The 2025 Tour de France route has been unveiled and whereas it’s a return to custom, consider a remake reasonably than a duplicate. There are some surprises too.
Lille had been unveiled already however a grand départ in France is outstanding given it’s the primary since 2021; 2026 is Barcelona after which most likely Britain. Lille’s constructed on its location as a transport hub to reinvent itself as a post-industrial metropolis. For cyclists the quasi-suburb of Roubaix is extra well-known in fact. Neither are vacation locations as such however Nord president stated his area has frites, it has beer and he’s anticipating an enormous social gathering.
Stage 1 (185km) is introduced as a dash end, apparent given the flat route. It’ll be hectic given the crash threat, heightened due to the reward of the yellow jersey on the end. They’re not massive on the profile however the climbs are sufficient to award the mountains jersey. Mont Cassel has its cobbles and Mont Noir is a bidon’s throw from the Belgian border.
Stage 2 is the longest at 209km. A begin in Lauwin-Planque which you’ll be forgiven for listening to about for the primary time at the moment even for those who’re French, it’s a village on the sting of Douai now dwarfed by its logistics park however the mayor is coincidentally the president of the Nord départment which has bid for the grand départ; the following place over is Hénin-Beaumont which for those who’re French you’ve most likely heard of. Anyway the end in Boulogne by the ocean is extra essential, it’s bought some sharp climbs which swimsuit punchy riders like Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert… and Tadej Pogačar.
Three days and Dunkerque for a dash end Stage 3 (178km). Notice what’s absent, a begin in Valenciennes but no pavé. There’s sure to be cobbled roads in cities alongside the best way however surprisingly the Tour intentionally avoids the notorious Roubaix sectors.
Stage 4 (173km) and the roads to Rouen, the capital metropolis of Normandy. There are extra climbs late within the stage together with an uphill run to the road, one other day tilted to the classics riders over the pure sprinters.
Stage 5 and a 33km time trial in Caen. Caen? 9 July. There’s no profile but however we’d not want one, it’s very flat: benefit Remco Evenepoel and the heavyset specialists.
Stage 6 (201km) amid the phrase bocage, a time period utilized to the native woodland. It is a journey by la Suisse normande, a “little Switzerland” due to the hills, valleys and even cliffs. It’s on Guillaume Martin’s coaching roads and anybody visiting for the stage or following the race may do worse than staying in his domaine which has rooms out there however they’re not low cost. It’s uphill into the end on the outskirts of Vire, one other day for the puncheurs.
Puncheurs? Them once more as Stage 7 (194km) options the Côte de Menéhiez. It’s extra well-known because the climb at Mûr-de-Bretagne. Similar to 2021 when Mathieu van der Poel received right here, the race will go as much as cross the road then make a small loop earlier than charging again up for the end. There are different climbs in Brittany.
Stage 8 (174km) and at last a stage for the sprinters in Laval however this may very well be a type of days the place no one assaults; sadly this phases comes on a Saturday when expectant audiences may need extra.
Bis repetita as they are saying in France for Stage 9 (170km) for a probable dash end. Solely as an alternative of going straight to Châteauroux the route intentionally zigs and zags to attempt to catch a crosswind. Intelligent, however hopeful as this a part of France in summer time is often calm.
Stage 10 (163km) on the 14 July. It ought to have TV viewers rubbing their fingers, and riders doing a full warm-up though paradoxically it may take so lengthy for the break to go that some riders hoping to leap later might intentionally keep away from the rollers to save lots of power. This seems very promising with 4,400m of vertical achieve throughout and lumpy rural roads, some utilized by the Dauphiné lately. Count on wave after wave of assaults as riders hope to make the day’s breakaway whereas the GC riders must mark their rivals within the uphill finale too which works past the city of Mont-Dore to complete on the ski station above. The race heads south for the remainder day within the metropolis of Toulouse the place riders will be capable to keep in the identical resort for a number of days.
Stage 11 (154km) and a uncommon loop, with the stage beginning and likewise ending within the Toulouse. It’s previous the Fronton vineyards on flat to rolling terrain. The spice comes with simply 8km to go and the climb of Pech David, the ridge that sits above town of Toulouse. There are other ways up and no map but however with discuss of 20% slopes and freeze-faming the route presentation it seems unmistakably just like the Chemin des Canalets. It’s extra like 18% easing to 12% however it’s slim and begins with a really tight flip. It will see many sprinters ejected and the GC riders can’t afford to start out the climb outdoors of twentieth place both.
The Pyrenees start on Stage 12 (181km). There’s 3850m of vertical achieve after the sprint throughout the plains to the Col du Soulor after which crossing over to the backroad Col des Bordères for some added elevation and a slim descent. Then comes Hautacam, a sustained climb that can take near 40 minutes even for one of the best.
We get the return of the mountain time trial on Stage 13 (11km) from Loudenvielle to the Peyragudes altiport, the primary since 2004 (excluding Combloux in 2023, the day Jonas Vingegaard broke Tadej Pogačar, uphill to Megève however probably not a mountain). There are three kilometres earlier than the climb however they’re flat both and it’ll have groups interested by bike adjustments, whether or not it’s value doing a part of the Peyresourde on a TT bike.
Saved for the third Saturday, Stage 14 (183km) is a traditional: the Toumalet, Aspin and Peyresourde. That will be loads however the race returns to the Col du Treuil and Superbagnères. The Tremendous- suffix is as a result of it sits above Bagnères de Luchon however in biking it’s seen some tremendous sport. Greg LeMond constructed his 1986 Tour win right here when Bernard Hinault cracked. The final time the Tour visited was in means again in 1989 when Robert Millar received the stage, beating Pedro Delgado in his seek for misplaced time whereas three minutes later Laurent Fignon gained twelve seconds on Greg LeMond to take the yellow jersey by seven seconds. A state of affairs to yearn for subsequent summer time. The lengthy absence has been logistical, the Pique river had rickety bridges unsuitable for the Tour’s gigantisme and and new bridges have been put in and so the Tour and its vehicles can move. Historical past and engineering apart, it is a massive day trip with 4,950m of vertical achieve.
After six nights in the identical resort, riders will pack up their baggage when Stage 15 (169km) leaves Muret for Carcassone by way of the Montagne Noire mini-mountain vary, together with the difficult Pas du Sant move. It ought to be a battle between the breakaway and the sprinters, with compulsory references to the Vent d’Autan and Tramontane winds. Subsequent is the remainder day in Montpellier.
Stage 16 (172km) is dominated by Mont Ventoux, the route is close to flat all day till Bédoin and the traditional closing 20km up the “Big of Provence”, the mountain that’s each superb and likewise the repository of myths and clichés, a recipe sustained by the race’s comparatively sparing visits. Mont Ventoux featured in 2021, and the final summit end was imagined to be in 2016 however famously the race didn’t make it to the highest that day as Chris Froome ran a part of the best way to Chalet Reynard. Anyway the primary 150km may enable a breakaway to kind and construct up a lead.
Stage 17 (161km) sees the race flip north and the Bollène-Valence route may very well be a Paris-Good stage in reverse. As a substitute of a parade up the Rhone valley its into the Baronnies, the pre-Alpine foothills which could encourage a breakaway earlier than a probable dash on the finish on the sting of city.
Stage 18 (171km) and a départ Vif, close to Grenoble. It’s the beginning of a large day within the mountains with a y-axis of evil totalling 5,500 metres of vertical achieve, all in simply 171km. The ultimate climb is the Col de la Loze however the novelty is the japanese ascent by way of Courchevel reasonably than Méribel like earlier than. It’s not as demented because the western model however nonetheless 2,300m excessive and the ultimate is up a cycle path.
The very subsequent day and extra curler coaster racing. The opening climb on Stage 19 (130km) sees the race keep away from the usually closed-because-of-landslides primary highway and the route above Ugine is much more durable than the profile suggests. The Saisies takes the race over the Beaufortain a part of the Alps after which comes the picture-postcard good climb of the Col du Pré which results in the Cormet de Roselend. The end is much less scenic, the climb to La Plagne – the place Mark Padun received the Dauphiné stage in 2021 – has no surprises apart from the sheer size.
Stage 20 (185km) is the final likelihood breakaway day. With 2,850m of vertical achieve throughout the Jura mountains and throughout Comté cheese terroir it’s accessible to many riders and groups all determined for a season-saving end result. It’s by way of the lengthy however gradual Col de la Croix de Serra, later the small however sharp climb in Thésy which featured within the 2023 Dauphiné: you may keep in mind Richard Carapaz attacked after which cracked underneath his personal tempo leaving Jonas Vingegaard to go solo for the win in close by Salins, right here there’s a bit additional to go in Pontarlier. Lastly it’s again to Paris for Stage 21 (120km) and the Champs-Elysées stage.
The VerdictIt begins in France and it stays in France. It goes anti-clockwise and stays on flat terrain for the opening week. There’s no pavé within the Nord, no ribinous in Brittany and no gravel anyplace both. These 8-5-2 bonus seconds on climbs have gone. It’s all reasonably conventional. Solely see it as a Christian Prudhomme remake of a Jean-Marie Leblanc Tour: see the multitude of hills exploited on what could be dash phases, word the shorter stage distances, plus the comparative lack of time trial kilometres too.
The passage throughout the north of France felt inevitable after years of avoiding it, typically intentionally because the organisers went seeking extra energetic terrain south of a line Bordeaux to Strasbourg. Racing north they’ve achieved properly to use the terrain and there are many days for puncheurs on the expense of sprinters: the opening week may very well be fairly energetic, particularly for those who tune in for the ultimate hour. The opposite day Mathieu van der Poel was speaking about mountain biking subsequent summer time, his managers and sponsors will need him for this opening week.
Fewer time trial kilometres? 44km in whole is definitely common since 2013 – after the Bradley Wiggins course – however right here time 1 / 4 of the rely is from the Peyragudes mountain time trial.
There are 5 summit finishes and price naming as a result of Hautacam, Superbagnères, Mont Ventoux, the Col de la Loze and La Plagne are giants, these mountain phases make sure the vertical achieve for the three weeks is nearly as excessive as final 12 months regardless of a course solely reaching the Pyrenees on Stage 12. The danger is these massive days are seared within the collective consciousness as GC phases, that the large groups journey massive tempo and one or two riders dominate; then this will get repeated every time.
The right way to rely the “dash phases”? That’s more durable. Race boss Christian Prudhomme typically quips “the dogma is that there isn’t any dogma” for route design however there’s a home rule about by no means having greater than two consecutive dash finishes. There are eight phases (1,3,7,8,9,15,17 and 21) for the pure sprinters however 15 and 17 aren’t nailed on; theoretically a rider like Wout Van Aert or Mathieu Van der Poel in peak situation may at the very least win these and a number of other extra like 2,4,6 and 11. Ideally there could be a few further days of mid-mountain breakaways like Stage 10 however such is geography that you could’t rustle these up.
Perhaps this isn’t Tadej Pogačar’s absolute preferrred route as there’s no gravel or cobble phases the place he most likely has a comparative benefit over rivals; equally he might favor a flat time trial instead of Peyragudes. But all of it fits him and an anti-Pogačar course simply doesn’t exist; maybe a cartoonist at the moment may sketch a smiling Remco Evenepoel in entrance of a map of of 21 flat time trial phases… however even then would you wager on the Belgian? But good luck to all these sure of their predictions for subsequent July given we will’t forecast this weekend’s climate too properly nor electoral occasions within the coming days… not to mention sporting outcomes subsequent summer time. Final winter Pogačar’s resolution to journey the Giro was partly knowledgeable by Jonas Vingegaard and Visma’s full superiority; destiny modified all that.
