Tour de France 2025: Attacks from all angles, echelons, crashes... towards a fireworks display in the first week

With less than forty-eight hours to go before the start, the atmosphere was already palpable on Thursday in the Grand-Place in Lille, where a dense crowd attended the team presentations. For Mathieu Van der Poel , this start to the Tour looks set to be a tense one. "The first week is going to be nervous," admitted the three-time winner of Paris-Roubaix , just like at home in the North. The Dutchman, one of the expected big players, will not be the only one looking to shine from the start.

Julian Alaphilippe , back on the Tour de France, which he has already marked with six stage victories, shares this opinion: "It's certain that there will be a lot of opportunities for riders like me , like Marc (Hirschi) and, more generally, all the punchers in the peloton." The Frenchman also anticipates risks for the general classification: "It will undoubtedly be a very nervous first week with the general classification riders who will want to be placed and from the first stage, there could be risks of echelons."

Kicking off in Lille this Saturday, the sprinters will battle it out on the Boulevard de la Liberté for the first yellow jersey. The course is mostly flat, but three category ⁴ climbs could enliven the race and offer the first points for the polka dot jersey. The wind, ever-present in the region, could also cause trouble.

The second stage, from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer, will feature a more rugged profile towards the end of the race. The coastal climbs will favor punchers and adventurers, offering opportunities to create initial gaps in the general classification. The coastal wind, once again, will likely fragment the peloton. While a massive finish is expected between Valenciennes and Dunkirk, the rest of the program towards Normandy promises to be tricky.

Next Wednesday, the individual time trial in Caen represents a decisive event for the contenders for the general classification. Tadej Pogacar , the big favorite to succeed him, and his number one rival, Jonas Vingegaard , will have a lot at stake. Not to mention Remco Evenepoel , who could well shake up the hierarchy.

A lively race is also expected from Bayeux to Vire, with a hilly profile. This stage will precede a now Tour classic: Mûr-de-Bretagne and its famous finishing hill. Short but intense, this climb already saw Mathieu Van der Poel raise his arms four years ago. It's the ideal setting to guarantee a fierce battle, both for the stage victory and to gain precious seconds in the general classification.

Sprinters, punchers, rouleurs: all the ingredients seem to be there for a stunning spectacle before the road climbs dramatically.