Latest news with #PogacarVingegaard
Independent Singapore
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard to renew rivalry at the 2025 Tour de France
Tadej Pogacar from the UAE Team Emirates-XRG is now ready to clinch his fourth Tour de France win this season. However, he will face his biggest opponent, Jonas Vingegaard from Visma-Lease a Bike, to successfully do so. The two cyclists have shared the last five yellow jerseys between them, and now, their rivalry will set forth on a new journey as this year's race will have tons of tough uphill riding, which will test their tactics, strategies, and sportsmanship with one another. In a pre-tour press conference at the Opéra de Lille, Pogacar admitted that he is aware of the expectations of his team, as they hoped that he would perform his best at the upcoming race. Pogacar expressed: 'The last five years were quite intense between me, Jonas, and others as well, with great competition, rivalry, and I think this year is more or less the same.' He added, 'It will be interesting to see if we can exchange it again or not, but you never know with new guys coming in, someone can surprise, and a lot can happen in such a long race.' See also 2026 Tour de France to begin with a team time trial in Barcelona The athlete also declared that he anticipates racing against Vingegaard and said, 'I'm looking forward to racing against Jonas again. I think he's in great shape. For me, it's been a great season, so far perfect, and going here to the Tour as one of the favourites is an honour, and I'm pleased. I hope I can live up to the expectations.' Pogacar is a favourite to win this year After his impressive performance at the Critérium du Dauphiné, there is no doubt that Pogacar is one of the favourites to win this year's Tour de France. However, the first 10 days of the race will be crucial, especially if he wants to achieve his goal. Pogacar said: ' The first week of the Tour is always one of the most intense, nervous weeks… You can quite easily lose the Tour de France in the first 10 days until the rest day, but I can see it also as an opportunity.' 'My goal should be to gain time, but the first week you just need to take care, not screw up the whole Tour and just focus, save the legs for the last week, and see how it goes hopefully without any bad luck or sort of incidents to survive the first week,' he declared. On social media, the official account of the Tour de France shared that Tadej has arrived and is ready for the race, which will begin on July 5. Netizens expressed their support by commenting: 'Champion 2025🔥🔥🔥😍', 'This guy was born to be a star 🔥', 'Come on Tadej, come on boys we have to win the Tour no matter what 💪 💪', and 'Let's go champ 🐐🏆'
France 24
04-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Tour de France 2025: The top 14 riders – and six duels to watch
Pogacar–Vingegaard: Duel for the yellow jersey Between them Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and Dane Jonas Vingegaard have won every Tour de France of the past five years. This year they should once again be far ahead of the pack in chasing victory. For the first time in three years, both riders are coming to the Tour at peak physical fitness: in 2023, Pogacar's Tour preparation was hampered by a fractured wrist, while in 2024 Vingegaard competed in the Tour despite suffering a terrible crash and a punctured lung in a race in April. Pogacar seems to be untouchable. After a flawless 2024 season, the Slovenian has extended his winning record in 2025, with victories in the UAE Tour, Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège races. In the last Critérium du Dauphiné race, Pogacar outclassed his Danish rival so completely that it seemed like a display of arrogance. Vingegaard can still have high hopes, as July is when he is at his strongest. Pogacar could be vulnerable given the effort he has expended in the first half of the year. Roglic–Evenepoel: Fighting for what's left of the podium Barring crashes, Vingegaard and Pogacar are the only contenders for the top two spots in the race. That leaves just one place on the podium – a place targeted by a number of outsiders, starting with Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic. For his second appearance in the Tour de France, Evenepoel, a Belgian who rides for the Soudal-Quickstep team, has big ambitions. He finished third last year, while also earning the white jersey for best young rider, and is aiming to reprise his performance and even win another stage. The time trial in the Norman city of Caen in Stage 5 is already in his sights. Evenepoel won two Olympic gold medals in cycling in 2024 and lets it be known that he wants to give the two Tour favourites a run for their money. Faced with this trio of young riders, 35-year-old veteran Roglic is still hoping to win his first Tour de France, the only Grand Tour race – the other two are the Giro in Italy and the Vuelta in Spain – that he has not won. Since his withdrawal from this year's Giro after multiple crashes, he has been training away from the public eye. His team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has provided him with 'bodyguards', secondary riders to safely escort him along the course until the mountain stages begin on July 14. It will then be up to Roglic to shine, bringing all his experience to bear. And if Roglic isn't able to finish the race, as has been the case in his last three Tours, the door will be wide open for Florian Lipowitz, his young lieutenant, who has had a remarkable season so far this year. Jorgenson–Almeida: Battle of the ambitious lieutenants Both Pogacar and Vingegaard are coming to the Tour de France with their own "dream team" of riders. Vingegaard's Dutch team Visma–Lease a Bike features Simon Yates, Matteo Jorgenson, Sepp Kuss and Wout Van Aert, while UAE Team Emirates XRG has João Almeida, Adam Yates and Pavel Sivakov to support the reigning Tour champion Pogacar. Each of these 'secondary' riders would be capable of competing for a top place in the overall race if a team were built around them. Even while assisting their leaders, the strongest among them could still make it onto the podium, just as Yates did in 2023. On the Visma side, the American Jorgenson perhaps has a chance for a top finish. He won this year's Paris-Nice race after stepping in at short notice to replace Vingegaard, who crashed and suffered a concussion at the fifth stage of the race. A rider from UAE Team Emirates, João Almeida is one to watch – even team leader Pogacar may keep tabs on him. The Portuguese rider is the best stage race rider of 2025. He won the Tour of the Basque Country, the Tour of Romandie and the Tour of Switzerland in succession. Whether he would put his personal ambitions ahead of supporting the all-conquering Pogacar is an open question. Vauquelin–Martin-Guyonnet: Who will be the best Frenchman? Bernard Hinault was the last Frenchman to win the Tour in 1985, and the chances of a French winner this year are slim. For a Frenchman to win, 'the other riders would have to fall down', Hinault said this week. But even if winning the Tour is not in the cards, there are contenders to capture the hearts of French cycling fans. Two Normandy-born riders are likely candidates to find favour with home fans. The first, Kévin Vauquelin, is currently on a roll. He came close to victory in the Tour of Switzerland, has the talent to shine in time trials and distinguished himself last year by winning the second stage of the Tour in Bologna, Italy. This year's sixth stage starts in his home town, Bayeux, and will be a good opportunity to showcase his abilities. Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet also has a positive track record in his favour. He has been the most consistent Frenchman in the Tour de France in recent years, finishing in the top 15 every year since 2019. Having joined the Groupama–FDJ team this winter, the 32-year-old leader won't have many teammates to help him in the mountains, but has rarely needed them. He should be competitive in the general classification, while also aiming for a stage win. The sixth stage will pass through his home town of Sainte-Honorine-la-Chardonne – one indication of his growing popularity in French cycling. Van Aert–van der Poel: Celebrated rivals battle it out in the first week A casual glance at the 2025 route might suggest that the Tour is regressing, going back to the time when the first half of the course was designed for those taking a siesta – rather than providing drama to capture the public's attention. Race director Christian Prudhomme says this is not the case: the route is deceptive, a "trompe l'oeil" with hazards everywhere. The first week should be a treat for the 'puncher-sprinters', riders who excel over terrain of short steep climbs, including the hilly stage finales in Boulogne-Sur-Mer, Rouen, Vire and Mûr-de-Bretagne. Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert are ideal riders for this kind of stage. They will be able to show their stuff – if their respective teams are willing to give them free rein. The two have known each other since competing in junior competitions and are set to continue their epic rivalry, considered one of the greatest in cycling history. Van der Poel has had a near-perfect first half of the season, winning both the Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix races and finishing second in the Tour of Flanders. He is inevitably the favourite in the duel with van Aert. Van der Poel comes from a family of professional cyclists, including his grandfather, the celebrated French cyclist Raymond Poulidor. But will he be allowed to show how good a rider he is? In recent Tours, he has been content to play the role of high-profile lieutenant for his teammate Philipsen. And what state will Wout van Aert be in? Over the years the Belgian has had a string of setbacks. Out of form in the Classics races, he performed better at the Giro by winning the Gubbio-Siena stage, then riding in support of his teammates Olav Klooj (two stage wins) and Simon Yates (overall victory). He may have regained the form that will allow him to compete with his Dutch rival Van der Poel again. Milan–Philipsen–Merlier: Three contenders for top sprinter This year, there will be ample opportunity for riders to see who has the most powerful quadriceps in the pack – an honour decided among the sprinters. The course route includes seven flat stages which, on paper, should end in a massive sprint to the finish. Belgian Jasper Philipsen has dominated the sprints in the Tour for the last three years and will be going all out for his tenth stage win – and hoping for more. His 2025 season has so far been a little sub-par, which could leave the door open to his sprint competitors. In six years as a professional, Tim Merlier has racked up 60 wins. The Belgian rider from Soudal Quick-Step is in great form, having already won ten races this year, including four victories in the World Tour cycling series. Also worth noting is Jonathan Milan, a rising talent among the sprinters. The lanky Lidl-Trek rider has big ambitions for his first Tour de France, having won every World Tour stage race in which he has taken part.
CNA
03-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Everybody is scared of crashes in the Tour opening week, says Evenepoel
LILLE, France :Tour de France riders worry about crashes during the tense opening week of the race, Belgium's Remco Evenepoel said on Thursday. "I think everybody is a little bit scared of that," Evenepoel told a press conference when asked about the risk of crashes in the first week. "We don't want to go out with injuries after a few stages already. Before a race like this, we all hope that the most nervous stages just end up not being nervous or not being really hectic." The 25-year-old rider, who took third in last year's Tour, is aiming to secure another podium finish in cycling's most prestigious race, which begins in Lille on Saturday with some challenging finishes in the early stages. "First week is going to be difficult", he said. The double Olympic champion, who finished fourth at last month's Criterium du Dauphine, aims to compete alongside Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. "It's logical as they won together the last five editions, so it means they are top favourites for this year's edition again", the Soudal-Quick Step rider said. "It would be unfair towards myself, towards the team, to say that I'm not here to compete with them. So I'm just here to try and compete against them, try to make it a bit harder for them. "It's really difficult to say where I am exactly compared to them because last year I was the third guy and I think we're here to try and improve that a bit." Despite battling serious injuries in recent years, the 2022 Vuelta a Espana champion has not shied away from his lofty career ambitions. "I think everybody knows that my career goal is to try and win the three Grand Tours. I have one in the pocket, so two to go," Evenepoel said. "I came third last year, so it means that the capabilities are there."
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Tour de France 2025 preview: Schedule, stage guide, team rosters, riders to watch and more
The flagship race of the World Tour cycling calendar is here. The 2025 Tour de France is set up to be spectacular. In Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, this era's two greatest riders will do battle in the Alps and Pyrenees. The sprinters' field is amongst the deepest ever assembled. Stars such as Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Remco Evenepoel will all have their eyes on stage victories. Advertisement Add in its reliably remarkable backdrop — the likes of Mont Ventoux, Montmartre, and the Mur de Bretagne in this year's route — and while every edition of the Tour is special, with its own storylines, this year sees those narratives lie closer to the surface than ever. Twenty-one stages, 23 days. Enjoy. Make no mistake, this is Pogacar vs Vingegaard. Their rivalry has animated the race's past four editions, but arguably, this year is set up to be their best meeting of all. Both are in their prime, at 26 and 28 years old respectively. For the first time since 2022, neither rider has experienced a disruptive pre-race crash in the build-up — both say they are in the best shape of their lives. And whereas previously Vingegaard's Visma Lease-a-Bike team have been far stronger than Pogacar's, UAE Team Emirates have narrowed the gap significantly in recent seasons. Both have strong domestiques: Vingegaard has Giro d'Italia winner Simon Yates and American climber Matteo Jorgenson, a podium contender in his own right, while Pogacar boats Tour de Suisse champion Joao Almeida and Yates' twin brother Adam. Elsewhere, Belgium's Remco Evenepoel made an exciting Tour debut last summer in finishing third. The world's best time-triallist, he has yet to prove he can hold onto his two rivals on the very hardest climbs, but has already won a Grand Tour at the 2022 Vuelta a Espana. The Tour de France is the only major stage race missing from Primoz Roglic's palmares — but the 35-year-old has a turbulent history in the race, missing out on victory during the final time trial of the 2020 edition, before failing to finish his last three starts. Watch out as well for his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Florian Lipowitz, who podiumed impressively at the Criterium du Dauphine last month, the Tour's traditional warm-up. Yes, of every shape and size. In terms of pure sprint specialists, Lidl-Trek's Jonathan Milan, Soudal Quick-Step's Tim Merlier, and Alpecin-Deceuninck's Jasper Philipsen are the quickest men in the peloton. Philipsen and Milan's teams are more set up around their sprinters, but Merlier is an exceptional improviser. Advertisement This is without even mentioning last year's green jersey, Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay, who became the first Black rider to ever win the race's points competition. Girmay is a good enough climber to compete for points on bumpier stages, so he may still be a force in the overall points competition, even if his rivals will be favorites for stage wins. Then, there is an outstanding class of sprinters and one-day specialists who specialize in more difficult finishes. This group is headlined by Mathieu van der Poel, the Dutch superstar whose form has been shown off more in the Spring Classics than any Grand Tours. The punchy uphill finishes of the first week suit him well, but he will face stiff competition from Visma's jack-of-all-trades, and Tour specialist, Wout van Aert. The likes of Kaden Groves, a two-time winner of the Vuelta's points classification, Israel-Premier Tech's Jake Stewart, and Jayco AlUla's Dylan Groenewegen could all also contend for stage wins. The likelihood of stage one ending in a sprint finish — giving the fast men a rare chance to don the yellow jersey — means the finish in Lille should be one of the most fiercely contested moments of the entire season. Remarkably, Evenepoel is still eligible for the best young rider award, despite winning the Vuelta three years ago. He will be the favorite, though the relative lack of time-trialling kilometres does not suit him perfectly. Lipowitz should also be up there, provided he can pursue his own GC ambitions rather than only serve Roglic, while INEOS Grenadiers' leader Carlos Rodriguez finished fifth overall two years ago. But keep an eye on Lidl-Trek's Mattias Skjelmose, who has been in fine form this season — the only man to defeat Pogacar on a climb this season at the Amstel Gold race. The polka dot jersey (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year) is an interesting goal, made up of a small group of climbers who are quick and resilient enough to get into the break almost every day, yet who choose to ignore the possibility of chasing a top 10 on GC. One rider who was targeting polka dots was last year's winner Richard Carapaz — but he was ruled out of the race last weekend with a stomach infection. Carapaz's absence means French riders such as Lenny Martinez and Kevin Vauquelin are worth considering, while there is a range of lesser GC hopefuls who may have a tilt if they lose time early on — the likes of Skjelmose, Ben O'Connor, and Felix Gall. There is also the slightly unsatisfying possibility that the competition could be won by the same rider who wins the yellow jersey, especially if they win multiple mountain stages. This was the case when Pogacar won the Tour in 2020 and 2021 and when Vingegaard was victorious in 2023. Though riders win individually, cycling is a team sport: the Tour de France will be made up of 23 teams, each made up of eight riders. The interesting aspect is that teams enter the race with different goals. Some — such as Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates and Vingegaard's Visma Lease-a-Bike — are all in on overall victory, picking squads capable of supporting their leaders in the mountains and controlling the peloton on the flat. Others, such as Alpecin-Deceuninck, for example, are all-in on sprint stage victories. Many choose to split priorities between chasing GC and going for stage wins — Soudal-Quickstep, who boast arguably the race's fastest sprint in Merlier, and one of its best overall riders in Evenepoel, epitomize this approach. Advertisement And then there are the wildcard teams — outside of the 18 WorldTeams, who qualify automatically, the ASO pick five more ProTeams at their discretion. This means that Tom Pidcock's Q36.5 do not have a place, but home hero Julian Alaphilippe's Tudor Pro Cycling do. Often, the smaller teams are all about exposure; expect to see their riders in the breakaways, shooting for the moon of a long-distance stage win. There are also four French teams in the race — Arkea-B&B Hotels, Cofidis, Decathlon-AG2R, and Groupama-FDJ — who will similarly be desperate for attention, especially with all four lacking a genuine GC podium contender. Grand Tours are won by the rider with the lowest cumulative time, so races have long offered time bonuses to spice up proceedings. This year's race keeps it pretty simple, with bonuses of 10, six and four seconds for riders finishing first, second and third in a stage. This does not apply on the two time trial days (stage five and stage 13). Two Americans — Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss — will aid Vingegaard's attempt to win the tour. Kuss, 30, is one of the best mountain domestiques in the world, so strong he even won the 2023 Tour of Spain ahead of Vingegaard and then-teammate Primoz Roglic. Jorgenson, meanwhile, will have protected status on the Visma team, and should anything happen to Vingegaard, he is set to become the leader of the Dutch squad. He finished eighth in last year's Tour and has won the prestigious Paris-Nice race in each of the last two seasons. Also taking part is Neilson Powless, who rides for EF Education–EasyPost. A strong rider in one-day races (he won the Belgian classic Dwars door Vlaanderen in impressive style earlier this year, beating three Visma riders — including Jorgenson), Powless is likely to hunt stage wins on the hilly days that pepper the first half of the race. Lidl-Trek have named American road race champion Quinn Simmons in their team. Simmons, 24, won a stage at the Tour of Switzerland last month and is one of four riders in the Lidl-Trek squad who qualify for the white jersey competition. He will mainly be tasked with reeling in breakaways so the team's sprinter, the Italian Jonathan Milan, can compete for stage wins and the green jersey, but may find breakaway opportunities on certain stages. And finally, the Spanish team Movistar have included the 29-year-old Will Barta in their eight-man roster. Barta has never ridden the Tour de France before, but has completed the Giro D'Italia three times and the Vuelta a Espana twice. In the United Kingdom, this will be the final race to be broadcast on free-to-air TV by ITV. That also means it is time to say goodbye to the channel's 7pm highlights — an institution to British cycling fans. Full coverage will also be provided to subscribers to TNT Sports/Discovery+, who will show the Tour exclusively from next season. In the U.S., NBC and Peacock are in charge of proceedings. Available on a pay-per-month basis, and available to be streamed online, Peacock's offerings will show all 21 stages live. 📺 How to watch Tour de France 2025 around the world? ⌚️📊🗺 & more on 🔗 #TDF2025 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2025 Classic climbs and a traditional loop. Mont Ventoux looms large. To go through the route, The Athletic enlisted the help of legendary team manager Patrick Lefevere. The 70-year-old Belgian is the most successful manager in history, with Soudal-Quickstep, the team he has long been affiliated with before stepping down last year, marking 1000 professional victories at the Criterium du Dauphine last month. A straightforward loop from Lille, which should be settled by the pure sprinters. There are five 90 degree corners in the final three kilometres, so positioning will be key. Lefevere: 'It would be a dream for Tim Merlier to win the first stage in Lille (for Soudal Quickstep). If you win, you also take yellow. France is our neighbor, but the finish-line is only 30 minutes away from Belgium. Advertisement 'Milan and Merlier will be the favorites, but there's also the opportunity for an outsider, because the situation will be so stressful. At the beginning of the Tour, nobody wants to apply the brakes, not even the GC rider. The most important thing is to stay on your bike, and then have a team who can make space for your sprinter to do what he has to.' The longest stage of the Tour, it is bumpy enough that victory will be decided between the puncheurs — the uphill finish could be a chance for Van Aert or Van der Poel to take yellow. Another stage for the pure sprinters, but where the jeopardy is provided by the possibility of crosswinds. GC teams will need to stay near the front because of this, which will make the closing kilometres extremely stressful. Lefevere: 'We cannot dictate the wind, unfortunately, but I remember one year the course was a little bit boring, and we were in the same hotel as another team. We spoke with them and decided to force the issue. In the end, amid the crosswind, we eliminated 10 guys and Cavendish won the stage. I remember Christian Prudhomme came to our hotel with a bottle of champagne to thank us for our aggression. 'Sometimes you don't need steep mountains, because a windy stage can sometimes be more spectacular than anything else.' An awkward stage takes the Tour into Normandy. Another chance for the sprinters, but the likes of Philipsen and Milan may be distanced over some of the short final climbs. Expect a reduced bunch. This Tour de France lacks time-trialling kilometres — this is the only traditional TT all race. Evenepoel will be the favorite, but INEOS boast Filippo Ganna, a worthy contender for the stage in his own right. This should be the first opportunity to see the GC riders' condition. Lefevere: 'Remco has hardly lost a TT in the last two years. It's a big goal of his. His TT in the (Criterium du) Dauphine was quite impressive, where he put 40 seconds on Tadej Pogacar — and remember, he's Olympic and world champion, so he'll be very motivated.' The sort of stage that looks innocuous on paper but could be costly for any contender who is not attentive. The roads in Normandy are narrow, twisting and will go up and down all day. There is over 3,500m of elevation in this stage, which is more than some mountain stages contain. Lefevere: 'It's stages like this where you can sometimes see time gaps between the peloton, or lose a favorite because of crashes or unfortunate circumstances. There's also the opportunity for attacks. You also couldn't plan a better stage for Mathieu van der Poel.' The race reaches Brittany, often touted as the heartland of French cycling. The crowds will be big and enthusiastic, with the finish on the two-kilometre Mur-de-Bretagne a popular and spectacular feature of many modern Tours de France. Lefevere: 'This is the first important stage for the GC guys — they will likely attack each other here. Van der Poel and Wout van Aert will also be important here, because the Mur de Bretagne is too hard for the pure sprinters.' A very flat stage. A breakaway will almost certainly form early on but the sprinters' teams will make sure they are caught before they see the pretty town of Laval. Expect a battle royale between the race's fast finishers, although the slightly uphill finish may impact who comes out on top. Back-to-back flat stages on a weekend might not excite the TV directors but the sprinters will love it. The Chateauroux finish was a favorite of Mark Cavendish's — three of his record total of 35 Tour de France stage victories came here, including his very first. Such is the retired British rider's connection with the city, its mayor has (unofficially) renamed it 'Cavendish City' for the summer. The second Monday of the Tour de France is ordinarily a rest day but this year it falls on July 14, Bastille Day. So, for France's national holiday, the race organizers have cooked up a monster of a stage through the Massif Central. Expect it to be baking hot and for multiple storylines to play out across the day. French riders, puncheurs, climbers and the race favorites will all have marked this stage down as potentially pivotal. Worth making time to watch the whole stage, if you can. The race resumes after the first race day with a stage that is near the Pyrenees but not quite in them. It's a flat-ish profile but contains some short-but-steep climbs in the closing kilometres. Some of the sprinters won't be able to hang on; those that do will fancy their chances of victory. The race reaches the Pyrenees, taking a steady route to the Col du Soulor before sending the riders up Hautacam for the seventh time in the race's history, a 13.5km climb with an average gradient of 7.8 per cent. Vingegaard put Pogacar to the sword here in 2022 to all but seal his first overall title. Advertisement Lefevere: 'This is particularly tricky. Why? It is pretty flat before the Hautacam, which means that they'll approach the mountains at a high pace; I'm expecting a high pace for the whole Tour. But when you get to the base at this speed, not everybody reacts the same, so I think there will be some surprises.' A lesser-spotted mountain time trial. The riders will face a route that is only 11 kilometres long but which takes them up the viciously steep climb to Peyragudes. There'll be no hiding for the favorites today. The Tour returns to Superbagneres for the first time since 1989 — but with a profile that is very similar to stage 13 in the 1986 Tour, won by America's Greg LeMond on his way to overall victory. Will this stage be as pivotal in 2025 as it was 39 years ago? The final stage before the second rest day is hilly enough for breakaway specialists to have marked this as a potential opportunity. The finish in Carcassonne will be hot, and could be windy, too. The race resumes with a set-piece finish up Mont Ventoux. It's a flat day for 130km until the riders reach the town of Bedoin and commence what's generally accepted to be the hardest of the three routes up the 'Giant of Provence'. Iban Mayo's record ascent of 55:51 has stood since the 2004 Criterium du Dauphine, but is surely in danger of being toppled on July 22. Lefevere: 'It's interesting that this comes right after the rest day. Some guys have no problem after it, others struggle a little. And it's probably going to be 30C, which a lot of riders will not like. So you have to do your nutrition perfectly, but we are all human — some days we stand up in the morning, breakfast doesn't go well, and you have a bad day.' A rare chance for the sprinters in the second half of the race. Welcome after their struggles up Ventoux 24 hours earlier. A brute of an Alpine stage, which crosses the Col du Glandon, the Col de la Madeleine and finishes on the Col de la Loze, a modern classic of a climb that is making its third appearance in six editions of the race (albeit climbed from the other side this time). The sort of stage where the yellow jersey can crack himself, or his rivals. Advertisement Lefevere: 'Obviously Pogacar is a special one, and this, the Col de la Loze, was the only place I've really seen him crack. It's very long, very steep, and we'll see some riders' bodies not react as they wish at over 2000m of altitude. Days like today are proof of your condition.' Another tough — albeit short — assignment in the mountains, with the Col du Pre a less-well-known but extremely difficult climb midway through the stage, before the 1980s-flavour to the 2025 Tour continues with a finish at La Plagne, a climb used in 1984 and 1987 but which has not featured since 2002. The penultimate stage of the race takes in the Jura mountains and although it doesn't feature anything tougher than a second category climb, the peloton will be tired and — for teams who have not won a stage by this point — a bit desperate. Expect a breakaway in this one, plus some late action in the general classification race too, if we're lucky. The final stage of the Tour returns to the French capital after an Olympic-themed gap year in 2024, and the Paris games have influenced the 2025 edition too. Such was the success of the Montmartre climb in the Olympic road races, it has been added (three times) to the traditionally flat final stage of the Tour de France. Historically, the yellow jersey is not fought for on the last day, but with this new route… perhaps it might be. At the very least it may ensure we don't see a sprint finish. (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; David Pintens/Belga via AF; Tim de Waele;)
