Welcome to the route presentation for the 2025 edition of cycling's greatest race! This year's race has a decidedly historical feel about it, with lots of crossover with the famous 1989 edition, while offering something different to the Vuelta route we saw revealed yesterday.
Week 1
We start the Tour with a flat stage in Luxembourg to see who will take the first yellow jersey. This would appear to be an opportunity for the sprinters, but on a similar parcours in 1989 the break took the win - will we see a repeat?
The next day we head to Belgium, with a trip to Spa-Francorchamps on the agenda. Here we expect to see the first GC battle, and likely a change of leader after the previous day's flat start.
Stage 3 then splits the difference between the first two stages, with a slightly easier hilly stage in Belgium. On paper it looks like a good opportunity for the punchy sprinters to fight for the win - and potentially another chance for the GC lead to change.
Finally we make it to France on day 4, starting out in Orchies (site of a cancelled stage in 1982 due to industrial action) and finishing in the coastal town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Boulogne-sur-Mer's most famous cycling son is the track rider Mickael Bourgoin, but the parcours are anything but track rider friendly, with another hilly finish.
The hills come to an end on stage 5, but not to the benefit of the sprinters. Instead we get a 37.6km TTT on a route in Nantes that previously saw use as an ITT in 1983. Depending on how selective the hilly stages are, we could see a fifth different yellow jersey at the end of the day.
At this point you would expect the sprinters to be feeling a bit fed up, so the race organisers have given them a couple of stages as a way of apology. Stage 6 takes us to the Futuroscope theme park on a relatively short 134km stage to ease the sprinters back in...
... but then stage 7 throws up yet another challenge. The longest stage of this year's Tour at just over 242km. The only saving grace for the riders is that it isn't the longest possible stage featuring the city of Bordeaux - organisers decided against bringing back the historic 560km Paris - Bordeaux route, though maybe one day?
Week 2
Heading out from Bordeaux to start the second week, we return to the hills with a stage based on a route used in 1983. Once again, the climbing is all approaching the finish, meaning it may prove to be a stage for a small group sprint or the break.
Then on stage 9, we reach the mountains at long last. It's not the longest stage in the Pyrenees you'll ever see, but when the Tour finished here in 1989 a certain Miguel Indurain won his first Tour stage. Will we see another future star shine here in 2025?
If stage 9 wasn't a brutal enough introduction to the mountains, stage 10 is 133km of pure pain. Previous winners at Superbagneres include Hinault, Lemond and Bahamontes, and it is no surprise to see names of that calibre when you consider the route to get there.
But then, after a couple of days in the high mountains we get a quieter day that takes us to the outskirts of Toulouse. Finishing near the home of Airbus, we'll see which sprinters are still able to turn on the jets after the previous hard days climbing.
Another long day in the saddle follows from Toulouse to Montpellier, as we continue to track the 1989 route. The parcours are hilly but not overly hard, so this may be an opportunity for the break to fight for the stage win.
Then it is back to the mountains for a summit finish on the legendary Mont Ventoux. One of cycling's most famous climbs has a winner's list that reads like a hall of fame - Gaul, Poulidor, Merckx, Thevenet, Pantani to name but a few. Who will join the list, and will they add the Tour to their palmares as well?
After the excitement of the previous day's summit finish, a hilly transition stage closes out the second week as we head along the coast and to the foot of the mountains on a 240.6km ride from Marseille to Gap.
Week 3
Week 3 begins with the first of five (yes, five) consecutive mountain stages. We start in familiar territory, with Briancon a mainstay of many Tour routes and a trip up the Col d'Izoard before a descent to the finish.
Stage 16 then sees us take on another famous climb, with a stage finish atop L'Alpe de Huez. Known as the Dutch mountain, will we see a Dutchman triumph atop the Alpe this year?
We then descend down to Bourg d'Oisans for the start of the next stage, a shorter and potentially easier mountain stage. However, the shorter distance and gaps between climbs mean we could see some frenetic racing to shake up the GC.
Our penultimate mountain stage is even shorter, with three big climbs in the middle third of the stage. The downhill run to the spa town (and Dauphine mainstay) of Aix-les-Bains could limit the GC impact, but equally could make the race harder to control.
Then, the final mountain test takes us to the top of the Col de Joux Plane. With plenty of climbing before the summit finish and 10% ramps on the way to the line, there is a very real chance we see some big gaps on the final day in the mountains.
The riders will then have an overnight transfer to Paris, for a double dose of the Champs Elysees. Stage 20 is the race's only ITT, recreating the famous race ending 1989 stage - we can dare to dream of the same excitement over 29.5km.
Finally, stage 21 is the classic route in and around central Paris. At this point the sprinters will have waited 10 days for a chance at a stage win, so expect fireworks from those that have survived the mountains.
Summary
Overall we have a Tour for the climbers this year, though with enough TT kilometres to keep the pure climbers worried. For the pure sprinters it isn't the greatest route, though that may mean more opportunities for those who brave it - and potentially more opportunities for those who can do both hills and sprints. Key stats below:
5 Flat stages
6 Hilly stages
8 Mountain stages (6 mountain top finishes)
1 TTT (37.6km)
1 ITT (29.5km)
Guess I have to improve my climbers more...
Although the first week looks like Groves might get some additional opportunities compared to sprinters who can't handle hills, I doubt he'll be back to defend Green. Really no love for the sprinters in the two revealed GTs, and I can't see the Giro to be any different ^^
Should be another great chance for the top climbers, though, with still relatively little TT kilometers, and TTTs usually not having a really big impact GC-wise. So far, no clue how to handle the GTs with my team, though.
Puncheurs' paradise in the GTs so far this year, while indeed it looks like sprinters won't be getting much of a shot. TTTs are never fun for my team, but as Fabianski said, they usually have a limited impact by the end of the race.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Another very interesting GT from an Aker perspective, I must say, and also a very interesting GT regarding the excitement for how the Giro will look. Will we see 16 flat stages, with 4 of them being TTs? Very curious to see how the Giro is designed now. Whatever the look of the Giro, I'm sure the choices to be made for most PT managers on who to send where will be kind of tricky this year, maybe more than usual, seeing the similarity between the Tour and the Vuelta, except the TTT, of course!
The opening week doesn't suit us that well as things stand, I think I probably prefer the Vuelta for that. Weeks 2 and 3 are a bit more interesting for Pogacar. Not a huge fan of the TTT, but it's a necessary evil. And at the end of the day it's Le Tour so I'm gonna have to give it a lot of consideration
There are stages here that are marked with danger for crosswinds, see stage 6, 12 and 18. Is the risk of crosswinds real, or is it just that the symbol follows the original route creation?
There are stages here that are marked with danger for crosswinds, see stage 6, 12 and 18. Is the risk of crosswinds real, or is it just that the symbol follows the original route creation?
There is an enhanced risk of crosswinds in those sections on those stages.
Very curious to see how the Giro is designed now. Whatever the look of the Giro, I'm sure the choices to be made for most PT managers on who to send where will be kind of tricky this year, maybe more than usual, seeing the similarity between the Tour and the Vuelta, except the TTT, of course!
