Tour Report 2025
We promised seriously fun (and often flat’n’fast) cycling, guaranteed sunshine, lots of Tour history and that holiday feeling for the Grand Depart … and I think it’s safe to say these first few stages of the ’25 tour delivered!
As the group gathered in our Lille hotel there was all the usual nervousness, but also a noticeably happy and fun vibe. We love seeing our alumni reunited, (sometimes years since they last rode together) but we also delight in the welcome that is given to all our new faces too. We’re just one big happy family with a shared goal – to ride our hearts out and raise funds for youngsters who don’t have the advantages in life that we have all enjoyed. We are greater together than the sum of our parts and the tone was been set for the Tour!
If you didn’t already know how gorgeous the North of France is, you do now! The Grand Depart gave us wall-to-wall sunshine days and blue skies, wheat and sunflower fields and gorgeous villages, stunning churches, abbeys and past the utterly brilliant (often hilarious) TDF decorations that adorn the route.
Stage 2 was the longest stage of this year’s tour at 209km and was a tough one for sure – a sweaty business with some nastily steep climbs in the final leg on weary legs. By stage 3 the temperatures were getting seriously high – sometimes topping out at 40 degrees. Regular dousing of water at feed stops helped some – ice cream stops helped others – but the smiles just kept on coming. It was a superb day to be riding a bike and as the finale for our Grand Depart Loopers, we couldn’t have asked for more.
If we thought that stage 3 was hot, stage 4 was like cycling in an oven. By now, keeping sufficiently hydrated and avoiding heat stroke was the main focus of survival. Feed stop 3 (lunch) was swiftly taken under cover to get the riders out of the midday heat and give their bodies a chance to cool down before heading back out for the final 2 stints (between feedstops) to the hotel which included more energy-sapping climbs. By this stage of the day, these were as much a mental challenge as a physical one for anyone already seriously suffering in the heat. Bravo to those brave hearts who battled through!
We were delighted to be joined on the road by Andrew and Rick Wates (William Wates’ Dad and brother) on this stage – both riding alongside us for a time. We always appreciate their unwavering support and it’s a huge pleasure to have them both with us. They are a true inspiration to us all, and their enthusiasm and commitment helped get us through this stage, not least by reminding us why we’re all here.
A handful of new riders joined us on stage 4 for our Tour de France Adventure Loop, and a 2-day immersion into the Tour. Having got through that monster of a stage, they had only to tick off a swift 33km time trial on stage 5 to complete their challenge. This should have been easy, but we arrived into Caen through a massive heat-wave-breaking thunderstorm and torrential rain. It can be hard to appreciate the beauty when all you can see is the spray from the wheel in front! This was a stage to just ‘get done’, rewarded with a luxurious 5 star hotel in Bayeux in glorious sunshine once more (meaning we could dry everything!).
With the departure of the Tour de France Loopers, we were back down to a hard core of just our Grand Loopers, and First Halfers for the next few stages.
Stage 6 was the 2nd longest stage of the tour ’25 at 201km, but mercifully the temperature came down to a far-more-manageable mid 20s. This was either a fast-moving peloton, or a very long day, depending on fatigue levels – but we got it done to arrive in St Malo.
Stage 7 was notable for the DOUBLE ascent of the Mur de Bretagne – the real sting in the tail of that stage. One week into the tour, this is when we first heard musings about the rest day, which was still 3 more stages away.
Stage 8 was a fast and fun ride through typical French countryside and an early finish, giving us time to catch up on the pro race which started that morning! We were also lucky enough to hear from Stewart: not only is he one of our brilliant staff members on tour – but he also helps to run the excellent Community Cycleworks charity: one of the charities supported by the William Wates Memorial Trust. It was a great opportunity to hear more about the real impact of the funds raised by our riders, helping to turn young, disadvantaged lives around. When we’re in a bubble of cycling fun (and sometimes pain), these reminders of why we’re here help us to regain perspective and purpose. Thanks Stewart!
Stage 9 saw a return of the wet weather and cooler temperatures. Spirits remained high with great tunes at the feedstop (and some nice moves – you know who you are) and the introduction to the tour of Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake, in honour of our 2 Icelandic riders Bjarni and Magnus (who assure us that this is how cyclists refuel in Iceland). Think flapjack, with a layer of rhubarb jam in the middle – by all means, try this one at home. This dish was conjured up by our Tour Manager extraordinaire, Sarah – (who has an art for pulling rabbits out of hats). Oh! And we also passed through Chateauroux, renamed Cavendish City in honour of Cav’s 3 wins there, giving a certain Manx feel to this day (see photos).
In a typical year, the rest days fall on Mondays, but this year there was an extra stage before the first rest day. Stage 10 brought us into the Massif Central – an area often over-looked but one graced with glorious and fascinating scenery (green and volcanic) as well as beautifully smooth and empty roads that are a dream for cyclists. Yes – the weather was sometimes ‘inclement’ but we veered from full sunshine to fog so thick you could only see as far as the nearest cow in the field beside the road (leading to “more costume changes than a pantomime”). We’d begin to master the art of packing our day-bags in readiness for all eventualities.
Following a long, post-tartiflette evening transfer to Toulouse, we finally got our first rest day – spent sleeping, resting, eating, bike-tinkering, and doing laundry.
In Toulouse we said goodbye to the wonderful First Half Loopers who had been the most incredible company over this first half of the tour. They brought a wealth of experience, humour, camaraderie and joix de vivre to the peloton and we were very sorry to see them go. For the next 24 hours we were just the core group of Grand Loopers on tour and stage 11 was a lovely sunshine stage through fast agricultural countryside but a final calf-popping sting in the tail for the pro sprinters, who won’t be lucky enough to be treated to the surprise pizza feedstop that we had (bad luck).
We were joined by a new influx of eager, fresh-faced riders, here to ride the Second Half Loop and Pyrenees Loop. Mountains – here we come!
Stage 12 was the first of the 3 Pyrenean stages: “a tale of two chainrings”: a beautiful morning depart through Auch and pretty flat for the first 100km to the first of 3 big climbs: Soulor, Borderes and stunning-but-challenging Hautacam. These are quiet, beautiful backroads with fabulous views. A stunning (long) day of riding – a punchy start for those new arrivals on tour!
Stage 13 was the Time Trial topped and tailed with coach transfers but a ‘mere’ 11km long. Only catch is, they were 11km uphill with a fun finish at the Alitport (of 007 infamy) with planes taking off downhill while we had lunch. We arrived by coach to Pau with plenty of time for laundry, R&R and to welcome the Mountains Week Loopers to the tour. More fresh legs – just in time for the much-anticipated ‘big one’: stage 14.
On paper, as in life, this was always going to hurt. 4 humungous categorised climbs, described as “Tourmalet for breakfast, Aspin for lunch, Peyresourde for tea and SuperBagneres for dinner!”. Again, the weather was highly variable but most were lucky enough to see the incredible views from the top of Tourmalet. Once more, judicious packing of day bags made the constant costume changes necessary, possible.
Today we were joined by the first of our Charity Visitors on Tour – young Jamal and his mentor Tom from Palace for Life. Jamal set his mind to riding the Tourmalet which he did in great style: 19km, average 7.4% gradient. It requires tenacity, ambition, mental strength and determination – all qualities Jamal exhibited as he summited this enormous climb. Massive congratulations and respect Jamal! He also spoke to our group at dinner: “I’ve come a really long way (in the last 2 years) – I’m doing things I never thought I’d do. I didn’t see myself scaling a mountain, but that’s something I’ve done today” … to which, he received a huge round of applause! 👏
Trustee Jonny Wates and his wife Juliana were there to cheer all our riders on and show their appreciation and admiration for their herculean efforts. As with Rick and Andrew before them, we’re always delighted to have members of the Wates family with us on tour, talking to our riders about the work of the Trust and supporting them. Thank you!
Even for our fastest riders, this was a very very long day in the saddle: over 10 hours. Our final riders were starting the final brutal climb up Superbagneres around dinner time, and descending in the dark, finishing well after 10pm. Nobody said this was going to be easy!
For the Pyrenees Loopers, this was their final stage and no one left anything in the tank! Massive respect to all – chapeau! We said our goodbyes and set out for the final stage before our 2nd (final) rest day. Stage 15 – mostly fairly easy going, with a final 40km to the hotel a whooping downhill, but a most-definitely lumpy section in the middle that removed any remaining energy from legs. But we’re done! Rest day in Montpellier to re-group – the arrival of Middle Mountains and Alps Loopers – the last influx of new riders for the 2025 Tour. We were still a long way from Paris!
Stage 16 was all about the iconic Mont Ventoux which weirdly rises independently out of the dusty flatlands of Provence, with its moonscape cap. Despite this climb not appearing until the final kilometres of a 172km day, it was everyone’s focus. It’s known for being a beast with heat beating down on heads, but with some judicious dunking in the water fountains before the climb, several riders managed to bring their core temperature down for the grand finale climb up to the radio tower. A bucket list climb (though still not a first for many of our Loopers – in fact, for one rider this was ‘probably his 20th’ ascent! Chapeau). A HUGE day.
What followed could have been something of a recovery ride if it weren’t for the howling headwinds that are prevalent in this region. Stage 17 became more of a suffer-fest and demanded strong teamwork riding in groups to reduce the wind’s impact. Another tough stage but made far more inspiring by the company of our 2nd charity visitors on Tour.
Tom and Abdel from the brilliant Football Beyond Borders joined us for this stage and Abdel did himself proud by riding around 120km of the stage – an immense effort achieved through sheer grit determination.
Abdel’s talk to the group after dinner was particularly moving as he explained his early school years where he was disruptive, bullied, unhappy and at risk of exclusion. Football Beyond Borders visited the school, took him under their wing and over several years provided him with weekly one-to-one mentoring.
Gradually, this turned things around for Abdel, who went on to get fantastic GCSE grades and is now in his 2nd year at Uni studying software engineering. He’s gone from a disruptive, potential school drop-out, to a lovely young man with a bright future ahead. He made a huge impression on us all and we all wish him the best success in his future. Thank you Abdel and Tom for bringing the impact of our fundraising efforts to life and giving us all the motivation we needed for the remaining mountain stages … mountains all the way to Paris!
Stage 18 – The Queen stage of this year’s tour was seriously daunting: over 5,500 metres of climbing, over three massive climbs – Col du Glandon, Col de la Madeleine – and finishing at the highest point of the whole Tour – the 2,304m Col de la Loze above Courchevel ski resort.
Luckily the weather was kind and the scenery glorious for those able to look up from the tarmac. Anyone new to the Alps was given an absolute treat – they were at their finest with the mountain-top finish bathed in Alpenglow. A stage that really did deliver in spades.
But it was another huge day on the back of so many huge days and the fatigue, particularly for our Grand Loopers, was really beginning to show and for some, the wheels were coming off. Some took a bit of time off to recover (unusual – which shows just how very tough this year’s route has been) while the rest of the peloton soldiered on for stage 19 – our final proper Alpine stage. The route from Albertville to La Plagne covered familiar territory with the gloriously photogenic Lac and Cormet du Roselend. Of course, there are no easy wins, so the stage finished at the top of a mountain in La Plagne – any excuse for another climb in this Alpine trio.
Our Alps and Mountains Week riders left us here after dinner for their transfer to Geneva. They did us proud, tackling probably the toughest Alpine stages we’ve ever ridden. We are filled with respect and awe at their tenacity, grit and good cheer. They embodied all that makes us proud of our Loopers – bravo!
And so to the final 2 stages of the 2025 Tour for our 2nd Half Loopers and Grand Loopers. A wet morning in the peaceful Jura chilled some riders to the bone – but a hastily re-arranged lunch stop provided cover and a chance to warm up as the rain finally abated and the sun returned. With so many kms in the legs, this was a mentally tough day just to stay riding the bike. But we were so close to Paris that most dug deep enough to find the necessary determination and reserves.
But the Jura is a long way from Paris, so continuing with this year’s theme of coach transfers, we hopped onto another coach towards Paris and a late-night hotel to rest our heads for a few hours, before a 2nd leg the next morning to our Paris start.
At last! Paris! A soggy start, but not enough to dampen spirits. We’d made it! A blast past Versailles and into the city for the obligatory Eiffel Tower shots with many friends and family there to cheer us in. Always wonderful and emotional! Then a loop up to Montmartre, followed by the Champs Elysee to the Arc du Triomph (more enthusiastic whooping and cheering) before the spin to our hotel and a quick change in time for our celebratory dinner on the Seine. And all of a sudden, the 2025 Tour came to an end!
Our superb riders and their supporters have raised £471,035 for the William Wates Memorial Trust – a STUNNING achievement.
Le Loop Chairman, WWMT Trustee and Will’s brother Rick Wates has this to say:
“Our 2025 cyclists have smashed it out of the park. 146 cyclists have raised a total of £471,035 for the William Wates Memorial Trust which makes it the record for the average raised per cyclist on Le Loop. This is a truly outstanding achievement, in difficult economic times, and something for our team and riders to be incredibly proud of. Well done everybody and a massive thank you from us all at the William Wates Memorial Trust. Your support will give young people who face significant challenges in their lives the opportunity to make positive change. There’s no better reward for your efforts than that!“
And if you’re reading this and think that this sounds like the kind of cycling adventure you’d like to be a part of, we still have a few priority Loop places remaining for the 2026 tour and will release our final wave of places on Saturday 1stNovember !
Vive Le Tour!
