The energy around the 112th edition of the Grand Boucle is, honestly, a bit surreal. After years of starting in places like Copenhagen, Bilbao, and Florence, the race is finally "coming home" in a literal sense. For the first time since 2020, every single meter of the route stays within the borders of France. It’s a return to tradition that has fans and riders buzzing, especially with the Tour de France dates 2025 firmly set from July 5 to July 27.
Basically, if you're planning to be roadside, you're looking at a three-week odyssey that kicks off in the north and ends on the most famous cobblestones in the world.
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The Big Kick-Off: Grand Départ in Lille
Everything starts on Saturday, July 5. The Grand Départ is hosted by the Lille Métropole, and unlike some recent years with hilly openers, Stage 1 is a 185km loop that screams "sprinter's delight." If the wind stays calm, expect the big engines to battle for the first yellow jersey.
But things get messy fast.
Stage 2 (July 6) from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer is a lumpy, 212km grind. It's the kind of day where the GC (General Classification) favorites like Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard have to be hyper-vigilant. One mistimed corner or a sudden crosswind on the Pas-de-Calais coast could end someone's podium dreams before the race even hits the first rest day.
Week One Highlights
- July 5: Stage 1 – Lille Métropole (185km).
- July 9: Stage 5 – The first big clock-watch. A 33km individual time trial (ITT) in Caen. This is where Remco Evenepoel will likely try to put minutes into the pure climbers.
- July 11: Stage 7 – The legendary Mûr-de-Bretagne. Short, steep, and punishing.
- July 14: Stage 10 – Bastille Day. The race hits the Massif Central with a finish at Le Mont-Dore (Puy de Sancy). 4,400 meters of vertical gain. It’s going to be absolute carnage for the legs.
Why the Tour de France Dates 2025 Matter for the Pyrenees
By the time the riders reach the first rest day in Toulouse on July 15, the pretenders will have been weeded out. The second week is all about the Pyrenees. This is where the Tour de France dates 2025 align with some of the most brutal verticality the race has seen in years.
On July 17 (Stage 12), the peloton tackles the climb to Hautacam. If you remember 2022, that’s where Vingegaard broke Pogačar. Then, just 24 hours later on July 18, we get a mountain time trial. It's only 11 kilometers long, but it’s essentially a straight shot up to the Peyragudes altiport. No drafting. No teammates. Just a rider and their ability to suffer at an 8% gradient.
Stage 14 on Saturday, July 19, is the "Queen Stage" of the Pyrenees. Finishing at Luchon-Superbagnères, the route includes the Col du Tourmalet and the Col d'Aspin. It’s a total throwback to the 1980s, and honestly, it’s going to be beautiful and horrific at the same time.
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The Alpine Showdown and the Giant of Provence
The final week is where legends are made, and it starts with a literal bang. On Tuesday, July 22 (Stage 16), the race visits the "Bald Mountain"—Mont Ventoux. It’s been years since the Tour finished at the actual summit. The wind up there is legendary, and the lack of vegetation makes it feel like you're racing on the moon.
After Ventoux, the Alps take over.
July 24 (Stage 18) features the Col de la Loze, the highest point of the 2025 race at 2,304 meters. The final kilometer of that climb has sections at 24%. Yes, you read that right. It’s more of a wall than a road.
The penultimate day, July 26, is a hilly 185km run to Pontarlier. While it’s not a high-mountain stage, it’s the last chance for breakaways or a desperate, long-range attack to flip the standings.
Don't Forget the Women: Tour de France Femmes 2025
The party doesn't end when the men reach Paris. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is scheduled to overlap and then take center stage.
The women's race starts on July 26 in Brittany and runs through August 3. This year is huge because they’ve expanded to nine stages. They’ll be finishing on the Col de la Madeleine on August 2, which is a massive 18.6km climb. Watching Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Demi Vollering go head-to-head in the high Alps is going to be the perfect hangover cure for the end of the men's race.
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Practical Advice for Following the Race
If you're trying to catch the action, remember that the finish times are usually between 5:00 PM and 5:45 PM Central European Time.
- Check the Caravan Times: If you’re watching in person, the "caravan" (the parade of sponsors throwing free stuff) usually passes 90 minutes before the riders.
- Mountain Logistics: Roads on Ventoux or the Col de la Loze often close 24-48 hours in advance. Don't think you can just drive up on the morning of the stage.
- The Paris Return: Since the 2024 finale was in Nice due to the Olympics, the 2025 return to the Champs-Élysées on July 27 is going to be a massive celebration. It's the 50th anniversary of the first finish on that iconic boulevard.
To stay on top of the specific start times and any last-minute route changes due to weather, your best bet is to download the official Tour de France app or follow the race's Twitter (X) feed. They provide "live" GPS tracking of the breakaway and the peloton, which is basically essential if you're trying to figure out when to look up from your picnic.
Identify the stages closest to your location or time zone and mark the mountain time trials in red—those are the days you absolutely cannot miss. Get your coffee ready for July 5; it’s going to be a wild ride through the heart of France.