Tour de France check: The favourites for the overall, points and mountains classification
Thomas Huber
· 03.07.2025
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Overall ranking
The overall classification is the most important of the classifications and represents the overall victory of the Tour de France. The leader of the classification is always in his Yellow jersey to recognise.
Jonas Vingegaard - The challenger
- Nationality: Dane
- Age: 28 years
- Size: 1.75 metres
- Weight: 58 kilogrammes
- Tour balance sheet: 4 starts, 2 victories
- Team: Team Visma | Lease a Bike
As in the previous year, the preparation for the Tour de France did not go smoothly. After a crash at Paris-Nice, Vingegaard had to take a break due to a concussion and bruised hand. Nevertheless, the Dane looks ready and is focussing everything on the big goal of winning the Tour. While Pogačar travelled from classic to classic in the spring, he focused on honing his form. At the Critérium du Dauphiné, Vingegaard made his first appearance since his crash in the spring. He took valuable seconds off Pogačar in the time trial of the week-long tour, but had to let go in the decisive moments on the mountain stages. The Dane perhaps lacked the last few percentages there - but he could have them for the Tour. In 2023, he was six minutes down on the Slovenian - now he wants to challenge his rival again. He proved that he can beat him with his Tour victories in 2022 and 2023.
Climbing *****
Time trial ****
Team *****
Tadej Pogačar - The all-rounder
- Nationality: Slovenian
- Age: 26 years
- Size: 1.76 metres
- Weight: 66 kilogrammes
- Tour balance sheet: 5 starts, 3 victories
- Team: UAE Team Emirates - XRG
He is the top favourite for the Tour de France. Last year he won unchallenged - and this time, too, he seems almost unbeatable. He dominated the UAE Tour at will and shone in the spring classics with victories in Liège and Flanders. After a heavy workload in the spring with many one-day races, he now has to focus on the world's biggest tour in good time. By winning the Critérium du Dauphiné, three weeks before the Tour, the Slovenian once again showed that he is currently hard to beat. However, Pogačar lost a few seconds to his biggest rival Jonas Vingegaard in the time trial of the preparatory tour in France, which clearly bothered him afterwards. However, Tadej Pogačar then won the decisive stages with a mountain finish. With a strong team backed by João Almeida and Nils Politt, the Slovenian was probably the only way to win the Tour. Pogačar seems to succeed in everything he tries at the moment.
Climbing *****
Time trial *****
Team *****
João Almeida - The Lurking One
- Nationality: Portuguese
- Age: 26 years
- Size: 1.78 metres
- Weight: 63 kilogrammes
- Tour balance sheet: 1 start, 4th place
- Team: UAE Team Emirates - XRG
João Almeida is not only Pogačar's noble assistant, but has long been one of the best cyclists in the world himself. Fourth place at the 2024 Tour was possibly just the beginning. This season, the 26-year-old looks even stronger: he recently won both the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie. The Portuguese rider also triumphed at the Tour de Suisse and made up a considerable gap from stage 1. Should Pogačar weaken or crash, Almeida himself could move into the role of leader - or provoke an intra-team duel.
Climbing ****
Time trial *****
Team ****
Remco Evenepoel - The unpredictable
- Nationality: Belgian
- Age: 25 years
- Size: 1.71 metres
- Weight: 61 kilogrammes
- Tour balance sheet: 1 start, 3rd place
- Team: Soudal Quick-Step
After finishing third on his Tour debut, Remco Evenepoel is now aiming for the big time. He only rode four classics this spring and his focus is fully on the Tour. The 2022 Vuelta winner wants to challenge Pogačar and Vingegaard. But his form raises questions: He remained pale at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and only managed fifth place at the Tour de Romandie - behind riders like João Almeida. At the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he wanted to compete with Pogačar and Vingegaard, he was also unable to keep up on the difficult climbs. He even had to concede third place in the overall classification to the German Lipowitz. It remains to be seen whether that will be enough for the big goal.
Climbing ***
Time trial *****
Team ****
Primož Roglič - The unfinished man
- Nationality: Slovenian
- Age: 35 years
- Size: 1.77 metres
- Weight: 65 kilogrammes
- Tour balance sheet: 6 starts, 4th place (2018) and 2nd place (2020)
- Team: Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
Primož Roglič has already won the Giro and the Vuelta - only the Tour de France is still missing. He has often proven that he can master grand tours. With his magnificent victory in the Tour of Catalonia, he impressively showed that he is still one of the world's best despite his 35 years. However, it remains questionable whether he will be back in top form in time to stand up to Pogačar and Vingegaard after his withdrawal from the Giro.
Climbing ****
Time trial ****
Team *****
Florian Lipowitz - The quiet one
- Nationality: German
- Age: 24 years
- Size: 1.81 metres
- Weight: 68 kilogrammes
- Tour balance sheet: -
- Team: Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
Florian Lipowitz is still a blank slate when it comes to the Tour. A seventh place at the Tour of Spain last year and good results at Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Basque Country this year were the first signs of the young German's talent. With third place at the Critérium du Dauphiné, ahead of Remco Evenepoel and numerous other general classification riders, Lipowitz was only beaten by Vingegaard and Pogačar. First and foremost, Lipowitz should ride for his captain, Primož Roglič. However, the latter is plagued by bad luck, meaning that Lipowitz could take over the captain's role in the event of a crash.
Climbing ****
Time trial ****
Team *****
Scoring
The points classification is for the best sprinter of the tour. Unmistakable is the Green jersey, which is worn by the leader of this ranking.
Jonathan Milan | 24 years | Italy | Lidl - Trek
Milan has won the points classification at the Giro in the past two years. He is also performing strongly this season and has already taken two sprint victories at Tirreno-Adriatico and added another at the Critérium du Dauphiné. His congenial rider Simone Consonni is also taking part in the Tour. In his Tour debut, Milan will have a say in the battle for the points classification right from the start.
Jasper Philipsen | 27 years | Belgium | Alpecin - Deceuninck
Philipsen has already celebrated nine stage wins at the Tour. In 2023, he narrowly missed out on the green jersey - now he wants to regain his sprint dominance. With a team tailored to him with riders like Kaden Groves and Mathieu van der Poel, victories are almost inevitable. He is also difficult to shake off on hilly terrain, making him more versatile than many other sprinters.
Tim Merlier | 32 years old | Belgium | Soudal Quick-Step
Tim Merlier is probably in the form of his life at the moment. He won the Scheldeprijs in dominant fashion ahead of Philipsen and also took victories in two sprint stages at Paris-Nice. So after three years without a Tour, he is ready to impress on the biggest stage. However, the focus on team leader Remco Evenepoel could be a disadvantage for the Belgian.
Jordi Meeus | 27 years | Belgium | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
Jordi Meeus seems to be something of a lightning starter. Shortly before the Tour de France, the sprinter is in top form. The Belgian first secured a stage win at the Tour of Switzerland, then left early and won two days later in Copenhagen against great competition. Despite the main task of winning the Tour, with captain Primož Roglič, Meeus' team decided to take the sprinter and his experienced rider Danny van Poppel with them.
Mountain classification
Sometimes even more celebrated than the overall classification is the mountain classification. There are often countless fans at the roadside cheering this very Red polka dot jersey of the leader of this ranking.
Matteo Jorgenson | 26 years old | USA | Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Matteo Jorgenson has already finished fourth in the battle for the mountain jersey at the Tour 2024 - and that's just by the by. Because he is actually one of the noble helpers for Jonas Vingegaard. However, it is becoming increasingly important for the big teams to have a "relay station" at the front that can accompany the captain for a few more kilometres. Jorgenson could well have a chance of taking the mountains jersey. His performances this year only emphasise this once again.
Mattias Skjelmose | 24 years | Denmark | Lidl - Trek
In the mountains, the team is relying on Mattias Skjelmose. After finishing fifth overall in the 2024 Vuelta, the Dane is one of the most elite climbers in the field. However, as the team is not fully focussed on the classification, Skjelmose could, like Giulio Ciccone, go for the mountain jersey at the 2023 Tour.
Tobias Halland Johannessen | 25 years old | Norway | Uno-X Mobility
During the last Tour, Uno-X Mobility repeatedly caught the eye with riders in breakaway groups. In the mountains, this role could fall to Tobias Halland Johannessen. At Tirreno-Adriatico, the Norwegian showed that he can keep up with the best climbers. After seventh place in the 2023 mountain classification, he could now be looking further up.
