Tour de France 2025 route rumours and announcements

[QueenStagiaire]

I don't quite get why they can't have people stand on the railroad tracks.

Hmmm, that is not normally a brilliant idea.

 

[Gratemans]

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?

The latter: it's a unesco world heritage site. Prudhomme had to lobby for years to get permission for the Tour to go up it back in 2023 in the first place.

 

[Rockestar_33]

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

I'd be surprised if he has very little to do with the route's. He would be doing a fair bit of work on them. It's the biggest race in the world, the director would be very involved with planning.

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

Eh don't stress, I can handle it.

 

[E_F_]

I'd be surprised if he has very little to do with the route's. He would be doing a fair bit of work on them. It's the biggest race in the world, the director would be very involved with planning.

Eh don't stress, I can handle it.

He's general director of the Tour specifically, so I'm sure Gou-gou takes his clues from him.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hmmm, that is not normally a brilliant idea.

I don't think the train that goes up those tracks is a regular one.
Just be sure there's no train coming...

 

[Ulle97]

It's amazing to think that Puyde Dome was used in the Tour last year and it was barely even recognised.

The mythical climb with vicious gradients was basically forgotten about despite the clamour from the public that ASO would never return. It seems no matter what the organisers do, that it's never enough.

I'd argue that in the last 15 years that the Tour has tried to be more creative with their routes than in any period in history, with new summit finishes being recruited, different pacing in the early stages, more use of the Vosges, Jura, Massif Central.

Chapeau ASO. We love you!!

 

[Netserk]

How do you compare the creativity today with the creativity in the 50's?

 

[rallybanana]

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

They could use cardboard spectators like many sports clubs were doing during the pandemic.

 

[fbjim]

It's amazing to think that Puyde Dome was used in the Tour last year and it was barely even recognised.

The mythical climb with vicious gradients was basically forgotten about despite the clamour from the public that ASO would never return. It seems no matter what the organisers do, that it's never enough.

I'd argue that in the last 15 years that the Tour has tried to be more creative with their routes than in any period in history, with new summit finishes being recruited, different pacing in the early stages, more use of the Vosges, Jura, Massif Central.

Chapeau ASO. We love you!!

not really sure how it was "forgotten". i remember about a thousand replays of the anquetil vs poulidor footage and it was a pretty memorable stage with Jorgenson nearly pulling off a long attack to win it

 

[fbjim]

Puy de Dome was mythical steepness back when dinosaurs and Pokémon roamed the earth.

as opposed to what. it ends with like 5KM at 11.5-12%. it's comparable to the end of Fedaia, absolutely nobody watched that climb and went "this is easy"

 

[fbjim]

How do you compare the creativity today with the creativity in the 50's?

imagining how mad people would get if these stages were in next year's route

 

[Keldergoat]

I actually liked the fact that Puy de Dome didn't have any spectators. Made the race way more thrilling, seeing Mohoric suffering and in the meantime Woods coming back from the background. I don't know nor care how Puy de Dome rates in terms of easiness, but it's one epic climb for sure.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Puy de Dome was mythical steepness back when dinosaurs and Pokémon roamed the earth.

Look at the bike weight and gearing that they had back in the day, that explains a lot.

 

[fbjim]

also a "mythic climb" is different than being "mythically steep"

Puy de Dome is unique (you don't see many climbs that corkscrew around a peak like that), has been home to one of the tour's most iconic moments, wasn't used in decades, and is hard.

Portet is probably harder that 95% of the HC climbs in tour history but I'd not really call it a "mythic" climb.

 

[E_F_]

imagining how mad people would get if these stages were in next year's route

Luchon stage looks like it would be all on Peyresourde, but I like that it's a descent finish - that might even open it up for earlier attacks.

Love Izoard descent into finish on a kicker.

Certainly nothing special, but both stages would be nice in a modern Tour - especially if they didn't come with a bunch of MTFs, of course.

 

[Rockestar_33]

As an aside Peyresourde is still one of the best names for a mountain in the world. Really really cool

 

[YavorD]

As an aside Peyresourde is still one of the best names for a mountain in the world. Really really cool

Why do you like it?
Personally Mortirolo is the best name for me. It even sounds scary.
I remember myself seeing the name on PCM 15 years ago without knowing the climb thinking "well, that's some name".

 

[Froome]

My favourites names are "Passo Gavia", "Col d'Iseran","Alto d'el Gamoniteiru", "Col du Galibier", and "Col du Tourmalet".

 

[Rockestar_33]

Why do you like it?
Personally Mortirolo is the best name for me. It even sounds scary.
I remember myself seeing the name on PCM 15 years ago without knowing the climb thinking "well, that's some name".

Because it sounds like a mix between periscope and sword. Periscopes are part of submarines which automatically make them cool, and, I mean, swords are really cool.

 

[OlavEH]

Portet is probably harder that 95% of the HC climbs in tour history but I'd not really call it a "mythic" climb.

Portet has a rather short history with only being used two times, and one of those was a ridculously short stage of only 65 km. It can be a mythic climb in the future if it's used more and in tough stages that creates a lot of remebrable moments.

 

[staubsauger]

Alpe d'Huez has become a mythical climb simply by using it so repeatedly that memorable stages took place inevitable!

 

[RedheadDane]

As an aside Peyresourde is still one of the best names for a mountain in the world. Really really cool

Personally Mortirolo is the best name for me. It even sounds scary.

My favourites names are "Passo Gavia", "Col d'Iseran","Alto d'el Gamoniteiru", "Col du Galibier", and "Col du Tourmalet".

Please nominate your favourite climb names in the Coolest Names thread.
Yes, I know those names aren't directly linked to cycling, but then again; neither are the names of the people being mentioned in that thread.

 

[Gratemans]

Why do you like it?
Personally Mortirolo is the best name for me. It even sounds scary.
I remember myself seeing the name on PCM 15 years ago without knowing the climb thinking "well, that's some name".

Agreed. I always thought Zoncolan had an ominous sound to it as well.
On the other hand you have Angliru, which sounds pretty friendly to me.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

My favourites names are "Passo Gavia", "Col d'Iseran","Alto d'el Gamoniteiru", "Col du Galibier", and "Col du Tourmalet".

Passo Fedaia. It just sounds pretty.

Out of the Spanish climbs, Pozo de las Mujeres Muertas is a very evocative one, "Dead Women's Well". Germany has Notschrei, more or less "cry for help". Col de la Croix de l'Homme Mort is a good threatening one too, "Dead Man's Cross".

 

[Netserk]

Col du Coq, Chamrousse, Mont Noir, Col de la Machine, Col du Télégraphe, Col de la Croisette, Mont du Chat, Mont Revard, Pic de Nore, Port de Pailhères, Llac d'Engolasters, Els Cortals d'Encamp, Col de Latrape, Prat d'Albis, Hourquette d'Ancizan, Cirque de Troumouse, Hautacam, Col de Couraduque, Errozate, Artzamendi.