Tour de France 2025 route rumours and announcements

[ChiefMasterPro]

I don't care about if they ride Alpe d'Huez. I only wish, they finally won't approach it from the Croix de Fer. You basically can take three HC climbs before the Alpe: Galibier, Glandon, Croix de Fer. The Tour rode the Croix de Fer the last three occasions. Twice planned, once due to the Galibier being closed. Before that they chose to ride the Alpe twice.

You can't completely compare the Tour de France Femmes with the mens Tour, but Glandon created chaos. So please but the right climbs into the stage. If we wwant to see a record broken, a 4500D+ 140km stage would also do the job. Ideally with a 200+km 5000D+ queenstage the day before.

 

[ashhutch1997]

If we get Alpe d'Huez, I want the stage to be as easy as possible.

Yeah 1997 unipurito style.

 

[pman]

I see that latest rumor for that early time trial is stage 5 and supposedly it's just a 20 k inter Caen time trial. What I find interesting about this is that the rumors has been that this would be a team time trial. It seems like that would be a wasted stage, basically making this a 19 stage race. So maybe it'll be an individual time trial? I know a 20 k individual time trial won't make that much of a difference either but at least that'll be a fun early form check for general classification guys.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Ventoux they usually go pretty hard from the bottom, which is why gaps tend to blow up if there is action before Chalet Reynard.

The thing that makes Ventoux so different is that it's an extremely wind dependent climb, and I'm pretty sure that when the record got set it was more about the wind than the TT factor. The Alpe d'Huez record was set at the end of a mountain stage, not the 2004 MTT because the 90s were just that much faster. In addition, Ventoux was only visited once in the 90s, and it wasn't a MTF but a finish all the way in Carpentras.

The Ventoux record is only slightly faster than Pogacar's recent Monte Grappa record, which was a double climb during a 3 week training vacation

I agree about Ventoux being wind dependent. If they got similar conditions next year then surely Pogacar and Vingegaard would destroy Mayo's record, even if the stage was 200 kms instead of 20 kms. Mayo only did it in the Dauphne anyway and as good a climber as he was at times, he wasn't particularly close to Pantani's record on ADH a year earlier.

 

[houtdffan]

I see that latest rumor for that early time trial is stage 5 and supposedly it's just a 20 k inter Caen time trial. What I find interesting about this is that the rumors has been that this would be a team time trial. It seems like that would be a wasted stage, basically making this a 19 stage race. So maybe it'll be an individual time trial? I know a 20 k individual time trial won't make that much of a difference either but at least that'll be a fun early form check for general classification guys.

20K

GTFO Gouvenou

 

[Froome]

20K

GTFO Gouvenou

Gouvenou doing gouvenou things.

 

[Rob5091]

20 km sounds more like a TTT - keep the GC close-ish. Then again it might be a ITT for the same reason.

 

[Froome]

20 km sounds more like a TTT - keep the GC close-ish. Then again it might be a ITT for the same reason.

TTT is probably the most stupid and wasted stage.

If they want to do time trials, how about doing decent time trials, instead of doing waisting stages by doing individual time trials of 20 km or TTT of 20/25 km?


If they want to do proper time trials, they should do a proper ITT of 50/60 km where the differences can be high, and benefit the specialists riders on that area.

If they want to do a MTT, peyragudes is a really stupid idea, because is a short climb of 20 minutes.

They should do a MTT of 40 min effort like Alpe d'huez in 2004.
It would be better doing a MTT to superbagneres.

 

[Red Rick]

Its LeTour, expect 21 wasted stages

 

[Netserk]

Will this manage to be the slowest starting Tour this century? Plausibly the least GC significant first week.

2001: Alpe d'Huez (day 11) - prologue, long TTT and breakaway Vosges stage (8) before then.
2002: La Mongie (12) - prologue, long TTT and a long ITT (10) before then.
2004: La Mongie (13) - prologue, few cobbles, long TTT and breakaway Massif Central stages (11+12) before then.
2006: Pla-de-Beret (12) - prologue, long ITT (8) and breakaway Pyrenees stage (11) before then.
2011: Luz Ardiden (12) - short TTT, HTF and breakaway Massif Central stages (8+9) before then.

2025: Superbagnères (12) - short TTT(?), HTF and breakaway Massif Central stage (10) before then.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't care about if they ride Alpe d'Huez. I only wish, they finally won't approach it from the Croix de Fer. You basically can take three HC climbs before the Alpe: Galibier, Glandon, Croix de Fer. The Tour rode the Croix de Fer the last three occasions. Twice planned, once due to the Galibier being closed. Before that they chose to ride the Alpe twice.

You can't completely compare the Tour de France Femmes with the mens Tour, but Glandon created chaos. So please but the right climbs into the stage. If we wwant to see a record broken, a 4500D+ 140km stage would also do the job. Ideally with a 200+km 5000D+ queenstage the day before.

Still the same lame duck descent and valley if you take Glandon.

What you want before Alpe d'Huez isn't a pass, it's the climb on the opposite side of the valley, which leaves only 4km of flat between the end of the descent and the start of the Alpe

 

[Rob5091]

TTT is probably the most stupid and waisted stage.

If they want to do time trials, how about doing decent time trials, instead of doing waisting stages by doing individual time trials of 20 km or TTT of 20/25 km?


If they want to do proper time trials, they should do a proper ITT of 50/60 km where the differences can be high, and benefit the specialists riders on that area.

If they want to do a MTT, peyragudes is a really stupi idea, because is a short climb of 20 minutes.

They should do a MTT of 40 min effort like Alpe d'huez in 2004.
It would be better doing a MTT to superbagneres.

You're looking at this the wrong way - not as the Tour organizers do. It's like going to Vegas and expecting Sinatra to belt out "My Way" as the first number. The first week of the Tour is like seeing the support band at a concert.

 

[Netserk]

Still the same lame duck descent and valley if you take Glandon.

What you want before Alpe d'Huez isn't a pass, it's the climb on the opposite side of the valley, which leaves only 4km of flat between the end of the descent and the start of the Alpe

Yeah, it should be a viable option from that side in the future.

Hmm, you got me thinking ...

Le Bourg-d'Oisans > Le Bourg-d'Oisans

180.9 km, +5630 m. Bike ride in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ridewithgps.com

 

[ice&fire]

Yeah, it should be a viable option from that side in the future.

Hmm, you got me thinking ...

Le Bourg-d'Oisans > Le Bourg-d'Oisans

180.9 km, +5630 m. Bike ride in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ridewithgps.com

I'm not sure descending through the Dutch corner is viable

 

[Netserk]

I'm not sure descending through the Dutch corner is viable

I don't think there would be any spectators there.

 

[rghysens]

Still the same lame duck descent and valley if you take Glandon.

What you want before Alpe d'Huez isn't a pass, it's the climb on the opposite side of the valley, which leaves only 4km of flat between the end of the descent and the start of the Alpe

😆
Col de Solude is basically cut in a rock. It´s more dangerous than Monte Crostis. If there haven´t been enough cycling deaths to your liking, descending Col de Solude is the way to go.

 

[Netserk]

😆
Col de Solude is basically cut in a rock. It´s more dangerous than Monte Crostis. If there haven´t been enough cycling deaths to your liking, descending Col de Solude is the way to go.

Is that not only a problem if you do it in the opposite direction?

Even Combe Crose seems no worse than when they descended Noyer in 2010.

 

[pman]

What I find interesting about the rumors on Velowire is how much like a Giro this route is shaping up in terms of it being an easy, flat, boring (ish) first half of the race and an incredibly tough, concentrated nasty final half of the race.

I suppose every race is bound by geography and financial/political demands. It's not the Tour de South France. You have to include the north. What surprises me about this proposed route is that we're really hitting the north. It looks like maybe the first GC stage comes on stage 7 (stage 2 will be fun but it doesn't look tough enough for GC), But even the Mur doesn't look truly like a GC stage. Stage 10 looks mountainous/ breakaway, Stage 12 looks like first true GC stage. That's late by recent standards. But from there on out, it's mostly GC and frankly from what I've seen looks like it could be relentless. I love the mid race mountain individual time trial. Even should be fresh and there's time to make up gaps later in the race.

I just hope the first time trial in Caen, if it'll be a short one is an individual one because if a 20k individual time trial has a minimum impact, a 20k team time trial really really has a minimal impact. At least with a 20k individual time trial around technical urban streets, you're testing a skill and maybe getting some GC time gaps, even if relatively short.

Anyway as much as we love to complain, the last two years of the Tour really had some nice balance. Punchy early stages, quick trip to the mountains, etc. This upcoming route looks much more like a throwback to an era most of us don't miss, lol.

 

[YavorD]

What surprises me about this proposed route is that we're really hitting the north.

It's probably the trade-of for having 2 Tours in a row with very decent first half without any boring flat stages in the north.

 

[houtdffan]

this route looks taylor made for the remco giro/tour double attempt

Hate when route scater to cerain rider.

FIRE GOUVENOU!!!!! Hire Zomengan

 

[QueenStagiaire]

this route looks taylor made for the remco giro/tour double attempt

Hate when route scater to cerain rider.

FIRE GOUVENOU!!!!! Hire Zomengan

With barely any TT kilometers and many tough mountains rumored for the third week? Didn‘t know Remco was the second coming of Egan Bernal

 

[Peyroteo94]

this route looks taylor made for the remco giro/tour double attempt

Hate when route scater to cerain rider.

FIRE GOUVENOU!!!!! Hire Zomengan

Remco can't win the Tour without doing the Giro, let alone Giro-Tour. Just put Mont Ventoux there and he will lose 2 minutes to Pogacar.

 

[houtdffan]

With barely any TT kilometers and many tough mountains rumored for the third week? Didn‘t know Remco was the second coming of Egan Bernal

I meant with no difficulties until week 3

Made for vingo as well if he has balls

 

[Froome]

I meant with no difficulties until week 3

Made for vingo as well if he has balls

He had another child, of course he have.....

 

[rghysens]

this route looks taylor made for the remco giro/tour double attempt

Hate when route scater to cerain rider.

FIRE GOUVENOU!!!!! Hire Zomengan

I guess you ironically mean that with this course, Evenepoel is bound for the giro. The rumoured course has 4 hc mtf´s (superbagnères, Ventoux, Alpe d´Huez and la Plagne) and barely any flat itt. That´s about 4 hc mtf´s too much and 2 long flat itt´s too few for an Evenepoel course.