starting to increase ever so slightly.

They couldn't go much slower than they were doing without falling off to be honest.

By the way, Jens Voigt is not just the oldest man in the race, he is also the hardest.

The German has spawned a tribute website, external - modelled on one for American actor and martial artist Chuck Norris, external - that lists supposed 'facts' testifying to his strength and courage, such as: "You are what you eat. Jens Voigt eats spring steel for breakfast, fire for lunch and a mixture of titanium and carbon fibre for dinner."

The latest 'fact'? If Jens Voigt was a country, his principle exports would be Pain, Suffering, and Agony.

Image source, Getty Images

With absolutely nothing happening on the road, let's talk about one of my favourite riders.

Could this be the last time we see the old man of the Tour head into Paris? The talk is that German veteran Jens Voigt will end his long and illustrious professional cycling career at the end of the season.

The 42-year-old, a cult hero among cycling fans because of his relentlessly positive attitude as much as for his habit of launching solo attacks, is competing in the Tour for a record-equalling 17th time this year.

If it is to be his final year, he will probably mark it by launching one of his trademark breakaway attempts on the Champs Elysees. Mind you, he thought last year's Tour would be his last, so don't write him off just yet.

The answer is 'no', because Astana's Dimitri Gruzdev was first over the top of Cote de Briis sous Fouges. Absolutely none of the 164 riders were bothered, and I suspect you will feel the same way too.

There are 102km of today's 137.5km to go, and - more importantly - about 50km left before the peloton reaches Paris and the real racing begins.

The Astana team are still at the front of the peloton, pedalling about as hard as you or I would after a hearty Sunday roast. You can't really blame them, though, after the shift they have put in over the last three weeks.

The riders are slowly approaching that 'climb' I was talking about earlier, the less than fearsome Cote de Briis sous Fouges, and the only question is whether Astana will let Rafal Majka go over first to collect another King of the Mountains point.

Image source, Getty Images

One notable man will be missing from the sprint to the line in Paris this evening, the Isle of Man's Mark Cavendish - winner on the Champs Elysees for four straight years from 2009 to 2012 - who crashed out of the race at the very start.

His Omega Pharma QuickStep team have done pretty well without him, however, winning three stages. Germany's Tony Martin has supplied two of those victories, including Saturday's time trial.

Martin told BBC Radio 5 live: "Our morale was really down after the first stage when Cav crashed and could not continue but it also gave us some strength to stick together as a team and fight for Cav to be always at the front of the race, to try something and try to win stages for the team.

"I am really proud of the team, and how we made it with three stage wins and a lot of good placings. I think we can all be really happy with the Tour de France."

Polkadot Jersey
Classification

Image source, EPA

There is still one climb to come in this year's Tour, but it is only a fourth-category bump called Cote de Briis sous Fouges and carries a prize of only one point for the first man over the top.

Whoever that is, the King of the Mountains category has already been won but the man wearing the spots, Poland's Rafal Majka, has denied reports that Oleg Tinkov, the owner of his Tinkoff-Saxo team, has bought him an Aston Martin as reward.

Majka told BBC Radio 5 live: "No, no, this is not true! He was joking!

"But I am very happy. I have my jersey and I have also won two stages which is really important to me, and also for my team. I have a special bike and special clothing for Sunday and I am looking forward to Paris, I never thought the Tour could go so well for me."

Just in case you are new to all this and are wondering what the heck is going on: We WILL see some serious racing in Paris later, when Peter Sagan and co will sprint for the stage win on final lap of the Champs Elysees.

But Paris is still about an hour away and this section of the 21st and final stage of the 101st Tour de France is a winners' parade for champion elect, Italy's Vincenzo Nibali.

None of his rivals in the general classification will attack him today and the rest of the podium has been decided too. The only thing that can stop Nibali from winning the race is if he falls off his bike and cannot finish.

Green Jersey
Classification

Image source, Getty Images

As discussed at 14:52 BST, wheelie-loving Slovakian rider Peter Sagan, aka 'the Terminator' is the winner of the Tour's points (or sprint) category for a third straight year, but - so far - is yet to win a stage.

Er, not much time to put that right then. He seems pretty confident he can, though.

Sagan told BBC Radio 5 live on Saturday: "I am very happy to have won the green jersey again. Paris is one more chance for me to try something to get a stage win, and I hope it will be a good day.

"If I don't win, I am still very happy but I think I can win on the Champs Elysees. Why not?"

Yellow Jersey
Classification

The winner of today's stage is just about the only thing left unsettled in this year's Tour de France. We already know that there will be a Frenchman on the podium for the first time in 17 years, and two for the first time since 1984.

General classification ahead of the final stage:

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Astana) 86hrs 37mins 52secs

2. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra/AG2R) +7mins 52secs

3. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ.fr) +8mins 24secs

John McEnerney:, external Not the most exciting Tour but it has been some performance by Vincenzo Nibali, totally dominant since the pavé. Gotta mention Jack Bauer too!

Toniwater:, external Nibali was been supreme throughout, he showed early on he meant business & maintained it. He never let up crushing his rivals!

Image source, AP

So, how does it feel to win the Tour de France for the first time? Vincenzo Nibali will tell us when he climbs on the podium and, by the sounds of it, he has got about three hours to work out what to say.

"It's really difficult to explain all the emotions that I've gone through in these last three weeks," Nibali said after Saturday's time trial. "But as time goes by, maybe I'll find the words to describe what I'm feeling."

"Perhaps on the Champs Elysees, I'll realise a little bit more."

Will he talk about calling out the raffle numbers? I can't see it myself...