With the route taking place entirely in France, multiple summit finishes including Mont Ventoux, a mountain time trial in the Pyrenees and a return to a Paris finale, race director Christian Prudhomme has built a vintage and explosive 2025 Tour de France. He’ll be hoping for yet another gripping battle between defending champion Tadej Pogačar and two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, which will take place on some of the sport’s most iconic climbs.
The first summit finish of the Tour doesn’t come until after 10 days of racing, but there are plenty of hilly stages leading up to it where it will be important for general classification riders to remain vigilant. There’s a big risk of crosswinds in exposed sections of Northern France in the earlier part of the race, so echelons are a real possibility to spice up the opening week. Although there are seven opportunities for sprinters throughout the race, there’s not one entirely flat stage, which will make it a difficult Tour for the fast men.
For the climbers, there’s plenty to contend with in the second half of the race. There are five summit finishes in four mountain ranges, including the return of Mont Ventoux on stage 16, which kicks off the last week of racing. An uphill time trial in the Pyrenees comes before that, however, placed in between two summit finishes on Hautacam (13.6km at 7.8%) and at Superbagneres (12.4km at 7.5%). The final week also includes the infamous Col de la Loze, which forms the highest peak in the 2025 race. Pogačar will have some demons to fight on this climb following his spectacular blow-up in 2023, but the peloton will be tackling the mountain from the eastern approach for the first time in the race's history.
After a tough finish on La Plagne and another hilly penultimate stage, the peloton will head to Paris for the final stage. However, this will not be the usual flat sprint profile, with ASO deciding to include three ascents of the cobbled Montmatre climb in the final 40km. The climb was a defining spectacle of the Olympic road race last year, but its inclusion in the final stage of the Tour (where the peloton is much larger and fatigued) has proved divisive. If the fight for the yellow jersey is close, the climb could have implications for the final general classification.
While the 2025 Tour de France might not feature a gravel or cobbled stage, the climbing in the second half of the race is relentless, and the eventual winner of the race will be deserving of the yellow jersey.
Stage one: Lille Metropole to Lille Metropole (184.9km)
The sprinters are likely to contest the first yellow jersey. There are three climbs on the stage – one in Artois and two in Flanders. None of these are expected to challenge the fast men but they will provide an important battle for the first King of the Mountains jersey in the race. There’s a chance of crosswinds, but the most likely outcome is a fast finish located at the foot of the Citadel.
Stage two: Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer (209.1km)
This hilly stage will likely decide a new yellow jersey wearer, given that there are multiple punchy climbs in the Artois and Boulonnais hills. Exposed areas make way for crosswinds on the coast then a tough ascent of Saint Étienne-au-Mont, where there are sections at 15% that hit the riders. A climb at Outreau comes with around 5km remaining and the finish line will be located at the top of a kilometre-long climb.
Stage three: Valenciennes to Dunkerque (178.3km)
The third day of the Tour could also be suited to sprinters, but crosswinds are once again a risk. After climbing Mont Cassel, the final 35 kilometres of the stage pass through the Flanders countryside and will be exposed to the wind. We will either see a showdown between the fast men or echelons could make this a tricky day.
Stage four: Amiens Métropole to Rouen (174.2km)
Another hilly route towards Normandie with multiple punchy climbs, stage four has the potential to be won by a breakaway. The Côte Jacques Anquetil could be an ideal springboard for attacks.
Stage five: Caen to Caen (33km)
This flat time trial will be suited to the specialists with wide roads and a lack of technical features. General classification riders will be looking to limit their losses, while others will see this as a prime opportunity for a Tour stage win.
Stage six: Bayeux to Vire Normandie (201.5km)
Stage six is the first time the Tour has visited Bayeux and the riders will tackle the rugged terrain of the Northern farmlands with an altitude gain of 3500 metres and six categorised climbs. There’s a sting in the tail at the finish with a short uphill kicker to the line.
Stage seven: Saint Malo to Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan (197km)
Friday’s stage seven in Brittany ends with a double ascent of the Mûr-de-Bretagne, the same stage structure that saw Mathieu van der Poel take the win – and yellow jersey – in 2021. It will be a day for the breakaway specialists and puncheurs.
Stage eight: Saint-Méen-le-Grand to Laval Espace Mayenne (171.4km)
The sprinters will be glad for a more straightforward flat stage which is relatively short. There isn’t much that should challenge the fast men today.
Stage nine: Chinon to Châteauroux (174.1km)
Another relatively flat day is in store on stage nine, with 170 kilometres which could be windy due to the exposed lands that feature in the latter part of the race. Châteauroux holds an important place in Tour history with Mark Cavendish winning his first stage there in 2008.
Stage 10: Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy (165.3km)
Falling on Bastille Day, stage 10 is an important one for the Tour with the opening summit finish taking place. Due to the French national holiday, organisers have delayed the first rest day by a day and treated the French public to a showdown on the Puy de Sancy. It is the tallest peak in the Massif Central – 3.3km at 8% and also the seventh category two climb on a day that features 4,400m of vertical gain.
Stage 11: Toulouse to Toulouse (154km)
The peloton will be able to ease back into racing after the first rest day on stage 11, starting in Toulouse for a relatively flat loop. The sprinters should have an opportunity to shine here but they will have to be wary of a steep climb which falls just 8km from the finish line.
Stage 12: Auch to Hautacam (180.6km)
The sprinters don’t get much chance to enjoy themselves before the climbing begins again, with a tough summit finish on the iconic Hautacam on stage 12. There are two climbs preceding Hautacam, which will already put some riders in difficulty, until the 13.6 kilometre final climb at 7.8% will decide the eventual stage winner.
Stage 13: Loudenvielle to Peyragudes (10.9km)
Perhaps the most interesting feature of this Tour route, stage 13, the second Pyrenean stage, is an 11km uphill mountain time trial. Eight kilometres of this stage are uphill, finishing on a steep altiport which will certainly have an impact on the general classification fight.
Stage 14: Pau to Luchon Superbagnères (182.6km)
To round out an incredibly challenging three days in the mountains, the peloton will face the Tourmalet, the Col d’Aspin and the Col de Peyresourde on stage 14, before finishing up Superbagneres (12.4km at 7.5%) to close the stage. This is certainly making up for the lack of altitude over the first nine days of racing.
Stage 15: Muret to Carcassonne (169.3km)
The third Tour stage start in Muret in 10 years, stage 15 is an interesting one with multiple climbs which are steep and challenging. There’s a slight downhill to the finish and the peloton will need to be wary of the winds which can be strong in this area. This is likely to go to a breakaway or a reduced bunch sprint.
Stage 16: Montpellier to Mont Ventoux (172km)
Another mountain stage hits riders straight after the second rest day. There’s just one climb on the menu on stage 16 but it is an iconic one in Mont Ventoux. At 20.8km with an average gradient of 7.7%, Ventoux comes at the end of an otherwise entirely flat 172km stage crossing the sweltering south of France.
Stage 17: Bollène to Valence (160.4km)
The sprinters get their chance again on stage 17. This is a short day without many difficulties but once again the fast men will need to be aware of the wind as the peloton changes direction in the final 50 kilometres.
Stage 18: Vif to Courchevel Col de la Loze (171.5km)
Stage 18 is the queen stage in the 2025 Tour de France with 5,500m of vertical gain. After ascents of the Glandon and Madeleine, the peloton will tackle the imposing Col de la Loze for the third time in Tour history. However, this time the climb will be taken on via its eastern flank from Courchevel. Pogačar has twice conceded time to his main rival on the Col de la Loze – 17 seconds to Primož Roglič in 2020 and a whole six minutes to Vingegaard in 2023 – so he’ll be hoping for better fortunes in 2025.
Stage 19: Albertville to La Plagne (129.9km)
There’s still more mountains in store on stage 19 with a final alpine stage. It begins with an explosive start on the Col des Saisies before the Col du Pre, then the Cormet de Roselend. A descent will allow some respite before the final climb to La Plagne. A total elevation gain of 4,600 metres makes this another tricky stage.
Stage 20: Nantua to Pontarlier (185km)
The penultimate stage of the 2025 Tour is another hilly one, beginning on the shores of the lake in Nantua. The rolling and punchy climbs will give one final chance to the breakaway riders, but there’s also a slim possibility we could see general classification riders battling for a final time today if the yellow jersey isn’t decided yet.
Stage 21: Mantes-La-Ville to Paris Champs-Élysées (120km)
There's a sting in the tail of this Tour de France. After finishing in Nice last year, the race returns to its rightful point of conclusion in the French capital, but the inclusion of three ascents of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre (used to great effect in the 2024 Olympic road race) will make this stage a much more nervous affair. There's absolutely no guarantee of a sprint finish, and a tired and worn-down peloton will have a hard time chasing down the flurry of attacks that are certain to unfold here. Unless a truce is drawn, there's a chance the yellow jersey could change hands on the final day if the top of the GC remains incredibly close. A day usually full of celebration could instead be one fraught with anxiety for many riders.
Cover image by Zac Williams/SWpix.com
