The unveiling of the 2025 Tour de France: an unbearable vertical monster

The 2025 Tour de France route, unveiled this week at the Palais des Congrès, will include the iconic Mont Ventoux, a mountain time trial and the Col de la Loze. The peloton will depart from the northern city of Lille for stage 1 on July 5 and will remain in France for the duration of the historic race. Unlike the 2024 edition, the race will conclude with the traditional final stage, the Tour d’Honneur, on the Champs-Élysées – the famous avenue in Paris that connects the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Sprinters take note, the next Tour de France will have just seven flat stages and only 33 flat time trial kilometers (21 miles).

The route includes many painful stages in the Pyrenees and the Alps. In total, the 21 stages will cover 3,320 kilometers (2,063 miles) and gain a total of 51,000 meters (167,323 feet). Just like in last year’s Tour, elite cyclists Tajez Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remcco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic will once again compete for the Yellow Jersey during the legendary race. Defending champion Pogačar and arch-rival Vingegarrd are likely to exchange blows on the way to the peaks of the Loze, Hautacam and Ventoux, which could decide the Maillot Jaune.

Jim Cotton described the phases in a Article for Velo, powered by Outside, for the Tour de France 2025. Phase 1 ends with a long flat stretch, which should lead to one of the sprinters conquering the Yellow Jersey. Yellow has eluded the sprinters since Alexander Kristoff tights Juane will follow the first stage in 2020. Phase 2 The Tour’s longest stage, 212 km (132 miles), will push the peloton north to the coast over two short hilly sections. Phase 3 offers the sprinters a chance along the coast to Dunkirk. Phase 4 features hilly and rugged terrain that will provide the first real test for general category competitors. The sprinters will enjoy a flat and fast time trial of 33 km (21 miles). Phase 5which should determine the pecking order of the breed.

The next two stages take the race to Brittany. These stages go into the mountains with a gradient of 10% on Vire Normandy Phase 6and 15% slopes on the Mûr de Bretagne during Phase 7. Phase 8 And Phase 9 well set up for the sprinters before the race moves to central France. Stage 10which marks the halfway point of the race, includes seven categorized climbs over 163km (101 miles) through the torturous Massif Central. In total, these 7 climbs add up to 4,400 meters (14,436 feet) of vertical. Fortunately for the Peloton, the first rest day of the race on this tough stage follows on July 15. Stage 11 will put the spotlight on the sprinters during a race to Toulouse.

Stage 12 features a 14 km (8.7 mi) climb with an 8% gradient to Hautacam on a high mountain finish. The mountain time trial takes place in Stage 13 from the Loudenvielle to the Peyragudes altiport. This phase could separate the contenders from the pretenders and influence the outcome of the race. Stage 14the ‘Queen’s stage’ presents a rigorous stage in the Pyrenees, including the Tourmaline, AspinAnd Peyresourde. After a mountaintop finish to Superbagnères, racers will have climbed 5,000 meters (16,404 feet) of grueling terrain. Happy, Stage 15 returns to sprinting on a relatively flat course to Carcassonne, followed by a rest day in Montpellier.

July 22nd marks Stage 16 with the venerable and iconic Mont Ventoux. This year’s Tour climbs the steepest side of Mont Ventoux, which covers 16 kilometers at a gradient of 9%. After the death march to the Ventoux, a small group should be worthy of the Yellow Jersey ‘Beast of Provence’. Stage 17 provides some relief from the mountains with the last real sprint before the race returns to Paris.

A terrible Alpine ‘Queen Stage’ awaits the cyclists Stage 18including climbs that eclipse the challenges in the Pyrenees. The three-climb gauntlet starts with the classic Col du Glandon, then the classic Col de la Madeleine, and ends with the real test of the 2025 Tour: the Col de la Loze. The extremely steep slope, first seen in 2020, rises 2,300 meters (7,546 feet). The entire stage ascends a total of 5,500 meters (18,045 feet) vertically – a Tour de France record. Stage 19 just 130km long, it includes four categorized climbs before a summit finish at the 19km La Plagne. These two stages should determine the winner of the 2025 Tour.

A relaxing one Stage 20 on rolling roads to Pontarlier, followed by a long transfer back to Paris for the ceremonial final Stage 21 – a quick stroll along the cherished Champs-Élysées as champagne flows to toast a new champion. Much more route information will be released in the coming months, adding detail to this newly released schedule. The 2025 Tour de France already feels like a classic in the making – stay tuned. (Related article – Tour de France Women)