every year when i watch the tour de france

I agree , I never watch the final procession , having avidly watched the race up to that point.
Not a fan of time trials either , this years was never going to have an effect on the winner so did not watch Saturday either.

agree about the time trials, i don't think they add to it as a spectacle. mixed feelings about the final stage but it's an established tradition and the same with the other grand tours, isn't it? i didn't watch today but that's because i was stuck in horrendous traffic, thanks to road closures for the ride london / ride surrey event. oh the irony

Even though many people say the last stage is ceremonial it actually isn't.  There is nothing in theory to stop one of the GC riders trying to gain time (unless it is raining in which case the GC would be officially neutralised because the cobbles are seen as too dangerous for anyone except the nutcase sprinters).  The reasons for no GC attacks are all practical.  It's very difficult for any rider to ride away from the peloton on the last stage - it's one of the most important days of the year for the sprinters and their teams can not allow anything other than a sprint.  For a GC rider it's even harder because it is not only the sprint teams he has to ride away from but also the team(s) of the riders he is attacking who are likely to be on the lookout for it.  So generally nobody tries because it is doomed to failure. 

But it has happened in the past - in fact the last time it wasn't a bunch sprint in 2005.  Cancellara (future TT great) and Vinokourov attacked inside the last 3km and then Brad McGee (world pursuit champ) got across to them. The sprint teams never got them back and Vino won the two up sprint.  It moved him up from 6th on GC to 5th ahead of Leipheimer which was a nice bonus but nothing compared to actually attacking and winning on the Champs Elysee

Boardman suggested that if the yellow has a crash or mechanical he wouldnt be attacked though. That his competitors would even carry him over the line if necessary. Otherwise im not sure the tears and celebrations and wife being flown in on stage 20 would happen.

Might as well just make it official though, 20 stage GC race, 21 stage sprint race.

I was listening to the final stage of the 1989 Tour de France on a radio on the beach in Nice, Id taken my wife there for the weekend. Before the stage, Laurent Fignon congratulated Greg Lemond for finishing second, but try as he might, Fignon couldn't catch Lemond, who won the Tour by 8 seconds, the smallest margin ever.

will Not Finnish in Paris this Year