Tour de France 2025 route rumours and announcements

[RedheadDane]

Main complaints are: I don't like MTTs, the returning MTFs are cool but not super-exciting mythic climbs like Granon or Puy de Dome, and there really should be a descent finish.

Apparently, they don't want to use Puy de Dome because they can't have spectators...

 

[Berniece]

UAE can say whatever PR they wish. How could the Giro not have an effect? A three week grand tour? 21 days of racing. It should not require explaining why nobody has pulled off the Giro-Tour double since 1998.

Because it was a weak Giro, and he used it as training

 

[E_F_]

Apparently, they don't want to use Puy de Dome because they can't have spectators...

Why don't they take an exorbitant amount for train-tickets, so rich people can follow the race all the way up the climb - indoors?

 

[rallybanana]

As Ventoux returns next year, are people happy with its use as a MTF. It is very hard to use Ventoux with other climbs as there simply are none of note in the nearby hinterland.

Do you prefer when they do Ventoux twice with a downhill finish in Malaucene.... like in 2021??

I'd like to see Ventoux climbed from the Malaucene side (just for some variation). I think it was only once ever climbed from that side (in TdF) and that was in 1951.

What if it's windy?

You could have the finish in Chalet Reynard. So even if it's windy you can still climb to the top and then descent 6K to the finish without worrying about the finishing line and podium blowing away. According to the wikipedia page the Malaucene side is better sheltered from the wind.

 

[Netserk]

I'd like to see Ventoux climbed from the Malaucene side (just for some variation). I think it was only once ever climbed from that side (in TdF) and that was in 1951.

A finish at the ski station like in PN '08 could be another variation (I think they should have done that in 2021).

 

[Froome]

UAE can say whatever PR they wish. How could the Giro not have an effect? A three week grand tour? 21 days of racing. It should not require explaining why nobody has pulled off the Giro-Tour double since 1998.

The Giro had a positive effect on him. He used as a training and it worked well for the Tour where he was even stronger.

Of course he benefited from no competition in the Giro and injuried competition in the Tour, but it's part of cycling.

 

[RedheadDane]

Why don't they take an exorbitant amount for train-tickets, so rich people can follow the race all the way up the climb - indoors?

Naaah, give them to kids from local schools and/or bike clubs for free. They'll probably be much better behaved. In fact, I think that should be normal procedure every time there is limited space.

You could have the finish in Chalet Reynard. So even if it's windy you can still climb to the top and then descent 6K to the finish without worrying about the finishing line and podium blowing away.

That doesn't help the worry about the riders getting blown away.
Pretty sure they finished at Chalet Reynard in 2016.

 

[Cookster15]

1. Not many dominant GT riders tried it.

Not taking anything from Pogacar. His level was incredible but put Froome and Contador in the same conditions (best team, easy Giro, no crashes, injured opponent) and I have no doubt they'd win it. And those 3 are the only top GT riders that actually tried it since Pantani

Both Contador and Froome tried it. Both were the dominant GT riders in the peloton at the time. But the other thing we are forgetting is the gap between Pogacar and the rest of the peloton. Think about the manner of his wins after the Tour and the fact he had been winning since March (Strade Bianche) with an 81km breakaway. Neither Contador nor Froome did anything remotely close.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Giro's competition was weak but who is strong enough to challenge or give a fight to Pogacar? Some People still try to downplay Pogacar's feat. I am waiting to see other GC riders winning Giro-Tour

 

[Froome]

Giro's competition was weak but who is strong enough to challenge or give a fight to Pogacar?

Not injured competition.

 

[Berniece]

Giro's competition was weak but who is strong enough to challenge or give a fight to Pogacar? Some People still try to downplay Pogacar's feat. I am waiting to see other GC riders winning Giro-Tour

No one is downplaying it. It's the opposite, some people are saying that he wasn't even at his best at the Tour, which is plain ridiculous.

 

[YavorD]

Both Contador and Froome tried it. Both were the dominant GT riders in the peloton at the time. But the other thing we are forgetting is the gap between Pogacar and the rest of the peloton. Think about the manner of his wins after the Tour and the fact he had been winning since March (Strade Bianche) with an 81km breakaway. Neither Contador nor Froome did anything remotely close.

Froome was past his peak though and crashed heavily in a hard Giro. Contador was in his peak in 2011, but that Giro was probably the hardest ever and was hampered by crashes in the Tour while having very weak team in both races.
I have very little doubt that peak Froome could do it if the competition in the Giro was so weak and Quintana was injured.
I'm sure Contador could do it as well in the conditions Pogacar had.

They certainly wouldn't dominate both GT's the way Pogacar did though.

 

[houtdffan]

Froome was past his peak though and crashed heavily in a hard Giro. Contador was in his peak in 2011, but that Giro was probably the hardest ever and was hampered by crashes in the Tour while having very weak team in both races.
I have very little doubt that peak Froome could do it if the competition in the Giro was so weak and Quintana was injured.
I'm sure Contador could do it as well in the conditions Pogacar had.

They certainly wouldn't dominate both GT's the way Pogacar did though.

Contador probably should have won in 2015, except for Valderde showing he is the biggest loser idiot ever created.

He was in a breakaway with Contador and Rogers on the Pra Loup Stage. He had 3 teammates up the road and Contador had Maijka and Sagan up the road.

Valderde refused to ride at all, despite Froome being totally isolated well behind. Instead, he killed the tour winning break

 

[Rockestar_33]

First time poster here. Joined because I was trying to google how many riders had won all 7 major stage races and stumbled across a thread here.

I like the route for the most part. I think it's the best Prodhomme has produced for a few years. It's a good 8/10 for me, my main bugs are the fact that stage 5 is an ITT instead of a TTT and I'd honestly prefer another hilly/medium mountain stage over another flat stage.

I think the parcourse suits Vingegaard more than Pogi and I think it's not too bad for Roglic, but it'll be very tough for Remco outside the flat ITT.

 

[houtdffan]

First time poster here. Joined because I was trying to google how many riders had won all 7 major stage races and stumbled across a thread here.

I like the route for the most part. I think it's the best Prodhomme has produced for a few years. It's a good 8/10 for me, my main bugs are the fact that stage 5 is an ITT instead of a TTT and I'd honestly prefer another hilly/medium mountain stage over another flat stage.

I think the parcourse suits Vingegaard more than Pogi and I think it's not too bad for Roglic, but it'll be very tough for Remco outside the flat ITT.

Prudhomme has very little to do with any route. He is the general director of cycling for ASO

The routes are determined by the dumb dweeb, Gouvenou

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Contador probably should have won in 2015, except for Valderde showing he is the biggest loser idiot ever created.

He was in a breakaway with Contador and Rogers on the Pra Loup Stage. He had 3 teammates up the road and Contador had Maijka and Sagan up the road.

Valderde refused to ride at all, despite Froome being totally isolated well behind. Instead, he killed the tour winning break

Maybe my memory is playin with me, but it doesn’t feel like Contador would win that tour anyway. He was over 4 minutes behind before that stage, and Contador shipped a lot of time on Toussiere and Alpe d’Huez in the last two mountain stages. If that break would’ve led to another winner than Froome it would’ve been Valverde himself as he was ahead of Contador in the GC before that Pra Loup stage and he did better than Contador in the last few stages. So Valverde mainly ruined everything for himself, he didn’t rob Contador for the Double.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Prudhomme has very little to do with any route. He is the general director of cycling for ASO

The routes are determined by the dumb dweeb, Gouvenou

Well, that's one way of welcoming new users...

 

[houtdffan]

Maybe my memory is playin with me, but it doesn’t feel like Contador would win that tour anyway. He was over 4 minutes behind before that stage, and Contador shipped a lot of time on Toussiere and Alpe d’Huez in the last two mountain stages. If that break would’ve led to another winner than Froome it would’ve been Valverde himself as he was ahead of Contador in the GC before that Pra Loup stage and he did better than Contador in the last few stages. So Valverde mainly ruined everything for himself, he didn’t rob Contador for the Double.

still, contador would have finished no worse than second.

but WTF was Valverde smoking that day? He had a guaranteed first or second had he just rode

 

[fbjim]

Apparently, they don't want to use Puy de Dome because they can't have spectators...

I don't quite get why they can't have people stand on the railroad tracks. Are they that worried about people encroaching on the road, or is it more that the actual mountain is national parkland and they don't want people camping there and trashing it?