Tour de France 2025 route: Pyrenees triple, Mont Ventoux return and Alps climax on menu

The 2025 Tour de France will feature a hat-trick of tough days in the Pyrenees, a return of Mont Ventoux, and a climax in the Alps.

The route for the 112th edition of the race was unveiled in a presentation inside Paris's Palais des Congrès last year. It is first Tour to take place entirely in France for five years.

This year's race will begin on 5 July in Lille, and will then end in Paris, returning to the capital after a year in Nice, on the 27 July, the day after the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has started.

The race begins with a series of hilly stages, as well as an individual time trial on stage five, meaning that this Tour will not be one to ease into for the general classification contenders.

It then heads towards the Pyrenees via the Massif Central, with three back-to-back mountain tests in the south of France on stages 12, 13 and 14. There is then the return of Mont Ventoux, before the Tour heads to an Alpine conclusion, with 5,500m of elevation tackled on stage 18 to Courchevel, the most of next year's race.

There are six mountain top finishes, and two time trials, including one in the Pyrenees, as well as five sprint opportunities.

Tour de France 2025 stage table

Tour de France 2025 full route map

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Tour de France 2025 stage guides

Stage one: Lille > Lille 185km

With half the teams in the peloton committed to working for their sprinter, one of them should be in the yellow jersey at the end of the stage for the first time since Alexander Kristoff in 2020. This is the 19th time Lille has hosted the Tour.

Often when the Tour is in the vicinity of Lille it’s because the dreaded cobbles of Paris-Roubaix are on the menu. But this time the peloton needn’t fear the big chunks of rock that protrude from farm roads around northern France: today’s race avoids them in their entirety. Just how Jonas Vingegaard and other climbers would like it.

The route includes three category four climbs which will ensure someone is in the King of the Mountains jersey by the end of the day, but the small climbs won’t tax the fresh legs in the bunch or prevent the stage from finishing in a sprint in the city centre.

Sprinters don’t get the chance to wear yellow often, so the dozen or so fastmen in with a chance of winning are not going to let this opportunity pass. A small breakaway – probably featuring riders from either the French or second division teams like Uno-X Mobility and Tudor – will be permitted a few minutes advantage, but they’ll be brought back with plenty of time to spare in preparation for a bunch sprint. Alpecin-Deceuninck, Soudal, Quick-Step and Lidl-Trek will be the teams doing most of the pulling throughout the day.

Stage two: Lauwin-Planque > Boulogne-sur-Mer 209km

The yellow jersey is likely to change hands after only one day, thanks to a lumpy stage that finishes on the coast of la Manche that’s expected to tempt the have a go heroes into trying their luck.

The longest stage of this year’s Tour, and the closest the race gets to the UK since 2022 (expect plenty of British flags), the peloton head due west, away from the tiny village of Lauwin-Planque (population: 1,600) and towards the coast.

Once they enter the Caps et Marais d’Opale Regional Natural Park there are three categorised climbs in the final 30km. Each of them are short at around one kilometre in length, but they’re also steep, possessing double-digit gradients. The finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a finishing town for the fourth time, is also uphill.

Some sprinters might make it over the finishing climbs, but it’s more likely the stage win will be contested by the fast Classics-like riders who won’t be troubled by these small climbs. Short, sharp efforts are their domain, and with them holding no overall GC ambitions, tradition would expect them to dominate proceedings. Much will depend on how the peloton approach each climb. A fast straight run-in will pose no problem, while a dead turn and immediate climb will hurt the sprinters legs.

Don’t discard the possibility of Tadej Pogačar attempting to get his hands in the air – he’s demonstrated multiple times that he’s happy to attack whenever the chance arises. If he’s a keen bean, that’ll force his principal rivals to fight for places at the front of the bunch and ramp up the intrigue.

Stage three: Valenciennes > Dunkirk 172km

The sprinters should be battling it out at the finish in Dunkirk – unless the wind blows and echelons form. In that case, it could be carnage, and even create gaps among the GC riders.

It’s another day heading west, this time beginning in the town of Valenciennes. An entirely flat route, save for a small cat. 4 climb 30km from the finish, the route skirts past Belgium in the opening quarter but never once crosses the border. It then makes a beeline for Dunkirk, stage town for the 21st time.

In theory this is a day for the sprinters, with plenty of teams working to ensure that a mass finish is how this stage is settled. The breakaway, therefore, will be doomed from the start. But the aforementioned prospect of crosswinds will cause jitters and tension within the peloton, ensuring that the fight to be at the front is more intense than usual. Added to the usual opening week nerves of a Grand Tour where there is no settled hierarchy, and the potential for crashes and falls is multiplied. If it’s a still day, this could be a stage for everyone to cruise to the 30km to go point when everyone starts massing towards the front.

Stage four: Amiens > Rouen 173km

This is a typical stage for the Picardy region: exposed, punchy and unpredictable. There’ll be a few riders in the peloton who won’t like the look of this stage – pretty much everyone is in with a shot of triumphing.

The race finally starts its journey south after three days squeezed into the northernmost corner of France, with the city of Amiens – frequented semi-regularly by the Tour – getting events underway.

Rolling but unchallenging terrain in the first half gives way to three category four and two category three climbs in the latter period. The final 30km features multiple twists and turns, likely making it hard for any one team to control. A fast descent off the final climb precedes a modest 500m climb towards the finish in Rouen.

With a stage like this suiting so many riders, there’s little chance the breakaway will be allowed to stay away, and neither will the peloton wait until late in the day to make the catch. The puncheurs will start throwing their punches possibly as early as the Côte Jacques Anquitel (47km before the finish), and a big group could clip clear in the final 30km, with attacks and counterattacks threatening to force open some gaps.

It should be an unmissable action for the last hour of racing. Due to the lumpy parcours and aggressive racing, there are likely to be some GC hopefuls who ship some time.

Stage five: Caen > Caen ITT 33km

Depending on the time gaps, the yellow jersey could be up for grabs again today, with a time trial that gives a glimpse into the form of the GC hopefuls.

Quite remarkably, given that Caen was an ever-present host town of the Tour in the first few decades of the race, the Normandy city hasn’t welcomed the race since 2006 – though it remains a regular stage host of the Tour de Normandie. Its long absence from the Tour comes to the end this year, with attention focused on the port city throughout the day. The time trial starts in the city centre and then heads north west before looping back to the historic centre.

This is a time trial route designed for the specialists, so expect one of them to be sitting in the hot seat for a good length of time, especially if they have an early start time having lost time in the opening four stages . Time trials like this can also produce significant differences between the GC riders, and it’s not out of the question that those who haven’t trained in their TT position much this year could lose up to a minute to their rivals.

Stage six: Bayeux > Vire Normandie 201km

The toughest stage yet in this year’s Tour, the peloton has to ascend almost 3,500m on an undulating passage through rugged and beautiful Normandy.

Only one of two stages to exceed 200km in length, although the maximum elevation doesn’t exceed 350m all day. But as the route makes its way south and then back north towards Vire Normandie, it does so via several climbs, only six of which are categorised. To borrow a Spanish expression, it’s a rompepiernas sort of parcours – a leg-breaker with so many continuous climbs and descents.

With the amount of leg-sapping climbs in these parts, it’s little wonder that home hero Kévin Vauquelin excels on stages like this. He’ll be among many riders hoping that the breakaway stays away, though the GC riders – especially those who lost time in the previous day’s TT – could also be tempted to come out to play. The constant up-down nature of the day could result in a situation where the stage is played out like a one-day race, with various different breakaways forming throughout.

Stage seven: Saint-Malo > Mûr-de-Bretagne 194km

It’s the return of a modern-day Tour de France favourite: the Mur-de-Bretagne. And just like in 2021 when Mathieu van der Poel prevailed, the riders ascend it twice in the final 20km.

The beautiful walled city of Saint-Malo will bid au revoir to a peloton that will head away from the coast at first before returning to the shoreline at the midway point. After passing through Saint-Brieuc and also Bernaid Hinault’s home village of Yffiniac (which sounds more Welsh than French), the route continues south towards Guerlédan and the Mûr-de-Bretagne, where they will complete a 20km finishing loop.

When Van der Poel gave a tactical masterclass to win on this same finishing circuit in 2021, he attacked on the first ascent of the Mûr to take a time bonus, then went on to win the stage and take yellow the second time across the line. The Dutchman, if fully recovered from his broken wrist, is perhaps the only rider capable of pulling off such a move. Others are more likely to use the short, punchy climb that comes immediately after the Mûr as a springboard.

If an attacker doesn’t stay away, the race will be won on the final climb up the Mûr. Riders who thrive in the Ardennes Classics typically do well here although the GC riders will want their teams to control matters, and, cognisant of Pogacar’s finishing speed, they will all have to be ready to respond in the final metres to keep time gaps to a minimum.

Stage eight: Saint-Méen-Le-Grand > Laval 174km

The first of two transition days followed by long overnight drives as the race prepares for the arrival of the big climbs. Before the mountains though, comes a near-guaranteed sprint in Laval.

There can’t be many villages of just under 5,000 people that have given birth to three cycling stars like Saint-Méen-Le-Grand has. Louis Bobet, the first three-time winner of the Tour, was born there in 1925, as was his younger brother Jean, who went on to win Paris-Nice. It also counts Frédéric Guesdon, the last French winner of Paris-Roubaix and now a sports director at Groupama-FDJ, as one of its sons. There’ll be plenty of nods to the trio at the start, with the peloton then heading east towards the finishing town of Laval, itself linked to cycling prestige: Jacky Durand, winner of the 1992 Tour of Flanders, was born there.

With so few launchpads and such little incentive to spend several hours out front in what is certain to be a deemed breakaway, don’t be surprised if no-one goes up the road today and the peloton casually ride east away from Brittany as one. Whether a break forms or not, the numerous sprint teams will be jostling for position and getting their leadouts ready well in advance of Laval.

Stage nine: Chinon > Chateauroux 170km

Three times the Tour has finished in Châteauroux this century; three times Mark Cavendish has won the stage. Which current rider will follow in the footsteps of a sprinting legend?

Just like the previous day, the general direction of travel is east, with the race now moving into the centre of the country and passing through the rural villages, outposts and countryside of the Loire region.

The travelling Tour caravan will be getting stuck into some acclaimed wine from Chinon, the starting town, and some tarte tatin – the renowned French apple tart pastry – at the finish in Châteauroux. With no physical obstacles of notes on the menu for the cyclists, gastronomy and food tasting takes top billing today.

We won’t pretend otherwise: the journey through France profonde - deep France – will be a sleepy one. Expect plenty of images of vineyards, châteaus and the odd piece of farm art. The only thing that could put a proverbial spanner in the works is if there’s a strong wind and echelons subsequently form. Failing that, the sprint teams will ensure that any breakaway that clips off the front is kept on a leash at all times and is reeled in before the expected bunch sprint in Châteauroux.

Stage 10: Ennezat > Le Mont Dore 165.3km

It’s Bastille Day, the French national holiday, and race organisers have designed a blockbuster day in the Massif Central to celebrate.

Up, down, up, down, with little respite in between: from the moment the stage rolls out in Ennezat, it’s climbing and descending all the way to finish, via eight categorised climbs and dormant volcanoes, and with the elevation gradually ascending, reaching a maximum height of 1,451m. It’s in stark contrast to the opening week of the Tour, and riders’ head units will read almost 4,500m of altitude gain come the finale in Le Mont-Dore.

Given the paucity of big climbs before this stage, there’ll be a lot of rouleurs and riders with polka dot dreams very keen on infiltrating the breakaway, so expect both a big fight and a big group to go clear. The GC group behind will start to throw punches at each other in the final 30km, in what is set to be the first major showdown between the yellow jersey contenders.

The last time the Tour delayed its first rest day due to Bastille Day being on a Monday, its race leader and eventual winner, Vincenzo Nibali, took his second stage win and cemented his grip on the race. What odds of the current yellow jersey repeating events from 2014?

Stage 11: Toulouse > Toulouse 154km

It should be the turn of the fast men once again, but two small climbs in the final 15km could ruin the plans of a sprinter on an off day.

Following the rest day in Toulouse, the southern city hosts the start and finish of this relatively short stage – only two other stages have less than 160km of ground to cover. Completing a reverse C to the east of the city, the Pyrenees will be visible on the horizon as the route heads south, but there are no cols around these parts. There are, however, three pesky little climbs towards the end.

With a triple-header of Pyrenees stages just a day away, the climbers and GC teams will be saving their legs and riding as easy as possible, letting the sprint teams do all the pacing. The breakaway, therefore, is likely to be made up of domestiques on a mission to get their team TV air time, rather than the bigger names. That said, the placement of the aforementioned climbs will make this an uncertain finish. Look out for a team with a classics specialist in their midst making it hard over the climbs to fatigue the pure sprinters ahead of the finish.

Stage 12: Auch > Hautacam 180.6km

The first of three huge days in the Pyrenees that will have a significant bearing on the final outcome of the race, the hopes of some riders will extinguish on the slopes of Hautacam, while we’ll get a clearer picture of who’s set to go well in the coming week of high mountain tests.

This is a typical Pyrenean stage: starting in a town on the outskirts – this time it’s Auch, a stage host for the fourth time, getting the honours – and then covering 100km of flat and mostly uneventful roads before the mountains come into focus. As is often the case with the Pyrenees, the climbing starts abruptly with a left or right turn off the flat valley road.

The first major climb, the Col du Soulor (11.8km at 7.3%), will be a shock to the system for many, especially now the fatigue is setting in. That’s followed by a punchy ascent of the Col des Bordères (3.1km at 7.7%), making only its fourth appearance in the race, and second this century. There then follows a 23km descent to the foot of the Hautacam, the showdown finishing climb.

Although the Pyrenees don’t begin in earnest until 120km into the stage, the first two hours are likely to see a big tussle to get into the breakaway, with the three cols each providing a handsome chunk of King of Mountain points, a competition that is finally set to crackle into life. The breaks formation will depend on whether or not some of the braver sprinters want to get in the break to grab points at the intermediate sprint in Bénéacq (KM 95) or set their teams on the front to keep it together until that point. Neither option will be easy.

As for the GC cohort, though they’ve had to wait a fortnight to get into France’s major mountain ranges, they’ll probably be saving their bullets until Hautacam, conscious of three things: the long descent off the Col des Bordères that’s not conducive to staying away; the mountain time trial tomorrow that will demand a full gas effort; and stage 14’s final day in the Pyrenees that is arguably a much tougher test. Nevertheless, don’t assume they’ll just let this mountain beast pass by without incident – there’s set to be a reordering in the general classification.

Stage 13: Loudenvielle > Peyragudes 11km

It’s a time trial, but not as we know it. This one tilts upwards the whole way and it’s going to have a significant impact on the destiny of the yellow jersey.

Once riders roll down the ramp in Loudenvielle they’ve only got three kilometres to find their legs before turning onto the lower slopes of Peyragudes. There are just six hairpins along with a few twists and bends on the climb with several long straights, meaning riders will be able to see other riders on the road ahead of them. Riders will therefore have to manage their efforts and not be affected by those around them.

Most of the peloton usually view time trials as an unofficial day off, but with the time cut looming over them today - they’re harder to get inside the shorter the stage - no one can take this one easy. DS’s will be shouting timings down the microphone at the slowest riders as much as they will the ones contesting the win. It’ll be a shock if anyone chooses a TT set-up – with such steep gradients riders will no doubt be opting for their climbing bikes, but there will be intense interest in the wheels, helmets and other aero tech in use.

Stage 14: Pau > Luchon-Superbagnères 183km

The elevation profile of the final 100km depicts the jagged lines of a shark’s mouth, as the classic commentator’s cliché goes. With no less than four cols to be summited before the final showdown at Luchon-Superbagnères. It’s a critical stage for those in the yellow jersey and podium fight.

If the Tour de France is in the Pyrenees you can be assured the beautiful city of Pau will welcome a stage start, finish or rest day. Or all three. Greeting the Tour for a 77th time – only Paris and Bordeaux have played host more times – riders will be on familiar roads when they head south towards Lourdes and into the mountains.

Their first task is the mighty and mythical Col du Tourmalet from its western approach, included for an 88th time in the race. The descent into Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is then followed by the Col d’Aspin (5km at 7.6%) and the Col de Peyresourde (7.1km at 7.8%), with a quick descent into the spa town of Luchon. Those cols are only the precursors to the showstopper though: the long, punishing but immensely beautiful climb up to the ski station of Superbagnères.

This is not just a pivotal day for those chasing ultimate glory – it’s also going to have a huge say in the fight for the King of the Mountains jersey. The breakaway, therefore, will be stacked full of climbers with eyes on the polka dot prize, while some sprinters could also be present in the first hour to hoover up the points at the intermediate sprint which comes at the 70km mark.

Topping out 94km before the finish, the Tourmalet comes too early to have a major impact on the outcome of the stage, but a high pace over the top could reduce the GC group to a small number. The Aspin, another regular in the Tour, won’t cause too many difficulties, but Peyresourde will hurt the legs more as riders prepare for Superbagnères.

It’s possible that a rider from the breakaway will triumph, while others in the break who were positioned there as satellite riders will drop back to assist their GC leaders’ attacks. At the opposite end of the race, spare a thought for sprinters and riders in the gruppetto – they’ll be facing their own battle to stay inside the time cut and keep themselves in the race.

Stage 15: Muret > Carcassonne 169km

Aaaaaaaand relax. The Pyrenees are done for another year. But non-GC riders can’t relax too much: there’s still 2,400m of climbing to be done and a battle between the sprinters and the breakaway riders.

Muret, a suburb town of Toulouse, is the starting point of what is essentially a transitional day to get the peloton away from the Pyrenees and towards the Alps. There are a handful of modest climbs early on, before the Côte de Sorèze (6.2km at 5.5%) is crested ahead of the ascent of the Pas du Sant and the uncategorized climb of Col de Fontbruno. A 40km descent into the medieval city of Carcassonne will ensure a hair-raising and tight finish.

Whether or not the win comes from the sprinters or the breakaway will largely depend on how tired the sprinters are after three days in the mountains, and how successful previous breaks have been up until this point. In recent years, the number of wins from the escapees has been decreasing, with ever stronger GC teams wanting ever more control.

This stage, however, favours brave and adventurous riding that could swing momentum away from the sprinters: attacks could reign down on the last two climbs, and the prospect of crosswinds could cause nervousness in the bunch behind, speeding things up as the big teams all want to mass their riders at the front. If the catch is made, it probably won’t be until late, thus possibly resulting in a messy and disorganised sprint.

Stage 16: Montpellier > Mont Ventoux 172km

The Giant of Provence or the Bald Mountain – whatever you want to call it, arguably the most iconic mountain in France is back as a stage finish for the first time since 2016.

Stage 16 has a distinctly Vuelta a España feel about it: flat all day, nothing of note, and then a big beast at the end with the potential to turn the race on its head. The Mediterranean city of Montpellier gets things underway, and then it’s an easy jaunt north-east towards Bédoin, the town at the foot of the lunar-like Mont Ventoux. Approaching the fabled ascent from its southern flank, it’s a 15.7km climb all the way to the very top. Keep an eye out on the wind – both blowing across the flat lands and at the top of Ventoux.

With no categorised climbs all day before Ventoux, and the intermediate sprint appearing 112km into the route, it wouldn’t be surprising if the peloton remains together until then, allowing the sprinters still in the hunt for the green jersey to collect vital points. However, there will be lots of riders wanting to be first onto the iconic slopes of Ventoux, so whenever the battle for the break starts, it will be viciously fast. The GC favourites will be equally inspired to win at the top and add their name to the mountain’s history. Where they’ll attack depends largely on the wind.

Stage 17: Bollène > Valence 161km

The Mistral winds can be fierce in the Rhône Valley, and if it blows, it could not only prevent the sprinters from winning in Valence but disrupt the make-up of the top-10.

Bollène has featured in Paris-Nice eight times but never before welcomed the Tour de France. Starting from an elevation of just 50m, the road gradually rises upwards for the first 70km, culminating at the top of the gentle Col de Pertuis. A speedy descent leads into the Col de Tartaiguille, and then it’s flat all the way to Valence, a stage host for the fifth time.

Though they’ll be attentive to the possibility of echelons, wIth two big Alpine tests still to come there’ll be no desire from the GC teams to control the breakaway, thus the workload will fall to the teams wanting a sprint. For those teams still without a victory in this year’s race, they’ll be slotting riders into the break in the hope that they could stay away. A sprint finish, however, is the most likely – previous winners in Valence include Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and André Greipel.

Stage 18: Vif > Courchevel / Col de la Loze 171km

This year’s queen stage packs in more than 5,500m of elevation across 171km of racing, with two legendary HC cols being summitted before a return to a modern HC favourite: the Col de la Loze.

As soon as the race flag drops it’s east into the Alps, with the first major climb, the Col du Glandon, beginning just 36km into the stage. A regular feature in the race in the 80s and 90s, this will be the 21.7km climb’s first appearance since 2015. The descent leads directly to the Col de la Madeleine (19.2km at 7.9%), similarly a former favourite that hasn't been used as much in recent years.

There’s a stretch of valley road on the other side of the Madeleine, with the race dropping to 445m above sea level. Why do we mention that? Because there’s still 1,800m of elevation to go, almost all of it on the nasty slopes of the Col de la Loze. In a twist from the two previous times the race has ridden to the summit of 2,304m, riders will tackle a new approach from Courchevel as opposed to from Méribel.

This is just as important a day for deciding the outcome of the King of the Mountains jersey as it is the maillot jaune, and you can guarantee that a whole host of climbers will swarm to the front of the peloton early on to ensure that they’re present in the break. Those in the hunt for polka dot will attack one another towards the summits of the Glandon and Madeleine to take as many points as possible, but otherwise the break will work together to fend off the peloton behind. On the road to Courchevel and the dizzying altiport, attacks will start to come at the bottom, and they’ll continue all the way to the top.

Logic would have it that the GC riders will wait until the incredibly unforgiving Col de la Loze before rolling their dice, but minds only need to cast back to the 2022 queen stage when Jonas Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma ambushed an isolated Tadej Pogačar 60km before the finish. If there’s time to make up in the fight for yellow, could we see similar tactics?

Stage 19: Albertville > La Plagne 130km

Barring any unforeseen drama on the final weekend, this is last chance saloon for anyone still coveting, but not wearing, yellow. There are five climbs in total, culminating with a marathon ascent to La Plagne. It’s now or never.

Albertville, host city of the 1992 Winter Olympics, holds good recent memories for Jonas Vingegaard: his win on the Col du Granon in 2022, his breakthrough victory that led to his first yellow jersey, started from here. The Granon isn’t included today, but there’s still plenty of terrain to cause damage on what is the second shortest road stage of the whole race.

The summit of the first climb is reached after only 18km of racing, and the Col des Saisies (13.7km at 6.4%) follows quickly after. The Col du Pré (12.6km at 7.7%) and Cormet de Roselend (5.9km at 6.3%) come in quick succession, before a long descent to the base of La Plagne.

If the points classification is not yet sewn up, those still in the running for the green jersey will be the day’s first protagonists, with the intermediate sprint coming just 8km into the stage. From then on, they will join the gruppetto at the back of the race and hand over the baton to the climbers.

There are once again lots of polka dot jersey points available, and those going after the mountains classification will be joined in the breakaway by riders from teams still without a win in this year’s Tour, as well as satellite riders for the GC leaders.

Expect a small group to splinter from the big break on the HC climb of Col du Pré, but whether or not they stay away until the finish will be determined by how much the GC riders want to win a stage. If things are tight in the race for yellow, the bonus seconds at the top of La Plagne will turn the dial in favour of the big GC players.

It’s hard to foresee a circumstance in which the race leader or his nearest opponent(s) attacks before La Plagne – the accumulation of the fatigue of three weeks of racing will be weighing heavy on the legs – but once they begin tackling the mammoth ascent they could light the fuse from just about anywhere. Whoever is leading the race at the end of the day can be confident that the job is as good as done.

Stage 20: Nantua > Pontarlier 185km

Nothing screams a breakaway victory quite like stage 20: the Alps and the Pyrenees are in the rear view mirror, the day is hilly without being too demanding, and there will always be a lot of winless teams desperately trying to salvage their race.

Starting in the small village of Nantua, situated on the fringes of the Alps, the race heads north towards the bigger town of Pontarlier, via four categorised climbs, the first one being the longest: the Col de la Croix de la Serra (12.1km at 4.1%). More undulating roads follow, with the Côte de Thésy (3.6km at 8.9%) posing the most problems, before the parcours become distinctly less complex towards the finish, the final seven kilometres into Pontarlier being almost completely pan-flat.

The GC teams have one job: keep their leaders protected. That’s it. The sprinters, meanwhile, won’t be discarding the possibility of a sprint finish in Pontarlier, especially with the Paris stage no longer guaranteed to finish in a mass dash to the line. But they know that with so many teams fielding riders in the breakaway, there’s far greater probability of an escapee triumphing. The lack of big climbs in the finale means a small group from the original breakaway will probably contest the finish.

Stage 21: Mantes la Ville > Paris Champs-Elysées 120km

The race returns to Paris after finishing in Nice last year due to the Olympics – but it does so with a twist.

What’s the same? The stage starts in a pretty but unspectacular Parisian commuter town and finishes on the rather spectacular Champs-Élysées. What’s not the same? Three ascents of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre in the final 40km, a throwback to last year’s Paris Olympics. The peloton will still do laps of the original finishing circuit through the centre of Paris, but the cobbled climb up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica will add a very different dimension to the race.

Who knows? Montmartre has the potential to have a say on the outcome of the race’s final stage, especially if there’s a puncheur with enough energy in his legs to escape the peloton. But it’s worth pointing out that last year’s Olympic road race that inspired this course change was 105km longer, the peloton was half the size, and one-day races are ridden very differently to the 21st stage of a gruelling Grand Tour.

Expect a sprint – possibly without some of the faster riders if the pace is high over Montmartre - and expect the bunch to stay together. No one will want to gets dropped coming on to the Champs Elysées