The Tour de France is the world’s greatest cycling race. The 112^th race takes place from Saturday July 5, 2025. It starts in Lille, in the Nord region and ends on Sunday July 27, 2025 in Paris.

The Tour de France attracts over 12 million spectators a year lining the roads. 3.5 million TV viewers in 190 countries tune in on a typical day’s coverage. I love watching it, as much for its high drama as for the glorious views of the French countryside both from the road and from helicopters and drones high above the race.

Founded in 1903 by Henri Desgrange, the editor of L’Auto newspaper, it’s the third biggest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games and the FiFa World Cup.

The Tour de France 2025

The Tour de France is gruelling, exciting and dramatic. Discover the main stages, riders, facts, distances and some fun facts in this guide to the Tour de France 2024 – the 111th race.

The Tour de France 2025 Stages

The 2025 Tour de France is made up of 21 stages. It covers a total distance of 3,320 kilometers (2,063 miles).

The route includes eight flat stages for the sprinters, seven mountain stages (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pl d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 4 hilly stages, 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

Out of a total of 39 towns, these are the ones appearing for the first time: Lauwin-Planque, Bayeux, Chinon, Ennezat, Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, Bollène, Vif, and Mantes-la-Ville.

The Tour de France 2025 Route

In 2024, the great British cyclist from the Isle of Man won his 35th title. In homage to the now-retired British sprinter’s Tour de France stage wins, Châteauroux unofficially becomes ‘Cavendish City’. Châteauroux saw three of his wins. The town hosts a Tour de France finish for a fifth time on Monday July 13.

Teams for the Tour de France 2025

There are eight riders in each of the 22 teams. In total (and in theory as there are sometimes very last-minute drop-outs due to injury or illness), 176 riders will take part.

Tour de France 2025 Official Teams and Riders

Here are the teams. The nationality of the team and the riders is in parentheses after every name. But last-minute changes might occur!

Alpecin-Deceuninck (Belgium): Mathieu van der Poel (NED); Jasper Philipsen (BEL); Sylvan Diller (SUI); Kaden Groves (AUS); Xandro Merurisse (BEL);  Jonas Rickaert (BEL); Gianni Vermeersch (BEL); Emil Verstrynge (BEL)

Arkéa B&B Hotels (France): Amaury Capiot (BEL); Ewen Costiou (BEL); Arnaud Démare (FRA);  Raoul Garcia Pierna (SPA); Matisse Le Berre (BEL); Cristian Rodriguez (SPA) Kévin Vauquelin (FRA); Clement Venturini (BEL)

XDS Astana Qazaqstan (Kazakstan):  Davide Ballerini (ITA); Cees Bol (NED); Clément Champoussin (FRA); Yeveniy Fedorov (KAZ); Sergio Higuita (COL); Harold Tejada (COL); Mike Teunissen (NEL); Simone Belasco (ITA)

Bahrain Victorious (Bahrain): Phil Bauhaus (GER);  Santiago Buittrago (COL); Jack Haig (AUS); Kamil Gradek (POL): Lenny Martinez (FRA); Matej Mohoric (SLOVENIA); Robert Stannard (AUS) Fred Wright (GBR); 

Red Bull – BRORA – hansgrohe (Germany): Florian Lipowitz (GER); Jordi Meeus (BEL);  Gianni Moscon (ITA);  Laurence Pithie (NZ) Primoz Roglič (SLO);  Mick Van Dijke (NEL); Danny van Poppel (NED); Alexsandr Blasov (RUS) 

Cofidis (France):  Alex Aranburu (SPA); Bryan Coquard (FRA); Emanuel Buchmann (GER); Ion Izaguirre (SPA); Alexis Renard (FRA); Dylan Teuns (BEL); Benjamin Thomas (FRA); Damien Touzé (FRA)

 Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale (France): Bruno Armirail (FRA); Clement Berthet (FRA); Stefan Bissegger (SYU); Felix Gall (AUT); Oliver Naesen (BEL); Aurelien Paret-Peintre (FRA); Callum Scotson (AUS);  Bastien Tronchon (FRA)

Team Picnic PostNL (Netherlands):  Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN); Warren Barguil (FRA); Pavel Bittner (CZE); Sean Flynn (GBR); Niklas Märkl (GER); Tim Naberman (NEL); Oscar Olney (GBR); Frank van den Broek (NED) 

EF Education – Easypost (USA): Vincenzo Albanese (ITA); Kasper Asgreen (DEN); Alex Baudin (FRA); Ben Healy (IRE); Harry Sweeny (AUS); Neilson Powless (USA);  Michael Valgren (DEN); Marijn Van den Berg (NEL)

Groupama–FDJ (France): Lewis Askey (GBR); Cyril Barthe (FRA); Romain Gregoire (FRA); Valentin Madouas (FRA); Guillaume Martin (FRA); Quentin Pacher (FRA); Paul Penhoët (FRA); Clément Russo (FRA)

Ineos Grenadiers (Great Britain): Thymen Arensman (NED); Tobias Foss (NOR); Filippo Ganna (ITA); Axel Laurance (FRA); Ben Swift (GBR); Connor Swift (GBR); Samuel Watson (GBR); Geraint Thomas (GBR)

Intermarché-Wanty (Belgium): Louis Barée (FRA); Vito Braet (BEL); Biniam Girmay (ERITREA); Hugo Page (FRA); Laurenz Rex (BEL); Jonas Rutsch (GER); Roel Van Sintmaartensdijk (BEL); Georg Zimmerman (GER)

Israel-PremierTech (Israel): Pascal Ackermann (GER); Joseph Blackmore (GBR); Guillaume Boivin (CAN); Mats Louvel (FRA); Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ); Krists Neilands (LAT); Jake Stewart (GBR); Michael Woods (CAN)

Jayco AlUla (Australia): Eddie Dunbar (IRE); Luke Durbridge (AUS); Dylan Groenewegen (NED); Luka Mezgec (SLO); Ben O’Connor (AUS); Luke Plapp (AUS); Elmer Reinders (BEL); Mauro Schmid (SUI)

Lidl-Trek (USA): Simone Consonni (ITA); Jonathan Milan (ITA); Thibaut Nys (Bel); Jasper Stuyven (BEL); Quinn Simmons (USA); Mattias Skjelmose (DEN); Toms Skujins (LAT); Edward Theuns (BEL)

Lotto-Destny (Belgium):  Jasper De Buyst (BEL); Arnaud De Lie (BEL); Jenno Berckmoes (BEL); Jarrad Drizners (AUS); Sébastien Grignard (BEL); Eduardo Sepulveda (ARG); Lennert Van Eetvelt (BEL); Brent Van Moer (BEL)

Movistar (Spain): Will Barta (USA); Pablo Castrillo (SP); Ivan Garcia Cortina (SP); Enric Mas (SPA);  Gregor Mühlberger (AUS); Nelson Oliveira (POR); Ivan Romeo (SP); Einer Rubio (COL)

Soudal Quickstep (Belgium): Mattia Cattaneo (ITA); Pascal Eenkhoorn (NED); Remco Evenpoel (BEL); Tim Merlier (BEL); Valentin Paret-Peintre (FRA); Maximilian Schachmann (GER); Bert Van Lerberghe (BEL); Ilan Van Wilder (BEL)

TotalEnergies (FRA): Mathieu Burgaudeau (FRA); Steff Crass (BEL); Alexandre Delettre (FRA); Thomas Gachignard (FRA);  Emilien Jeanniere (FRA); Jordan Jegat (FRA); Anthony Turgis (FRA); Matteo Vercher (FRA)

Tudor Pro Cycling Team (SUI): Julian Alaphilippe (FRA); Alberto Dainese (ITA); Marco Haller (AUT); Marc Hirschi (SUI); Fabian Leinhard (SUI); Marius Mayrhofer (GER); Michael Storer (AUS); Matteo Trintin (ITA)

UAE Team Emirates (UAE): Tadej Pogačar (SL); João Almeida (POR); Stian Fredheim (NOR);  Jonathan Narvaez (ECU); Nils Politt (GER); Pavel Sivakov (FRA);  Marc Soler (SPA);  Tim Wellens (BEL);  Adam Yates (GBR) 

UNO-X Mobility (Norway): Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR); Magnus Cort (DEN); Alexander Kristoff (NOR); Markus Hoelgaard (NOR); Anders Halland Johannessen (NOR); Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR); Andreas Leknessund (NOR); Søren Wætrnskold (NOR); 

Visma Lease a Bike (Netherlands): Edoardo Affini (ITA); Tiesj Benoot (BEL); Victor Campenaerts (BEL); Sepp Kuss (USA); Jonas Vingegaard (DEN); Wout Van Aert (BEL);   Matteo Jorgenssen (USA); Simon Yates (GBR)

British Cyclists

There are 10 British cyclists in the Tour de France 2025: Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious); Sean Flynn & Oscar Olney (Team PostNL); Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ); Ben Swift; Connor Swift; Samuel Watson; Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers); Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates); Simon Yates (Visma Lease a Bike).

Australian Cyclists

There are 11 Australian cyclists in the Tour de France 2025: Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck); Jack Haig & Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious); Callum Scotson  (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale); Harry Sweeney (EF Education – Easypost); Luke Durbridge, Ben O’Connor, Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla); Jarrad Drizners (Lotto-Destny); Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team).

North American Cyclists

The Americans have three riders in the Tour de France 2024: Neilson Powless  (EF Education-Easypost); Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike); Sean Quinn (EF Education Easypost).

Winners and Losers in the Tour de France

Previous winners

2024 Tadej Pogačar
2023 Jonas Vingegaard 
2022 Jonas Vingegaard 
2021 Tadej Pogačar
2020 Tadej Pogačar
2019 Egan Bernal
2018 Geraint Thomas
2017 Chris Froome
2016 Chris Froome
2015 Chris Froome
2014 Vincenzo Nibali
2013 Chris Froome
2012 Bradley Wiggins
2011 Cadel Evans
2010 Andy Schleck

Five riders have managed to win the Tour five times:
Jacques Anquetil (France) 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974
Bernard Hinault (France) 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985
Miguel Induráin (Spain) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995
Chris Froome (GB) 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017

Three riders have won three times:
Philippe Thys (Belgium) 1913, 1914, 1920
Louison Bobet (France), 1953, 1054, 1955
Greg Lemond (USA) 1986, 1989, 1990

The record number of wins ever was seven by Lance Armstrong of the United States (1999-2005). But after being found guilty of doping by the USADA in 2012, he was stripped of all of these titles.

Other disqualifications after the winner has been caught out:
In 1904 the winner, Maurice Garin, was stripped of his title after it was discovered that he had caught a train for part of the event
In 2006 Floyd Landis of the United States was found to have raised testosterone levels
In 2010 Alberto Contador was stripped of the win after investigations into his drug use.

And what about…

How do riders in the Tour de France pee? This seems to be a popular question which makes sense. A cyclist can just stop to pee, if possible making sure they are fairly far to the front.
The usual convention is when the leader (rider in the yellow jersey) decides where a pee spot will be, preferably in a remote part of the race. The TV cameras do not film them and riders are not allowed to take advantage of this to improve their position. Sounds very fair to me!

What the jerseys mean and prize money

A total of over 2.3 million Euros will be awarded overall, including €500,000 to the overall winner of each individual classification.

The Yellow Jersey (maillot jaune) is the overall winner of the race up to that point, awarded after each stage.
The Green Jersey is for the best sprinter. Points are awarded at the finish of each stage, and for an intermediate sprint in all normal stages.

Here’s the official website for the Tour de France 2025
Cycling News has excellent up-to-date information on the Tour de France 2025 (and is good on cycling generally). Procycling news is another good source.

Here’s the Le Tour Facebook link
Instagram link
Twitter link

Major events in July 2025 in France

More geographic information about France

More about the regions of France
More about the departments of France
More about the mountains of France

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