The 2025 Tour de France (5-27 July 2025) route announcement has generated substantial excitement as the world’s most prestigious cycling race prepares to showcase a blend of classic and fresh terrains that promise personal challenges, team strategies, and stunning landscapes for both riders and fans. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect for this thrilling 112th edition of the Tour!
Route Highlights and Overview
In 2025, the Tour de France will return to its roots and will be held solely in France for the first time since 2020 when the pandemic led to some readjustments. The Grand Départ is in the beautiful city of Lille. This location promises an electrifying opening that will test riders from the get-go. Covering around 3,500 kilometres across 21 stages, the 2025 route will be balanced between traditional mountainous challenges in the Alps and Pyrenees and a reimagined selection of hilly and flat terrains.
The race’s route has a particular focus on variety, presenting stages that range from flat sprints and brutal mountain climbs to technical descents and rugged time trials. This diversity aims to keep all types of riders - sprinters, climbers, and time-trial specialists - in contention while creating opportunities for ambitious breakaways and unexpected turns in the race standings.
Key Stages to Watch
- Stage 1 (Lille > Lille): The opening stage is a flat route which means a sprinter will be the favourite for the first yellow jersey of the 2025 Tour.
- Stage 5 (Time Trial in Caen) & Stage 13 (Loudenvielle > Peyragudes Time Trial): These individual time trial stages will push general classification (GC) contenders to showcase their time-trialing prowess. The flat Stage 5 contrasting with the mountainous Stage 13 will make for thrilling watching.
- Stage 10 (Ennezat > Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy): The riders will be used to having a their first rest day by now but as Stage 10 falls on Bastille Day, they’ll have to wait an extra day!
- Stage 16 (Montpellier > Mont Ventoux): The return of the giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux will be sure to make the riders tremble with anticipation after their second rest day. With the crowds and altitude, the climbers will likely seize the opportunity to make their mark here.
- Stage 18 (Vif > Courchevel Col de la Loze): The famous Col de la Loze climb is steep, narrow, and unforgiving.
- Stage 21 (Mantes-la-Ville > Paris Champs-Élysées): The final stage will see the return of the procession into Paris (with the final being in Nice in 2024 due to the Olympics) and the high-stakes showdown of the sprinting circuits of the Champs-Élysées.
Hospitality Packages
As is the case with all road cycling races, the Tour de France can be watched free of charge from the sides of the route’s roads, however, for those wishing to make the experience even more special, there is the option to purchase hospitality packages. With these packages, fans can access VIP areas, ride in a Tour car, follow the route by helicopter, or even add a hotel stay. Currently, there are packages on sale for Stage 1 and for the final weekend. Add the Tour de France to your Koobit favourites to be kept up to date of further experiences.
Contenders and Predictions
The 2025 edition will likely see fierce competition from rising stars and established veterans. Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič, and Remco Evenepoel, all of whom have dominated recent seasons, are expected to return, while new talent could surprise fans with aggressive strategies and fresh endurance. In addition, the 2025 race promises to provide more opportunities for sprinters, such as Jasper Philipsen and Caleb Ewan, who will look to capture stage wins and the green jersey.
Tour de France Femmes 2025
The route for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes has also been announced with the race running from 26 July to 3 August 2025. The women’s race has gained more and more popularity and attention over the last few years and the 2025 edition is sure to thrill!
The 2025 Tour de France route, with its mix of classic mountain stages and new technical challenges, will likely produce a thrilling competition and highlight the very best of cycling. As anticipation builds, fans and riders alike can look forward to another unforgettable journey through France’s landscapes and storied cycling traditions.