Tour de France Tour de France 2025: Stage-by-stage analysis

[proffate]

He was clearly joking when he said that, come on

Well I did not hear him say it, only read a blurb, and vic Campanearts seemed to respond to it? So I dunno, wasn't clear to me, but sure it may have been so.

 

[Ancalagon]

Riders make the race — we should never forget that. But they race within the framework they're given. I really hope next year's Tour de France route offers more tools to avoid the kind of one-dimensional scenario we saw this year.


1) Much more flat time trialing. If Remco shows up in top form, that could a little bit of suspense. We’re talking about one of the 6–7 best GC riders in the world, and he’s near-invincible on flat TTs. But those TTs also need to be placed far enough from key mountain stages — otherwise too many riders just play it safe to save energy.


2) Better spacing between the two main mountain ranges. The Pyrenees and Alps were far too close this year. It may not completely change the outcome, but with more recovery time and more variation in form, you increase the chances of shake-ups in both blocks.


3) More variety in mountain stage design. We need summit finishes where the final climb is the hardest, but also downhill finishes, and short explosive final climbs after much harder climbs with no valley in between. That kind of variety keeps things unpredictable.


All that said — if Pogi is just much stronger than everyone else and races with the same conservative, defensive mindset, then even with those changes, it might not matter much.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Riders make the race — we should never forget that. But they race within the framework they're given. I really hope next year's Tour de France route offers more tools to avoid the kind of one-dimensional scenario we saw this year.


1) Much more flat time trialing. If Remco shows up in top form, that could a little bit of suspense. We’re talking about one of the 6–7 best GC riders in the world, and he’s near-invincible on flat TTs. But those TTs also need to be placed far enough from key mountain stages — otherwise too many riders just play it safe to save energy.


2) Better spacing between the two main mountain ranges. The Pyrenees and Alps were far too close this year. It may not completely change the outcome, but with more recovery time and more variation in form, you increase the chances of shake-ups in both blocks.


3) More variety in mountain stage design. We need summit finishes where the final climb is the hardest, but also downhill finishes, and short explosive final climbs after much harder climbs with no valley in between. That kind of variety keeps things unpredictable.


All that said — if Pogi is just much stronger than everyone else and races with the same conservative, defensive mindset, then even with those changes, it might not matter much.

1) I agree however Remco can gain 5 minutes in TTs, he still will lose those 5 minutes in two proper MTFs.

I expect to see more combos with hard HC climb and a "small climb" after.
Pailheres - AX 3 Domaines
Romme - Colombiere (not HC but very hard)
Agnel - Izoard

At least one stage to provide opportunities for long range attacks.

 

[ashhutch1997]

1) I agree however Remco can gain 5 minutes in TTs, he still will lose those 5 minutes in two proper MTFs.

I expect to see more combos with hard HC climb and a "small climb" after.
Pailheres - AX 3 Domaines
Romme - Colombiere (not HC but very hard)
Agnel - Izoard

At least one stage to provide opportunities for long range attacks.

Although france doesn't have the same possibilities as Italy, there are still options.
Col de Joux-Plane - Avoriaz
Col de la Madeleine - Valmorel
Col de l'iseran - Tignes
Col du Galibier - Les Deux Alpes
Montee Bissane - Megeve
Cime de la Bonette - Auron
Col d'Allos - Pra Loup

 

[Ancalagon]

1) I agree however Remco can gain 5 minutes in TTs, he still will lose those 5 minutes in two proper MTFs.

I expect to see more combos with hard HC climb and a "small climb" after.
Pailheres - AX 3 Domaines
Romme - Colombiere (not HC but very hard)
Agnel - Izoard

At least one stage to provide opportunities for long range attacks.

It’s quite likely that Remco would lose his advantage fairly quickly, but I still think it would add more tension and uncertainty to the race — a yellow jersey Remco fighting to defend his lead would be far more interesting than what we got this year.


As for your idea of a mountain stage with a tough penultimate climb followed by a shorter final ascent, I’m 100% on board. That kind of stage design probably has the highest chance of producing real action. It lines up perfectly with what I was saying in my previous post.

 

[Red Rick]

NOS commentator Klef Cement concluding today that today was evidence that "short stages provide great racing"

 

[ashhutch1997]

NOS commentator Klef Cement concluding today that today was evidence that "short stages provide great racing"

The 65k mountain stage in 2018 up the Col de Portet is enough evidence that just because a stage is short doesn't mean it's good. Although I don't mind a short stage if it's well designed/placed.
Unfortunately we live in a tick tock generation where people don't have an attention span longer than 10 seconds.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The 65k mountain stage in 2018 up the Col de Portet is enough evidence that just because a stage is short doesn't mean it's good. Although I don't mind a short stage if it's well designed/placed.
Unfortunately we live in a tick tock generation where people don't have an attention span longer than 10 seconds.

That 2018 stage actually had an unlikely winner from the GC group and some attacks behind, the GC situation and the rider types at the front just weren‘t conducive to good racing.

 

[Red Rick]

The 65k mountain stage in 2018 up the Col de Portet is enough evidence that just because a stage is short doesn't mean it's good. Although I don't mind a short stage if it's well designed/placed.
Unfortunately we live in a tick tock generation where people don't have an attention span longer than 10 seconds.

Even the stage where Contador attacked with 90km to go ended up being pretty underwhelming in the second half.

In my view, I you want to have a short stage, they should not have a MTF, and probably not even have a HC in the final 2km. Riders should not be worried about going balls to the wall. But there also needs to be enough climbing to put enough fatigue in to get rid of some domestiques. Like today you get Tim bloody Wellens neutralizing a guy like Roglic on his own because even he can do 1 climb pretty hard.

 

[search]

In an ARD interview, Gall yesterday said that in the riders' group there are discussions ongoing already about neutralizing GC for the final stage.

 

[yaco]

In an ARD interview, Gall yesterday said that in the riders' group there are discussions ongoing already about neutralizing GC for the final stage.

These discussions have been in place since day one.