La Route 2025 - our highlights!
With less than two months to go until we meet our First Half, Grand Depart and Grand Loop cyclists in Lille, we’re busy finalising a million details that you’d never imagine were necessary, which all contribute to the fantastic experience you’ll have on tour. Some of that time is spent getting into the nitty gritty of the route details for each stage, which has prompted this blog post, to share our excitement!!
Read on to hear about the stages we think will be real stand-out highlights, as well as those that present us, as the tour organisers, with a few headaches!
Our Stage Highlights
Stage 1: Lille – Lille
The first stage of the 2025 Tour is right up there. Not only is it our big send-off stage but it packs so much in and gives a real feel for the region. Alongside a moment to pedal quietly in reflection as we pass the Notre Dame de Lorette war cemetery and Ring of Remembrance, there’s time to marvel at Cassel, a small cobbled (yes, we said cobbled) town with a castle and windmill high above the town. And then there’s the thrill of spending a large part of the afternoon so close to the Belgian border (by which we mean 10 metres in some cases; you’ll definitely get border photos and maybe even a feedstop in another country) that the look and feel of houses, shops and villages will change significantly.
Stage 7: St Malo – Mur de Bretagne
A special day for many reasons, but let’s start by noting how stunning St Malo is with its fortified city, beach front promenade and immediate access to stunning countryside. We get a couple more opportunities to hang out by the coast during the stage, see why Brittany is such a famous cycling destination (gorgeous, quiet roads with plenty of fun, rolling roads) and top it off with two climbs of the famous Mur de Bretagne, a bucket list climb for many cyclists and for good reason. It’s not the Alps but by the time you finish stage 7, you’ll appreciate its place in cycling history.
Stage 10: Ennezat – Mont Dore
This is one of the toughest stages of the Tour and probably the peak “tired-legs” stage too. But if ever there was scenery to pull you through, this stage has it. We all anticipate the high mountains of the Pyrenees and Alps which means that any time the Tour takes us to the Massif Central and its volcanic middle-of-nowhere scenery, we gaze in wonder and can’t believe that this is France.
Very few foreigners make it this far inland for their holidays because it’s relatively inaccessible and far from transport hubs. Expect views upon views, never ending farmland and open scenery and climbs that will take your breath away (literally and figuratively). Without a doubt a highlight stage and one to be very proud of completing.
Stage 12: Auch – Hautacam
It would be wrong to write a highlights blog and not include the Pyrenees which often feature on our “best stages” list. Whether it’s misty cold mornings, glaring sunshine on top of a col or just a quiet moment cycling up a long, shaded climb in a low gear with the peaceful sounds of nature, there’s a lot to like. This stage is chosen especially because you get the glory of cycling all the way from the flat plains towards the Pyrenees and then right up to the top of a stunning mountain. The anticipation, the beauty and the awe, as well as it being our first moment in the high, high mountains of the Tour will make this stage very special.
Stage 17: Bollene – Valence:
This is a sure highlight stage because it will be the perfect reward for what went before. It’s a day of pure cycling joy. We predict that the strong focus on Ventoux (stage 16) means that everyone’s heads are turned from what follows; namely Provence in the sunshine with fun (as opposed to painful) gradients, quiet roads, incredible views and an early finish. This will feel like a holiday (albeit briefly as those continuing beyond Valence have the Alps to tackle). So enjoy this treat stage for what it is and say thank you to the Tour for one of the most delightful days on a bike.
This is a sure highlight stage because it will be the perfect reward for what went before. It’s a day of pure cycling joy. We predict that the strong focus on Ventoux (stage 16) means that everyone’s heads are turned from what follows; namely Provence in the sunshine with fun (as opposed to painful) gradients, quiet roads, incredible views and an early finish. This will feel like a holiday (albeit briefly as those continuing beyond Valence have the Alps to tackle). So enjoy this treat stage for what it is and say thank you to the Tour for one of the most delightful days on a bike.
Highlight out-takes from the logistics team!
We’re here to make your Le Loop experience everything it possibly can be! But in the spirit of ‘keeping it real’, it’s fair to say there will be a few serious challenges along the way.
Stage 1:
Our signing car is never particularly impressed when the first stage is so arrow-heavy. It’ll feel pretty rural to cycle but with so many small villages to pass through and many forks and turns, it’s a day for running between lamp-posts and counting the steps and cable ties. We’ll all be grateful for their busy day out front and for the tireless work of the sweeper van taking down all those arrows at the back!
212kms of “mostly” flat with some pretty spiky climbs towards the end of the stage… the positive spin would be that this is great for everyone shooting for a distance PB but for our physios, there are extra factors to consider when tending to cyclists who’ve spent all day sitting in much the same position. They know what they’re doing and they’ll be ready with some good massage and chat – but they know this is one of the stages where they’ll be needed most.
Stage 7:
To quote one of our mechanics when he saw that we had three evening transfers in a row: “argh, we’re going to be nocturnal by then!”. While the rest of us can enjoy the fun and challenge, the loading and unloading of bikes and the late starts (working on all the mechanicals that inevitably appear after a week of heavy riding) creates stretched working conditions for our amazing mechanic team.
Stage 10:
Even though we all know we’ll be grateful in the morning, this day is loooong! It starts with a 2hr+ transfer, then we cycle a super-hard stage and (after dinner at the finish point) we have a 3hr+ coach transfer to Toulouse. The trade off is 3 nights in the same hotel, a rest day where we don’t have to move and easy transport for those who are on their way home. But stage 10 is going to need us all to cheer each other along and high five each other for the heroics (remembering that the support team have to work all day and drive these transfers). Fortunately, the stage itself is pure gold (see highlights above).
Stages 12, 14, 18:
The joy and sadness of cycling right past our finish point when there’s still a huge climb to go; and it happens THREE times in 2025. It’s a mind game for all of us… just look straight ahead and pretend you’ve no idea where you are!
Stage 21: None of us will want this to end (sad face)
