The 2025 Tour de France: A Brutal, Beautiful Homecoming

The world’s greatest cycling race is coming home. After years of international excursions, the 112th edition of the Tour de France, kicking off on July 5, 2025, will be a purely French affair for the first time since 2020. This is more than a logistical choice; it is a symbolic pilgrimage. Over 21 stages and a grueling 3,338.8 kilometers, the race will carve a path through the nation’s soul, from the windswept plains of the north to the sun-scorched peaks of the Alps, culminating in a festive, yet newly challenging, finale in Paris.

This homecoming serves as a strategic reset for the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). Following a series of Grands Départs in Denmark, Spain, and Italy, and a historic finish in Nice for the 2024 edition to accommodate the Paris Olympics, this all-French route re-centers the race's profound national identity. It is a deliberate move to reconnect the

Grand Boucle with its roots, simplifying logistics while leveraging the post-Olympic national pride to celebrate France's diverse geography and rich history.

At its heart, however, the 2025 Tour de France is a drama of human endeavor, defined by the sport’s most compelling rivalry. Reigning champion Tadej Pogačar, a rider who has redefined the limits of performance, will once again face the relentless resilience of two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard. Theirs is not just a competition; it is a generational duel, a tactical war fought on two wheels, where every kilometer is a potential battlefield. The festivities will begin in Lille, where the Hauts-de-France region will host the team presentations and Fan Park, enveloping the start in a celebratory atmosphere before the peloton embarks on its brutal, beautiful journey.

The 2025 Parcours: A Race of Two Halves

The 2025 route is a masterpiece of suspense, a narrative deliberately structured as a "game of two halves". With a staggering total elevation gain of 52,500 meters, it promises to be one of the most demanding editions in recent memory. The first week is a nervous, chaotic gauntlet designed to create traps and tension, while the final two weeks unleash a relentless onslaught of iconic mountain passes where the ultimate champion will be forged.

The Northern Gauntlet: Chaos, Crosswinds, and the Clock (Week 1)

The opening week is a minefield. As the race sweeps from Lille through the historic landscapes of Normandy and Brittany, it presents a series of classics-style challenges designed to test the nerve, skill, and team strength of the general classification (GC) contenders long before the high mountains appear on the horizon. This is not a gentle introduction; it is a GC trap, meticulously crafted to reward tactical intelligence and punish the slightest misstep. A crash on a narrow lane, getting caught on the wrong side of a crosswind-induced split, or a subpar time trial could shatter a rider's yellow jersey dreams before the race even reaches the Pyrenees. This terrain heavily favors versatile teams like Visma | Lease a Bike, whose roster includes specialists for such chaotic conditions, placing immense pressure on squads like UAE Team Emirates to shield their leader through the turmoil.

• Stage 1: Lille Métropole > Lille Métropole (184.9 km, Flat): For the first time in several years, the sprinters have a golden opportunity to seize the first maillot jaune. But this is no simple procession. The inclusion of early climbs, notably the cobbled ascent of Mont Cassel, ensures a fierce battle for the King of the Mountains jersey from day one, promising an aggressive and unpredictable start.
• Stage 2: Lauwin-Planque > Boulogne-sur-Mer (209.1 km, Hilly): The longest stage of the Tour is a brutal test for the puncheurs. The finale is vicious, with three sharp, punchy climbs packed into the last 10 kilometers, including a steep ramp to the finish line. This is a day where a classics specialist or an explosive GC contender could steal the yellow jersey.
• Stage 5: Caen > Caen (33 km, ITT): A crucial, early test against the clock. This is the longest individual time trial to feature this early in the Tour since 1989, and its flat, power-friendly profile sets up a fascinating confrontation. It pits pure time trial specialists like Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna against the GC titans, Pogačar and Vingegaard, with significant time gaps all but guaranteed.
• Stage 7: Saint-Malo > Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan (197 km, Hilly): The race returns to the iconic "Alpe d'Huez of Brittany". The peloton will tackle the brutally steep Mûr-de-Bretagne twice in the final 20 kilometers. With gradients rearing up to 15%, it’s a finish that always delivers drama, perfectly suited for explosive attacks and capable of creating small but significant time gaps among the favorites.
• Stage 10: Ennezat > Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy (165.3 km, Mountain): The first official mountain stage arrives on Bastille Day, France's national day, and just before the first rest day. This potent combination is a recipe for explosive racing. With a Category 2 summit finish, the GC contenders will be incentivized to empty the tank, likely triggering the first major reshuffling of the overall standings.

The Mountain Arenas: Where Kings Are Crowned (Weeks 2 & 3)

If the first week is about survival, the final two are about supremacy. The battle for the yellow jersey will be decided in the great mountain arenas of the Pyrenees and the Alps, where the 2025 route has concentrated its toughest challenges. Six mountain stages, five grueling summit finishes, a unique mountain time trial, and a total vertical gain that speaks for itself define this brutal second act.

The route's design, particularly the back-to-back Alpine summit finishes, appears tailored to exploit any potential weakness in recovery. While Tadej Pogačar is a phenomenal climber, past Tours have hinted at a vulnerability to repeated, high-altitude efforts in the heat. This parcours provides the perfect terrain for a team like Visma | Lease a Bike to execute their proven strategy: using their depth to apply relentless pressure over several days. The sheer volume of climbing in the final week—over 13,000 meters across just three decisive stages—makes this a war of attrition. The winner will not just be the strongest rider on a single day, but the one who can recover and repeat that monumental effort time and again.

The Pyrenean Triptych (Stages 12-14)

The race’s first major mountain block is a three-day suffer-fest in the Pyrenees, designed to expose any cracks in the contenders' armor.

• Stage 12: Auch > Hautacam (180.6 km): The first hors catégorie (beyond categorization) summit finish of the race. Hautacam is a modern classic, a brutal and irregular climb where Jonas Vingegaard stamped his authority in 2022. This will be the first true mano-a-mano showdown between the pure climbers.
• Stage 13: Loudenvielle > Peyragudes (10.9 km, ITT): A unique and decisive stage. This is no traditional time trial; it is a viciously steep mountain climb against the clock. With an average gradient of 7.9% and ramps hitting a leg-breaking 16% near the finish on the airport runway, this is a pure test of power-to-weight that will carve out significant time gaps.
• Stage 14: Pau > Luchon-Superbagnères (182.6 km): A legendary stage makes its return for the first time since 1986. This classic Pyrenean raid features the mythical Col du Tourmalet, the most frequently visited peak in Tour history, before a final summit finish. With over 5,000 meters of climbing, it’s a day for a long-range attack to succeed.

The Alpine Crucible (Stages 16, 18, 19)

After the second rest day, the race enters its final, decisive phase in the Alps, featuring three of the most feared climbs in cycling.

• Stage 16: Montpellier > Mont Ventoux (171.5 km): The "Giant of Provence" is back. With its iconic, lunar-like barren summit, Mont Ventoux is a climb steeped in legend and suffering. Its relentless gradients and exposure to the elements make it one of the most revered and daunting challenges in the sport, and its summit finish will be a pivotal moment in the race for yellow.
• Stage 18: Vif > Courchevel Col de la Loze (171.5 km): This is the undisputed Queen Stage of the 2025 Tour. It is a monstrous day of climbing, featuring over 5,600 meters of vertical gain and three hors catégorie ascents. The stage culminates on the Col de la Loze, the highest point of the race at 2,304 meters. Tackled for the first time from its eastern side, its irregular and punishingly steep final kilometers make it one of the toughest climbs in modern cycling. Pogačar himself has described the route as "brutal," and this stage is the primary reason why.
• Stage 19: Albertville > La Plagne (129.9 km): The final mountain showdown. Though shorter, this stage is relentlessly difficult, concluding with another demanding summit finish at La Plagne. It represents the last opportunity for a climber to overturn the GC and will be a day of desperate, final-chance attacks.

The Final Act (Stage 21)

The race concludes with its traditional procession to Paris, but with a modern twist. In a nod to the 2024 Olympic road race, the final stage will include three ascents of the short, cobbled climb to Montmartre before the sprinters battle it out on the iconic Champs-Élysées. It adds a touch of suspense to a day that also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first finish on the famous avenue.

The Contenders: A Four-Way Battle for the Throne

The race for the maillot jaune is shaping up to be a clash of titans, with a clear hierarchy of favorites and a host of dangerous dark horses ready to pounce. The fight for the overall victory is likely a two-tiered conflict: an epic duel between Pogačar and Vingegaard for the top step, and a ferocious, multi-rider battle for the final spot on the podium. While the two main protagonists may seem a level above, the race for third place could be even more dynamic and unpredictable, offering compelling drama throughout the three weeks.

The Big Four

• Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): The Slovenian is the overwhelming favorite, and for good reason. His 2024 season, in which he captured the unofficial "Triple Crown" of the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and World Championships, was one of the most dominant in cycling history. His form in 2025 has been equally imperious, with a commanding victory at the key warm-up race, the Critérium du Dauphiné. Armed with an explosive, unanswerable attack, world-class time-trialing ability, and a powerhouse team featuring João Almeida and Adam Yates, Pogačar seems almost unbeatable. His off-season focus on adding even more strength and intensity to his training suggests the 26-year-old phenom is still improving.
• Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike): The only rider to have consistently challenged and beaten Pogačar, the two-time champion from Denmark is the clear number two contender. His path to the 2025 Tour has been fraught with difficulty, recovering from a life-threatening crash and severe injuries sustained earlier in the season. His runner-up finish at the Dauphiné was a remarkable sign of his resilience, but questions about his peak form remain. Vingegaard's greatest assets are his supreme endurance in the high mountains, his meticulous preparation, and the unmatched tactical prowess of his Visma team, who will look to isolate and wear down Pogačar.
• Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): The Belgian superstar and reigning double Olympic champion is a force of nature. His primary weapon will be the long, flat time trial on Stage 5, where he is capable of taking a significant amount of time from his rivals. His challenge, as in previous years, will be to limit his losses in the high mountains, where his team support is not as deep as that of UAE or Visma. A podium finish and the white jersey for the best young rider are very realistic goals.
• Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): The decorated veteran is on a quest for redemption. At 35, the four-time Vuelta a España champion is running out of opportunities to win the one Grand Tour that has brought him so much heartbreak, most notably the dramatic 2020 loss to Pogačar. His new team has granted him sole leadership, but his history of bad luck and crashes at the Tour makes him a high-risk, high-reward proposition.

The Dark Horses and Podium Threats

• João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates): In any other team, Almeida would be a GC leader. As Pogačar's most trusted lieutenant, he is the ultimate insurance policy. His world-class climbing and time-trialing abilities, showcased by a stellar performance at the Tour de Suisse, make him a legitimate podium contender in his own right.
• Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers): The young Spaniard has proven his Grand Tour consistency with two top-10 finishes at the Tour. He leads a powerful Ineos team that, while no longer the dominant force of the past decade, is more than capable of capitalizing on any weakness shown by the top favorites.
• Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): The former biathlete is one of the most exciting rising stars in the sport. His climbing performances in 2025 have been sensational, and some analysts believe he could even outperform his team leader, Roglič, making him a serious dark horse for the podium.
• Others to Watch: A host of other talented riders will be targeting the top ten, including Danish all-rounder Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), 2025 Giro winner Simon Yates (Visma | Lease a Bike), and French hopeful Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious).

The Other Jerseys: Battles Within the War

While the spotlight shines brightest on the yellow jersey, the competitions for the green, polka dot, and white jerseys create compelling races-within-the-race, each with its own unique set of contenders and tactics.

The Green Jersey: A Puncheur's Paradise

The 2025 route makes the points classification a fascinating contest. With several hilly stages and tough finishes, this is not a battle for pure, flat-track sprinters alone. The green jersey will likely go to a versatile and resilient rider who can not only win bunch sprints but also survive the climbs to contest intermediate sprints and punchy finales.

• The Contenders:
  • Biniam Girmay (Intermarché–Wanty): The defending champion from Eritrea made history in 2024 as the first Black African rider to win a major Tour de France jersey. His ability to excel on tougher, uphill sprints makes him perfectly suited to this year's parcours.
  • Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): The winner of the 2023 green jersey will be desperate to reclaim his crown. He possesses one of the most powerful sprint trains in the peloton, led by the phenomenal Mathieu van der Poel, giving him a significant advantage in the chaotic final kilometers.
  • Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek): Making his Tour de France debut, the powerful Italian comes with a formidable reputation. He has already won the points classification at the Giro d'Italia and possesses the climbing ability to survive where other sprinters falter. His Lidl-Trek lead-out train is one of the best in the business.
  • Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): The reigning European champion has been one of the most prolific winners of the 2025 season. His pure speed is undeniable, but his biggest challenge will be surviving the brutal mountain stages of the third week to make it to Paris.
• The Wildcards: Don't be surprised to see all-round superstars Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in the mix. While not focused solely on the green jersey, their ability to win on almost any terrain means they can accumulate points across a wide variety of stages, potentially disrupting the plans of the specialist sprinters.

The Polka Dot Jersey: Breakaway Artist or GC King?

The battle for the King of the Mountains jersey is often the most romantic and unpredictable of the Tour. The iconic maillot à pois rouges can be won in two distinct ways. It can be claimed by a dominant GC leader who is also winning the high-mountain stages, as Pogačar and Vingegaard have done in the past. Alternatively, and more traditionally, it is the prize for a dedicated breakaway specialist—a pure climber who targets the points on offer throughout the mountain stages, animating the race from the front.

• Potential Contenders:
  • GC Titans: If Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard are consistently attacking for stage victories on the summit finishes, they will automatically become prime candidates to win the polka dot jersey as well.
  • Breakaway Specialists: This is where the true mountain goats shine. Riders like Italy's Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), who has won the classification before, and the veteran Dutchman Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) are perfectly suited to a race-long hunt for mountain points.
  • Plan B Candidates: The polka dot jersey often becomes a new objective for riders whose GC ambitions have been derailed by an early crash or a bad day. Look for climbers like Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), or Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) to pivot to this competition if they lose significant time in the overall standings.

A Journey Through France: The Cultural Heart of the Tour

The 2025 Tour's all-French route is a celebration of the country's rich history and diverse landscapes, highlighted by the inclusion of eight new stage towns. These debutant locations add fresh narratives to the race, connecting the modern sporting epic to centuries of French culture.

• Lauwin-Planque (Stage 2 Start): This small commune in the Nord department embodies the theme of tradition meeting modernity. While its roots trace back to the 16th century, today it is known for hosting one of France's largest Amazon logistics centers, a massive economic engine that employs more people than live in the village itself. It is a striking symbol of the evolving French economy, set against a backdrop of rural heritage.
• Bayeux (Stage 6 Start): The start in Bayeux is a journey back in time. Miraculously spared from destruction during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, it was the first major French town to be liberated. Bayeux is the proud home of the world-famous, UNESCO-listed Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century embroidery that masterfully chronicles the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. As the peloton rolls out, it connects this three-week sporting saga with one of the foundational stories of European history.
• Chinon (Stage 9 Start): Nestled in the heart of the Loire Valley, Chinon is a town steeped in royal and military history. Its imposing medieval fortress was a favored residence of English kings like Henry II and his son, Richard the Lionheart. It is most famous, however, as the location where a young Joan of Arc met with the future King Charles VII in 1429 and convinced him to raise an army against the English, a pivotal moment in the Hundred Years' War. Today, Chinon is also a renowned center for its elegant Cabernet Franc wines.
• Ennezat (Stage 10 Start): This charming town in the Auvergne region serves as the gateway to the volcanic landscapes of the Massif Central. Known for its beautiful Romanesque church, the Saint-Victor et Sainte-Couronne, which contains elements from the 11th and 13th centuries, Ennezat's architecture is distinguished by its use of the local grey Volvic stone, a durable volcanic rock quarried nearby.
• Other Newcomers: The Tour will also visit several other new locations for the first time, including Bollène (Stage 17 start), a Provençal town with a rich medieval center and numerous 17th-century mansions;Vif (Stage 18 start), a town at the foot of the Vercors massif that is home to the Champollion Museum, dedicated to the man who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs; andMantes-la-Ville (Stage 21 start), an industrial and residential town on the banks of the Seine that will launch the final stage into Paris.

How to Watch: Your Complete Viewing Guide

For fans across the globe, catching every moment of the Tour de France is easier than ever. Here’s how you can follow the action, particularly for viewers in the United States.

• Primary Broadcasters:
  • USA: Peacock is the definitive home for the Tour de France in the United States, offering live, start-to-finish, and ad-free coverage of all 21 stages. The main NBC network will also provide live coverage of select key stages (Stage 1 and Stage 20) and broadcast highlight shows on weekends.
  • Canada: FloBikes holds the exclusive streaming rights for the Tour de France in Canada, offering comprehensive coverage of every stage.
  • France: Domestic viewers can follow the race on the public broadcaster France Télévisions and on Eurosport.
• Peacock Subscription Details (USA):To access the full Tour de France coverage, US viewers will need a Peacock Premium subscription.
  • Peacock Premium: This plan costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 for an annual subscription.
  • Peacock Premium Plus: For an ad-free experience on on-demand content (live sports will still have commercial breaks), this plan costs $13.99 per month or $139.99 annually.
  • It is worth noting that Peacock often runs promotional deals, especially in the lead-up to major events, which can significantly reduce the cost of an annual subscription.

2025 Tour de France US Broadcast Schedule (All Times ET)

The table below provides a convenient guide to the live start times for every stage on Peacock.

Schedule based on information from NBC Sports and is subject to change. Highlight shows will also air on NBC on select weekends.

An Unforgettable Grand Boucle Awaits

The 112th Tour de France is poised to be a modern epic. Its route is a masterful blend of classic challenges and new discoveries, designed to test every facet of a rider's ability. From the nervous, windswept stages of the north to the monumental climbing arenas of the Pyrenees and Alps, this is a Tour that will reward both tactical cunning and raw, unadulterated power.

• Final Predictions:
  • Yellow Jersey: Tadej Pogačar starts as the man to beat, a rider at the absolute zenith of his powers. Yet, the race is far from a foregone conclusion. Jonas Vingegaard's proven resilience and the tactical genius of his Visma | Lease a Bike team make this a genuine contest. The winner will be the rider who not only dominates the mountains but also survives the brutal combination of the chaotic first week and the attritional final one.
  • Green Jersey: This will be a fascinating battle of versatility. The parcours seems to favor a powerful sprinter who can endure the hills, making defending champion Biniam Girmay and Tour debutant Jonathan Milan the slight favorites over purer sprinters.
  • Polka Dot Jersey: The King of the Mountains classification is the most unpredictable. It could easily become a consolation prize for a top GC contender who falls out of the yellow jersey fight, with Remco Evenepoel or Primož Roglič being prime candidates should their overall ambitions fade.

An unforgettable Grand Boucle awaits.