France 05.07.2025 – 27.07.2025
Source: https://www.letour.fr/en/ and https://www.instagram.com/letourdefrance
The Tour de France, one of the most iconic and grueling sporting events in the world, has a rich and fascinating history dating back over a century.
Origins and Purpose:
The Tour de France was first held in 1903, and its primary purpose was to boost sales for the struggling French sports newspaper, L’Auto (an ancestor of the current L’Équipe). Henri Desgrange, a French cyclist and journalist who was the editor of L’Auto, is credited with the idea. He and another writer, Géo Lefèvre, conceived of a multi-stage cycling race that would span across France, creating a massive promotional event for the paper.
Early Years and Evolution:
- First Race (1903): The inaugural Tour ran from July 1 to July 19, covering 2,428 km (1,509 miles) over six stages. Maurice Garin, a French-Italian cyclist, was the first winner. The race was an immediate success, significantly increasing L’Auto’s circulation.
- Early Challenges: The early Tours were incredibly difficult, with long stages, unpaved roads, and strict rules that often required riders to repair their own bikes without outside assistance. Cheating was also an issue in the early years, leading to disqualifications.
- Mountain Stages: The inclusion of challenging mountain stages, particularly in the Pyrenees and Alps, began in 1910, adding a new dimension of difficulty and excitement to the race.
- Yellow Jersey: The iconic yellow jersey (Maillot Jaune) for the overall race leader was introduced in 1919.
- Interruptions: The Tour de France has been held annually since its inception, with the only exceptions being during the two World Wars (1915-1918 and 1940-1946).
Growth and Modernity:
Over the decades, the Tour de France has evolved significantly. It has grown from a national event into a global phenomenon, attracting riders from around the world and captivating millions of spectators. While the core challenge of endurance cycling remains, the race has adapted to modern technology, professional teams, and ever-increasing levels of competition.
Today, the Tour de France is not just a cycling race; it’s a cultural institution, a symbol of sporting excellence, and a showcase of the French landscape.
The 2025 Tour de France is set to be the 112th edition of the iconic race. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:
Dates: The race will run from Saturday, July 5, 2025, to Sunday, July 27, 2025.
Route Highlights:
- Grand Départ in Lille: The Tour will kick off in Lille, Northern France, with the first stages taking place in the Hauts-de-France region.
- Total Distance: The riders will cover a total of approximately 3,338.8 km (2,075 miles) over 21 stages.
- Back to Paris: After the unique finish in Nice for the 2024 edition (due to the Paris Olympics), the 2025 Tour will return to its traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
- Varied Terrain: The route will feature a mix of flat, hilly, and challenging mountain stages, ensuring a diverse and exciting race:
- Flat stages: Suitable for sprinters, often with potential for crosswinds in the early days.
- Hilly stages: Designed for “puncheurs” or breakaways, with undulating terrain and short, steep climbs.
- Individual Time Trials (ITTs): Two individual time trials are included, which will be crucial for the general classification. One is a flat ITT in Caen, and the other is a mountain time trial in the Pyrenees.
- Mountain stages: The race will tackle the Pyrenees and the Alps, with summit finishes on iconic climbs like Hautacam, Peyragudes, Mont Ventoux, Col de la Loze, and La Plagne. These stages will be decisive for the overall victory.
- Rest Days: There will be two rest days throughout the race, strategically placed after demanding blocks of stages.
Key Stages to Watch:
- Stage 5 (ITT) – Caen to Caen: The first individual time trial, which will likely see the time trial specialists shine and some early gaps open in the general classification.
- Stage 10 – Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy: The first summit finish, falling on Bastille Day, making it a highly anticipated mountain showdown.
- Stage 12 – Auch to Hautacam: A significant mountain stage in the Pyrenees with a challenging summit finish.
- Stage 13 (ITT) – Loudenvielle to Peyragudes: A crucial mountain time trial that could shake up the GC.
- Stage 16 – Montpellier to Mont Ventoux: The legendary “Giant of Provence” will once again test the climbers.
- Stage 18 – Vif to Courchevel (Col de la Loze): Another high-altitude mountain stage with a brutal summit finish on the Col de la Loze.
The 2025 Tour de France is set to be a classic, combining tradition with new challenges, and promises thrilling racing from start to finish.
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
| Stage | Date | Distance | Route |
| STAGE 1 | 07-05 | 184.9 KM | LILLE MÉTROPOLE > LILLE MÉTROPOLE |
| STAGE 2 | 07-06 | 209.1 KM | LAUWIN-FLANQUE > BOULOGNE-SUR-MER |
| STAGE 3 | 07-07 | 178.3 KM | VALENCIENNES > DUNKERQUE |
| STAGE 4 | 07-08 | 174.2 KM | AMIENS MÉTROPOLE > ROUEN |
| STAGE 5 | 07-09 | 33 KM | CAEN > CAEN |
| STAGE 6 | 07-10 | 201.5 KM | BAYEUX > VIRE NORMANDIE |
| STAGE 7 | 07-11 | 197 KM | SAINT-MALO > MÛR-DE-BRETAGNE GUERLÉDAN |
| STAGE 8 | 07-12 | 171.4 KM | SAINT-MÉEN-LE-GRAND > LAVAL ESPACE MAYENNE |
| STAGE 9 | 07-13 | 174.1 KM | CHINON > CHÂTEAUROUX |
| STAGE 10 | 07-14 | 165.3 KM | ENNEZAT > LE MONT-DORE PUY DE SANCY |
| REST DAY | 07-15 | TOULOUSE | |
| STAGE 11 | 07-16 | 156.8 KM | TOULOUSE > TOULOUSE |
| STAGE 12 | 07-17 | 180.6 KM | AUCH > HAUTACAM |
| STAGE 13 | 07-18 | 10.9 KM | LOUDENVIELLE > PEYRAGUDES |
| STAGE 14 | 07-19 | 182.6 KM | PAU > LUCHON-SUPERBAGNÈRES |
| STAGE 15 | 07-20 | 169.3 KM | MURET > CARCASSONNE |
| REST DAY | 07-21 | MONTPELLIER | |
| STAGE 16 | 07-22 | 171.5 KM | MONTPELLIER > MONT VENTOUX |
| STAGE 17 | 07-23 | 160.4 KM | BOLLÈNE > VALENCE |
| STAGE 18 | 07-24 | 171.5 KM | VIF > COURCHEVEL COL DE LA LOZE |
| STAGE 19 | 07-25 | 129.9 KM | ALBERTVILLE > LA PLAGNE |
| STAGE 20 | 07-26 | 184.2 KM | NANTUA > PONTARLIER |
| STAGE 21 | 07-27 | 132.3 KM | MANTES-LA-VILLE > PARIS CHAMPS-ÉLYSEES |
