The Mûr-de-Bretagne doesn't care about your reputation. It’s a blunt, two-kilometer strip of asphalt that has become a hallowed ground for the Tour de France, and in 2025, it served as the backdrop for one of the most aggressive tactical shifts we've seen in years. If you followed Tour de France 2025 Stage 7, you know it wasn't just a bike race. It was a statement.
Brittany is weird for cycling. The locals treat it like a religion, but the terrain is deceptively mean. You look at the profile of the 197km run from Saint-Malo and think, "Oh, it's mostly flat."
Wrong.
The roads are never actually flat. They heavy. They’re exposed to the Atlantic winds. By the time the peloton reached the final circuit, the legs weren't just tired—they were blunted. This stage was a carbon copy of the 2021 route where Mathieu van der Poel did the unthinkable, and honestly, the tension in the bunch was palpable from the neutral start.
The Brutality of the Mûr de Bretagne
Most people think the Mûr is just a hill. It’s actually a wall. The first kilometer averages nearly 10%, but it’s the inconsistency that kills you. You hit the bottom, and it’s like riding into a garage door.
- The Entry: Wide road, high speed, massive fight for positioning.
- The Pitch: 600 meters at 11.5% that forces everyone out of the saddle.
- The Plateau: It levels off at the top, which is where the real tactical chess happens.
On July 11, 2025, the heat was a major factor. We’re talking 30°C in a region that usually stays cool. That kind of "sticky" heat changes how the body processes efforts. You saw it in the faces of the riders during the first ascent. Unlike 2021, there were no bonus seconds at the first crossing, but that didn't stop Visma-Lease a Bike from absolutely drilling it.
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They weren't just riding; they were trying to break the yellow jersey.
Why the Breakaway Never Stood a Chance
Everyone loves a "long-shot" story, but the 2025 edition of this stage was controlled with an iron fist. A small group featuring Geraint Thomas and Iván García Cortina managed to dapple off the front, but UAE Team Emirates never let the gap go over two minutes. It felt like watching a cat play with a mouse.
You've got to feel for the breakaway specialists. They spent 150 kilometers in the wind only to be swallowed up before the real fireworks even started.
What Really Happened with the General Classification
The big story of the day wasn't just the win; it was the chaos that preceded it. With about six kilometers to go, a nasty nine-rider pileup reshuffled the deck. This is the part of the Tour de France 2025 Stage 7 that most people forget—the sheer luck involved in staying upright.
Joao Almeida hit the deck hard.
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For UAE, this was a disaster disguised as a victory. While Tadej Pogacar eventually took the stage win and the Yellow Jersey, losing a key lieutenant like Almeida to a crash changes the entire math of the three-week race.
The Final Sprint: Pogacar vs. Vingegaard
When they hit the Mûr for the second time, the pace was savage. Mathieu van der Poel—the hero of 2021—simply didn't have the "snap" this time. He wilted. Honestly, it was a bit sad to see, but that’s the reality of the Tour.
Then came the burst.
Pogacar didn't wait for the false flat. He launched on the steepest pitch. Jonas Vingegaard was the only one who could even stay in the same zip code, glued to his wheel like a shadow. They crossed the line in a two-up sprint, with Pogacar taking it by a bike length.
- Winner: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
- Second: Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +0"
- Third: Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) +2"
Seeing a young rider like Oscar Onley finish third in that company was the shock of the day. The kid has serious talent.
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Lessons from the Road to Mûr-de-Bretagne
If you’re a fan or a casual rider, there’s a lot to learn from how this stage played out. Tactics in the modern peloton have moved away from "waiting for the mountains."
Teams are now using "hilly" stages to inflict maximum psychological damage. Visma’s decision to pace hard on the first climb was a gamble that didn't pay off in the stage win, but it showed they aren't afraid of UAE.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're planning to watch or even ride the Mûr yourself, keep these things in mind:
- Positioning is 90% of the battle. If you start the climb in 50th position, your stage is over.
- The "False Flat" is the Trap. Many riders blow their doors off on the 10% section and have nothing left for the final 400 meters.
- Watch the Wind. In 2025, the cross-headwind on the top section made it almost impossible for a solo attacker to stay away unless they were a freak of nature.
The Tour moves fast. One day you're the king of the Mûr, and the next, you're just trying to survive the crosswinds to Laval. But for one afternoon in Brittany, the world saw exactly why the Mûr de Bretagne is the most feared "little" climb in France.
If you want to understand the 2025 standings, look at the gaps created here. They weren't minutes, but the mental gap between Pogacar and the rest of the world grew significantly on these Breton slopes.
Get your recovery in now. The sprinters get their turn tomorrow, but the echoes of the Mûr will stay in the legs of the GC favorites for a long time.