The 2025 Tour de France is one other version designed for climbers, however two time trials and a difficult opening week will hold the general contenders on their toes. They should strike a fragile steadiness between self-preservation and saving vitality for a demanding second half of the race.
The 2025 Tour de France route begins in Lille and consists of three phases across the Hauts-de-France capital. Punchy climbs, slim roads, and the potential for crosswinds will contribute to a nervous ambiance within the peloton.
Whereas the uphill finishes in Boulogne-sur-Mer (stage 2), Rouen (stage 4) and later kicks into Vire Normandie and to the Mûr-de-Bretagne may trigger a handful of seconds of separation within the normal classification, the primary key stage is available in Caen with the primary particular person time trial on stage 5.
Caen final hosted a stage of the Tour de France in 2006 with Oscar Freire successful the dash. This time, the town’s millennial celebrations will function GC contenders like defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep) duking it out over 33km within the particular person time trial.
The course is predicted to be flat and quick, giving the time trial world champion Evenepoel an edge in a check 8km longer than the stage he received in 2024 by 12 seconds over Pogačar. All issues being equal, the stage may solely give Evenepoel just a few seconds extra of a bonus and will likely be a minor day of racing for the highest riders, however it can actually skinny out the record of remaining contenders.
Punishing Pyrenees
The primary climbing stage for the Tour de France contenders to be severely involved about is stage 12 to Hautacam, which begins off a punishing trio of phases within the Pyrenees.
Visma-Lease a Bike have been happy to see the inclusion of the ascent, which final featured within the 2022 Tour de France the place Vingegaard carved out one other 1:04 on Pogačar en path to his first Tour victory.
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Different winners on Hautacam embrace Vincenzo Nibali throughout his 2014 victory and Bjarne Riis as a part of his 2006 win. It is a make-or-break ascent starting with the sudden narrowing of the highway that indicators the beginning of the climb. Positioning would be the first battle however the extra necessary impediment is the continually various gradients.
The climb averages round 8% however with grades of as much as 15%, there isn’t any room for driving a gentle tempo – a function that favours punchy climbers like Pogačar and Vingegaard over those that desire a gentle grind like Evenepoel.
Mountain time trial
Tadej Pogačar is perhaps blissful to see the return of a real mountain time trial after his commanding efficiency within the extra prolonged mountainous check in Good that closed out his 2024 Tour victory.
The 11km stage to Peyragudes options the identical climb the place Pogačar out-sprinted Jonas Vingegaard on stage 17 of the 2022 Tour de France. The stage finishes on the Altiport made well-known by the James Bond film Tomorrow By no means Dies.
There may not be fiery explosions on the altiport subsequent July, however there will likely be violent efforts from the highest contenders as they deal with the 8km of comparatively regular grades earlier than the inclines kick up on the summit.
Echoes of Hinault vs LeMond at Superbagnères
One of the crucial intriguing phases of Tour de France historical past got here in 1986 when teammates Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault battled on stage 13 from Pau to Superbagnères.
Hinault, who had attacked the day past, tried to go away LeMond behind however spent too many bullets traversing the three main climbs main as much as the ultimate ascent and ended up shedding 4:39 and the Tour de France as an alternative.
That second of historical past ought to function a reminder of how demanding the Pyrenees may be when riders deal with virtually the identical route in 2025’s stage 14.
Riders need to climb the Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin and Col de Peyresourde earlier than descending into Luchon after which heading as much as the Luchon-Superbagnères ski station.
Like Hautacam, there will likely be no time to settle right into a rhythm as even the early kilometres are riddled with gradient shifts. There are quite a few hairpins and brief sections of 10 to 12% combined in with gentler stretches amounting to a median grade of 6.8% over 17.2km. Nevertheless, the ultimate 5km are the toughest with the steepest kilometre of virtually 10% proper on the finish.
It is a brutal day of racing that comes with every week of racing nonetheless to go.
Ventoux and the Alps
Immediately after the second relaxation day, the riders head from Montpellier to the Mont Ventoux, which hasn’t featured as a summit end within the Tour de France since 2016 when the crowds have been so thick that after race chief Chris Froome crashed, he needed to run partway up the climb earlier than he may get a spare bike.
The Mont Ventoux begins comparatively tamely earlier than the official 15.7km profile begins. The day is not as brutal because the Superbagnères stage, however the climb has for much longer pitches of 9-10% grades.
There’s a transient respite at Chalet Reynard earlier than the riders move the treeline the place excessive winds throughout an uncovered moon-like panorama add to the explosive effort wanted to succeed in the summit.
Col de la Loze and La Plagne
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Riders get a break of 1 stage earlier than they will be going into the pink on stage 18 to the Col de la Loze – the very best level of the 2025 Tour de France at 2,304 metres.
This stage begins with the undulating climb of the Col du Glandon after which goes over the Col de la Madeleine earlier than descending to the valley and turning towards Courchevel for the ultimate ascent – arguably a more durable stage than the one in 2023 the place Pogačar declared ‘I am gone, I am lifeless’ earlier than shedding his GC hopes to Vingegaard.
This time the race heads up a unique route from Brides-les-Bains to Courchevel to what was used within the mountain’s 2020 debut and in 2023, bypassing the 20% gradients between Méribel and Courchevel.
The result’s a steadier climb of the Col de la Loze that’s 26.2km lengthy and averages 6.5%, however there may be nonetheless a 14% max grade close to the summit – at over 2,000 metres, it can actually harm.
Riders have a shorter day to shut out the race for the general contenders one stage sooner than regular with a 130km stage from Albertville to La Plagne and 5 categorised climbs.
Packed into the brief stage are the Héry-sur-Ugine (11.3km at 5.1%), the Col des Saisies (13.7km at 6.4%), the Col du Pré (12.6km at 7.7%), and the Cormet de Roselend (5.9km at 6.3%) earlier than the mad sprint to the summit at La Plagne (19.1km at 7.2%).
The ultimate climb hasn’t been within the Tour de France as a end since 2002 so it is new territory for the younger technology of contenders. One other comparatively regular ascent, La Plagne will likely be made tougher by the collected fatigue of virtually 55,000 metres of complete climbing.
