Tour de France 2025: Route, stages and TV

The 2025 Tour de France once again takes centre stage this summer with another blockbuster route set to decide the overall winner of the 112th edition of the race. Coming several weeks after the Giro d’Italia and slightly overlapping with the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the men’s race takes on a mouthwatering route that includes the Alps, the Pyrenees, Massif Central, and the Jura mountain ranges. With two time trials, one of which is a short but punishing mountain test, this year’s Tour de France could go down in history as one of the best in recent years.  

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll highlight the key contenders, major storylines, provide a stage-by-stage race guide and explain how to watch and follow the race in your territory

• 3,320km: total race distance 
• 112th edition of the race 
• 1 country (for the first time since 2020, the entire race takes place in France) 
• 23 teams set to compete 
• 4 mountain regions: Massif Central, Jura, Alps and Pyrenees 
• 5 summit finishes  
• 7 sprint finishes  
• 2 time trials

The Tour begins Saturday, July 5, in Lille and ends three weeks later in Paris on Sunday, July 27.

After last year’s Tour de France started in Italy there’s a far more domestic setting to the start of the 2025 race with the Grand Départ held in Lille. This will be the third time in the race’s long history that the French city has been used for the opening stage after similar episodes in 1960 and 1994

The biggest storyline set to dominate the 2025 Tour de France will surround the expected battle for the yellow jersey, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) aiming for his fourth title and his second Tour win in a row. He’ll likely find his sternest opponent in Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) after the Danish rider beat the Slovenian in 2022 and 2023. The pair have gone 1-2 in the race every season since 2021, and their rivalry has lit up the battle for the yellow jersey. Don’t rule out Remco Evenepoel making a charge for the podium once more, while Enric Mas (Movistar Team) will be hoping to return to the sort of form that used to see him routinely compete for top-ten results on GC. 

In the battle for the coveted Green jersey, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin - Deceuninck) will be aiming to win back his crown. With teammate Mathieu van der Poel on hand for lead-out duties, the pair have a great chance of adding to the ten Tour stages they’ve won between themselves on Canyon Aeroad CFR bikes. 

There will no doubt be other storylines to follow over three pulsating weeks of racing as riders go head-to-head in search of career-defining success in the world’s most prestigious and beautiful race of all.  

The 2025 Tour de France route consists of 21 stages, along with two well-deserved rest days, across a variety of terrain over three weeks of racing. At the end of the three weeks, we'll find out the winners of the prized Tour de France jerseys.

Lille – Lille, 185km, flat 

Last year, the Tour de France began with an incredibly tough and hilly stage in Italy, but this time around, the setting couldn’t be any more different, with the peloton facing a flat 185km day of racing that starts and finishes in the centre of Lille. Don’t be fooled, though; this will be an incredibly tense and nervous affair, with crashes a certainty. 

There are three categorized climbs on the stage profile, but none of the Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Côte de Cassel or Mont Noir will trouble the field. Instead, this looks like a nailed-on sprint that will decide the first yellow jersey of the race. 

Lauwin-Planque – Boulogne-sur-Mer, 212km, hilly 

Although stage 1 will have provided a fresh yellow jersey and a slight pecking order in the overall standings, stage 2 could change everything with a punchy set of climbs en route to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Once again, none of the ascents are incredibly taxing, but the fight for positioning throughout the day will leave a mark with the race tackling the Côte de Cavron-Saint-Martin roughly 104km into the stage. The final set of climbs comes in the finale with the Côte du Haut Pichot, followed by the Côte de Saint-Étienne-au-Mont, and Côte d’Outreau, before the climb to the finish. 

Strong sprinters, such as Peter Sagan, have won here in the past, but this is the sort of stage where at least one of the GC contenders will make a mistake and lose time. It’s just a question of who that is. 

Valenciennes – Dunkerque, 178km, flat 

With only one categorised climb on the stage, the 2.3km long Côte de Cassel, stage 3 from Valenciennes to Dunkerque looks destined to end in a bunch sprint. This is a predominantly flat stage, but the possibility of crosswinds on the exposed northern run-in to Dunkerque could prove critical. If the wind is calm, the pace will be lightning quick with no chances of splits, but any opportunity to split the field and form echelons could cause havoc. 

This is one of those stages that could be snoozefest until the final few kilometres or one of the most important days of the entire race. The only sensible option is to watch from start to finish. 

Amiens Métropole – Rouen, 173km, hilly 

The race departs from Lille-Nord de France with a hilly 173km stage from Amiens Métropole to Rouen. After a sprint on stage 3, the race presents a different challenge on stage 4 with an undulating test that will favour the puncheurs. It’s probably too early in the Tour de France for a breakaway to survive until the finish, but we should still see a reduced bunch tackle the final set of climbs that will decide the outcome, with four climbs occurring in the final 25km of racing. The finish begins with a 500m stretch at 5 per cent before the road flattens out. 

This seems like a stage well suited to Mathieu van der Poel.

Caen – Caen, 33km, individual time trial 

After five days of frenetic racing, the Tour de France will finally settle down with the first of two individual time trials within the race. The best time trialists in the world will be on hand to put on a show, but for the majority of the domestiques and sprinters, today will be about conserving energy and recuperating.  

Another change in the yellow jersey will be on the cards too as the TT specialists and GC contenders get aero and push out colossal watts along a flat powercourse that has next to no elevation gain. The pure climbers will not enjoy this one bit. 

Bayeux - Vire Normandie, 201km, Hilly 

On paper, this looks like a potentially breakaway stage as the Tour de France heads into Normandy for the longest stage of the 2025 race. The sprinters might fancy their chances, but with 3,500 metres of climbing and a short 10 per cent climb to the finish, this isn’t for the faint-hearted.  

There are eight categorised climbs in total, but in reality, it’s up and down all day long, starting with Mont Pinçon, which is followed by climbs to La Rançonièrre, the Côte de la Batonnière,  Côte de la Tertre Bizet, Côte de Mortain, Côte de Juvigny-le-Tertre, Côte de Saint-Michel-de-Montjoie, Côte de Vaudry, and that final kick to the line.  

Stage 7: Saint-Malo - Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan, 194km, Hilly 

The GC riders and puncheurs will come to play on stage 7 of the 2025 Tour de France, with the Mûr-de-Bretagne making a welcome comeback. The peloton will tackle the iconic climb twice, which is exactly what happened in 2021, the last time the climb featured in the race. In that instance, Mathieu van der Poel powered clear on the first ascent to take the bonus seconds and held on to win the stage and the yellow jersey, with eventual Tour winner Tadej Pogačar finishing second.  

The climb itself isn’t particularly long at 2 km, but with an average gradient of 6.9% and pitches over 10% at the bottom, the terrain is clearly set to cause some damage. Positioning for both ascents will be crucial for any rider aiming for victory.

Saint-Méen-le-Grand - Laval Espace Mayenne, 174km, flat 

The Tour de France gradually winds south on stage 8 between Saint-Méen-le-Grand and Laval, providing another opportunity for the fast-finishing sprinters. There are no categorized climbs on the parcours, but an early break will form before the sprinters’ teams take control and settle in for the day. 

The last time we finished in Laval, Tadej Pogačar won a time trial, but Mathieu van der Poel pushed hard on his Canyon Speedmax to maintain the yellow jersey. Expect a different scenario this time around as the Dutchman exerts himself for teammate Jasper Philipsen in the sprint finish. 

Chinon - Châteauroux, 170km, Flat 

Châteauroux is synonymous with Mark Cavendish. It’s the town where he won his first of 35 Tour de France stage wins back in 2008, and it’s where he claimed two more stages during his illustrious career. Just like on those three occasions, a sprinter will emerge victorious. The 170 km from Chinon to the finish is flat, with only a slim chance of crosswinds hindering an inevitable bunch sprint. 

By this point, we’ll have a clear indication of who is still in the hunt for the Green jersey.

Ennezat - Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, 163km - Mountain 

The 2025 Tour de France dips into the mountains for the first time on stage 10 with a Bastille Day venture through the Massif Central. There’s around 4,400 meters of virtual climbing on the route with seven climbs set to feature. The Côte de Loubeyrat comes early on the profile before a descent into Volvic and then a quick procession of ascents that include the Côte de la Baraque, Côte de la Charade, and the Côte de Berzet. There are several unclassified climbs throughout the stage, but the next marked climb is the Col de Guery, which follows one of the unclassified ascents at the Col de la Croix Morand. 

The final two climbs, the Col de la Croix Saint Robert and the summit finish at the Puy de Sancy, will decide the outcome of the stage, but this is a truly brutal day in the saddle. It’s the sort of stage that Tadej Pogačar will be licking his lips over, but for the sprinters and the riders in the grupetto, it’s going to be a long, long day.  

Toulouse - Toulouse, 154km - Flat 

After a well-earned rest day on Tuesday the Tour de France returns for stage 11 with another opportunity for the sprinters. There are three short climbs with the stage starting and finishing in Toulouse but they’ll be considered minor obstacles compared to what the riders took on during stage 10. The run-in is flat, so expect another lightening quick finale before the race heads straight into the Pyrenees.

Auch - Hautacam, 181km, Mountain 

There’s no hiding place on stage 12 of the Tour de France with the first major mountain summit finish of this year's race. The 181km stage from Auch to Hautacam features 3,850m of vertical climbing, with most of the tough stuff coming in the final 60km. Hautacam is a climb synonymous with the Tour de France; it was the scene of Bjarne Riis cracking his rivals in 1996 and where Jonas Vingegaard put Pogačar to the sword in 2022. In total, the climb has featured in six editions of the Tour de France, but the run-in to the climb is different from what we saw three years ago, with an arguably easier approach this time around.  

Loudenvielle - Peyragudes, 11km, Individual Time Trial 

The second of three Pyrenean stages sees the riders tackle an 11km mountain time trial to the airport strip at Peyragudes. The first 3km are flat, but the final 8km of this individual test will see the very best pure climbers and GC stars go head-to-head. The climb itself is a brute, with an average gradient close to 8% and pitches that stretch into double digits. The first couple of kilometres aren’t too tough and there’s even a short descent, but after that it’s all uphill, and with no let-up.  

The toughest parts of the climb are in the second half, and pacing will be key for any riders with aspirations of a good time.

Pau - Luchon-Superbagnères, 183km, Mountain  

The final stage in the Pyrenees is arguably the hardest of the lot as the peloton takes on close to 5,000 meters and ascents of the Col du Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin, and Col de Peyresourde, culminating in the final lung-busting effort to the top of the Luchon-Superbagnères ski station.  

This is the Queen stage of the 2025 Tour de France for a reason, and it could be the most important day of the entire race. 

What makes stage 14 of the Tour de France even more challenging is that almost all the climbing comes in the final 110 km of racing, with virtually no flat sections in between the four monstrous ascents. After two days of consistent climbing in the legs, we could see a number of GC contenders end. The final ascent was last used in the 1990s and saw Philippa York win, and we can expect another climbing specialist to come out on top this time. It’s also where Greg LeMond beat Bernard Hinault in an epic duel.  

This year follows the exact same route and could be just as epic. It’s a stage you can’t afford to miss.

Muret - Carcassonne, 169km - Hilly 

This stage could go either way. If any of the stronger sprinters fancy their chances, they’ll put their teams to work on the early climbs, but this also looks tailor-made for a break to succeed with a series of challenging climbs coming early on the 169km stage between Muret and Carcassonne. The Côte d’Auterive, Côte de Naillous, Saint-Félix-de-Lauragais, and Côte de Saint-Ferréol are all short and come early enough to help a break form, while the 11.5km Col de la Croix Montalric seems like the perfect point for a group to really establish a lead over the peloton. 

The pure sprinters will be dropped at this point. Although there will be plenty of time to mount a chase, after three backbreaking days in the mountains, several riders will be running on fumes.

Montpellier - Mont Ventoux, 172km, Mountain 

The final week of the Tour de France has virtually no respite, and stage 16 from Montpellier to the summit of Mont Ventoux epitomises that. The stage is 172km in length, but it will all come down to what happens on one of the race’s most iconic climbs. The road leading to the 15.7km climb is flat, and while a break will form and have a lead of a few minutes, the situation will dramatically change on the lower slopes of the climb.  

The first sections of the Ventoux will blow the peloton to pieces, with 3km at nearly 10%, before a relentless slog to the line ensues. There’s no flat, no break, and if the sun is shining, the heat will be a massive factor. The final ramps of around 10% will test even the best climbers in the world.

Bollène - Valence, 161km, Flat 

The Tour de France dips into the delightful Rhône Valley on stage 17, with the race taking on 161km between Bollène and Valence. This looks like a typical transitional stage before the race heads back into the mountains. There are only two categorised climbs along the way, and neither should trouble the sprinters, especially with around 40km between the last climb and the finish.  

There will be a customary breakaway, but everything points to a bunch sprint unless we see some cross-wind action. However, with two big days in the mountains to come, the GC riders will be desperate for an easy day. 

Vif - Courchevel Col de la Loze, 171km, Mountain 

The hardest stage of the Tour de France arguably comes on stage 18, on the road between Vif and the summit of the Col de la Loze. The Tour hits the highest point in the race during the stage, and there’s a record-setting 5,500 metres of climbing involved. To make matters worse, for the sprinters at least, the climb almost starts from the gun, with a gentle include over the first 35km of racing before the race takes on the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Madeleine and the wickedly tough, Col de la Loze. The first of those ascents is 21.7km in length, while the Madeleine stretches out over 19.2km. The time limit could be a massive factor for some riders on a stage like this.  

After a long descent the race reaches the base of the Col de la Loze, a jaw-droppingly difficult climb that lasts 26.2km and has an average gradient of 6.5%. This will be the third time the climb has made an appearance in the Tour de France since its debut in 2020. This time around the riders go up an slightly easier road as they traverse towards the top, but make no mistake, this is one of those days where riders finish in ones and twos.

Albertville - La Plagne, 130km - Mountain 

Race organisers ASO have crammed everything they possibly could into the final mountain stage of the 2025 Tour de France with five cols sandwiched between just 130km of racing between Albertville and La Plagne. The riders hit the Héry-sur-Ugine before a short descent brings them onto the super-tough Col des Saisies. A long descent into Beaufort follows before the road kicks up once more with Col du Pré and Cormet de Roselend coming in quick succession. A 30km descent and valley section gives the riders a short break from the persistent climbing before the race hits the base of the final mountain finish of this year’s race.  

The climb to La Plagne is 19.1km in length and has an average gradient of just over 7%. The penultimate stage is far from easy but this stage to La Plagne is probably the final chance for the GC riders and pure climbers to decide the overall standings in this year’s race. 

Nantua - Pontarlier, 185km, Hilly 

Those looking for an easy day before the processional stage into Paris and the final sprint will be disappointed to find out that stage 20 between Nantua and Pontarlier isn’t for the fainthearted. It’s a transitional stage and looks perfect for a breakaway but with almost 3,000m of climbing in the Jura mountains it’s going to put everyone in the peloton on the limit. If the GC places are sown up then the main field might take it easy but if anyone in or around the top-ten can move up and still has some fuel in the tank, this could be another punishing day.

Mantes-la-Ville - Paris Champs-Élysées, 120km, Flat 

After the 2024 Tour de France finished in Nice, the race returns to more familiar terrain with a final stage in Paris. The 120km jaunt from Mantes-la-Ville to the French capital will be a drawn-out affair with picture opportunities and champagne the order of the day until the race enters the city and the laps of the Champs-Élysées begin. Then it’s time for one last sprint fest before the final podium celebrations and the Tour de France champion is crowned.  

Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar Team will send their best lineups to the 2025 Tour de France this year, with both teams aiming for stage wins and success throughout the biggest Grand Tour of the season. 

For the all-conquering Belgian squad, victories in the Spring Classics, including Milan-San Remo, E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders, through Mathieu van der Poel, will give the team momentum and confidence as they chase stage wins. Van der Poel, a former wearer of the yellow jersey, will target stage wins throughout the race on his Canyon Aeroad CFR. 

The Dutch maestro will also double up as Jasper Philipsen’s lead-out man.  

Philipsen was one of nine stages and a Green jersey at the Tour de France in the past, and the elite-level sprinter will be hoping to add to that tally this time around. He will be a hot favourite for all the sprint stages and a genuine contender for a second Green jersey. 

Movistar, meanwhile, will be hoping to get the best out of GC contender Enric Mas. On his day, the Spaniard can climb with the best riders in the world, and if he can string his form together over three weeks, he could be in contention for a top-five overall. He will also be a contender for all the key mountain stages. He’s not the only rider to watch on Movistar, with new signing Pablo Castrillo being the perfect candidate for a breakaway stage win. Additionally, watch out for potential Tour debutant Iván Romeo. The young Spaniard became a junior world time trial champion on his Canyon Speedmax last year and could spring a surprise or two.  

The best way to experience the Tour de France 2025 is at the actual race. But if you don’t have enough frequent flier miles to get you to Europe, then watching it on television is the next best thing. The following broadcasters will be showing the road cycling spectacle from start to finish.  

• ITV4, Discovery+, TNT (UK)  
• Eurosport (Europe)  
• USA Flobikes; Peacock on streaming (USA)  
• SBS (Australia)  
• Sky Sports (New Zealand) 

Cheer for Canyon’s athletes as they chase glory at the 2025 Tour de France — and let’s look forward to a race full of passion, grit, and unforgettable moments.