After the Grand Departs in Copenhagen, Bilbao and Florence, the Tour de France will return to its home turf in 2025 for the start of the world's most important cycling race. The 112th edition begins on 5 July in Lille.
Tour de France 2025: The Grand Depart at a glance
For the fifth time in the history of the Tour de France, the race starts in the northernmost region of the country. In addition to Lille and Dunkerque, the Tour also started in Roubaix in 1969. On the rough cobblestones that are common there, which are as last provided a spectacle in 2022However, the Tour de France 2025 seems to be doing without them. At least on the first three stages.
Stage 1 | Saturday, 5 July 2025 | Lille - Lille | 185 kilometres
Lille is the start and finish of stage 1. The city of 230,000 near the Belgian border has already been part of the Tour 18 times, starting in 1960 and 1994. The 185-kilometre stage is a clockwise loop that will most likely be won by the sprinters in front of the city's imposing citadel, who will also decide the first yellow jersey among themselves. An approximately 1000 metre long, slightly uphill finishing straight forms the backdrop for this.
With three mountain classifications on the course, the mountain jersey also finds a wearer. However, the last of the three climbs is already 45 kilometres before the finish - actually too early for breakaways to do more than win the dotted jersey. However, the Atlantic Ocean is not too far away, so the open roads certainly offer the opportunity for windy echelons if the conditions are right.
Stage 2 | Sunday, 6 July 2025 | Lauwin-Planque - Boulogne-sur-Mer | 209 kilometres
The second day is already hilly. After the start of the stage in Lauwin-Planque, which is the Tour's first stage location, the first 100 kilometres, which run almost exclusively westwards towards the Atlantic coast, remain relatively quiet. Then the first of four mountain classifications awaits. It heralds the start of a classic profile at the halfway point of the stage.
In the immediate vicinity of the Opal Coast, it's almost all up and down. The last three mountain classifications, each with a gradient of around ten per cent, await in the last 30 kilometres. This is likely to be too much for pure sprinters, especially as the finishing straight in Boulogne-sur-Mer also leads uphill. It is not unlikely that the yellow jersey will change shoulders here again. The last time the Tour was here was in 2012. The winner was Peter Sagan.
Stage 3 | Monday, 7 July 2025 | Valenciennes - Dunkerque | 172 kilometres
The third stage also remains in the northernmost tip of France and leads from Valenciennes largely along the border with Belgium from the centre of the country back to the coast. This time to Dunkirk. The last time the Tour was in Dunkirk was in 2022, when Wout van Aert won as a soloist by eight seconds ahead of Jasper Philipsen.
The previous time Dunkirk was the stage finish, in 2007, two Belgians, Gert Steegmans and his Quickstep colleague Tom Boonen, also won not far from home. But Dunkirk has also been the starting point of the Tour. Christophe Moreau won the prologue in 2001.
However, the sprinters will normally strike again on the 172-kilometre stage in 2025. The only mountain classification of the day is 30 kilometres before the finish, but is not a significant hurdle. Stage 1 already led over the Cote de Cassel - albeit on a different route. This is where the route crosses.
Tour de France quiz
From Amiens the journey continues
As part of the presentation of the Grand Depart, Tour Director Christian Prudhomme also announced the start location of stage 4. The entourage will have to travel further inland, starting in Amiens. The rest of the route has not been revealed for the time being. The rest of the route will be presented in October 2024.in which year was the first race of this kind organised?
- Which countries do the drivers normally pass through?
- How many stages does this event typically comprise?
- Who has won the most victories in the history of this competition?
- Which jersey colours have special meanings for the riders?
