Innholdsfortegnelse for July 3, 2025 i Cycling Weekly

As I write this, I’m starting to get a little nervous. Not because we have to finish this 124-page issue and, as of Monday, less than half the teams have been announced, and not because I’m imagining a tense opening stage around Lille. I’m getting nervous because I’m taking my family to the Tour for the first time. I haven’t told them exactly what that involves - standing by the side of the road all day, in the hot sun, waiting for a bunch of cyclists to flash past in a matter of seconds. Put like that, it doesn’t sound like a great day out to a couple of kids… or anyone. And yet it is. Those quiet few hours, setting up camp, finding some shade, eating lunch too early,…

After becoming the first British rider to win the Tour de l’Avenir last year, 22-year-old Joe Blackmore is set to make his debut at the Tour de France. Speaking to CW before travelling to Lille, Blackmore explained that he had already received a lot of advice. “We’ve spoken about the race a lot,” he said. “But I think sometimes you just need to crack on, not think about it. They all say how hard it is, I know I’ll need to learn to suffer a lot. That’s the main advice I’ve been given.” Blackmore added that he’s looking to hit the ground running: “There are a good few punchy stages in the first 10 days which could be really good for me. I’ve done a fair few one-week stage races…

With around half the teams expected to back their sprinters, there’s a strong chance one of them will pull on the yellow jersey – something no sprinter has done since Alexander Kristoff in 2020. This will be the 19th time Lille has hosted the Tour. Today’s route Often when the Tour is in the vicinity of Lille it’s because the dreaded cobbles of Paris-Roubaix are on the menu. But this time the peloton needn’t fear the ancient tracks: today’s race avoids them entirely – to the relief of Jonas Vingegaard and the other climbers. The route includes three category four climbs which will ensure someone is in the King of the Mountains jersey by the end of the day. These hills won’t tax the bunch or prevent the stage from…

It’s the return of a modern-day Tour de France favourite: the Mûr-de-Bretagne. And just like in 2021, when Mathieu van der Poel prevailed, the riders ascend it twice in the final 20km. Today’s route: The beautiful walled city of Saint-Malo will bid au revoir to a peloton that will head away from the coast at first before returning to the shoreline at the midway point. After passing through Saint-Brieuc and also Bernard Hinault’s home village of Yffiniac, the route continues south towards Guerlédan and the Mûr-de-Bretagne, where riders will complete a 20km finishing loop. Route highlights: Locals refer to the Mûr as the Breton Alpe d’Huez, and although it lacks hairpins and ski lifts, it does have savage ramps and a fearsome reputation. Officially totalling just two kilometres with an…

It’s Bastille Day, the French national holiday, and the route planners have designed a blockbuster stage in the Massif Central to celebrate. Today’s route Up, down, up, down, with little respite in between. From the moment the stage rolls out in Ennezat, it’s climbing and descending all the way to the finish, via eight categorised climbs and dormant volcanoes. The elevation gradually rises, reaching a maximum height of 1,451m. It’s in stark contrast to the opening week of the Tour, and riders’ head units will read Route highlights The penultimate climb of the Col de la Croix-Saint-Robert could see a rider, or a small group, jump clear, but the 3.5km finishing climb up to the ski station of Le Mont-Dore is likely to be the decisive climb of the day,…

It’s a time trial, but not as we know it. This one tilts upwards the whole way and it’s going to have a significant impact on the destiny of the yellow jersey. Today’s route Once riders roll down the ramp in Loudenvielle they’ve only got three kilometres to find their legs before turning onto the lower slopes of Peyragudes. There are just six hairpins along with a few twists and bends on the climb with several long straights, meaning riders will be able to see other competitors on the road ahead of them. They will therefore have to manage their efforts and not be affected by those around them. Route highlights The altiport at Peyragudes only debuted in 2012, but since then it’s become a semi-regular presence in Grand Tour…

The Giant of Provence or the Bald Mountain – whatever you want to call it, the most iconic mountain in France is back as a stage finish for the first time since 2016. Today’s route Stage 16 has a distinctly Vuelta a España feel about it: flat all day, nothing of note, and then a big beast at the end with the potential to turn the race on its head. The Mediterranean city of Montpellier gets things under way, and then it’s an easy jaunt north-east towards Bédoin, the town at the foot of Mont Ventoux. Approaching the fabled ascent from its southern flank, it’s a 15.7km climb all the way to the top. Keep an eye out for the wind, both blowing across the flatlands and at the top…

Barring any unforeseen drama on the final weekend, this is the last chance saloon for anyone still coveting, but not wearing, yellow. There are five climbs in total, culminating with a marathon ascent to La Plagne. It’s now or never. Today’s route Albertville holds good memories for Jonas Vingegaard: his win on the Col du Granon in 2022, his breakthrough victory that led to his first yellow jersey, started from here. The Granon isn’t included today, but there’s still plenty of terrain to cause damage on the shortest road stage of the whole race. The summit of the first climb is reached after only 18km of racing, and the Col des Saisies (13.7km at 6.4%) follows quickly after. The Col du Pré (12.6km at 7.7%) and Cormet de Roselend (5.9km…

Nationality: Slovenian | Age: 26 | 2024 Tour result: Ist overall, six stage wins | 2025 highlights: 1st Critérium du Dauphiné, 1st Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 1st Tour of Flanders, 1st Flèche Wallonne, 1st Strade Bianche | Strength: Everything | Weakness: Not as good as Vingegaard and Evenepoel at TTs Entertainment rating ★★★★★ If it wasn’t clear enough already, Tadej Pogačar’s victory at last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné further cemented his status as the man to beat this July. The Tour’s amuse-bouche race was the first time the Slovenian had competed against both Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel since they finished 1-2-3 in Nice last year, and he beat them both at a canter, dropping them effortlessly when the road tilted uphill. Last year’s Tour marked Pogačar’s third overall title, and his most…

Last year the French team had a bona fide GC contender in Aussie Ben O'Connor, who put the seal on his season with second place in the Vuelta a España. Unfortunately, this year O'Connor has moved to Jayco-AlUla so a focus on stage wins will become more prominent for Decathlon, but they still have a potential stage winner and GC rider in the form of Felix Gall. The team had a lacklustre showing at last year’s race, with no stage wins and only a 14th place on GC to show. As a result, they are redoubling their efforts this time round. "After last year’s failure the Tour takes up a lot of space in [the team's] heads," sports director Julien Jurdie said. "You'll find a very aggressive Decathlon at this…

After triumphing on stage nine at last year’s Tour, TotalEnergies will be looking to make their mark as one of three wildcard teams. It was Anthony Turgis who won a memorable gravel stage in Troyes in the last edition, but the team has struggled for high-profile victories this year. With a potential loss of sponsorship looming as Ineos Grenadiers vie for the support of TotalEnergies from 2026, the current team will want to make an impact. Star rider: Emilien Jeannière The 25-year-old sprinter has been knocking on the door in the first six months of the year. Though he’s yet to win, he enjoyed a breakthrough result at Paris-Nice, where he finished second to Tim Merlier on stage two. A string of top 10s followed elsewhere, before another WorldTour podium…

This humble Belgian team enter their eighth Tour de France with the threat of relegation from the UCI WorldTour looming. Long having punched above their weight, the results have dried up this year, with just two wins all season. They’re in need of a fruitful Tour, therefore, and have the man for the occasion: Biniam Girmay. The Eritrean (right) is the team’s only truly elite rider, evidenced last year when he stormed his way to a sensational three stage wins and the green jersey, making history as the first black African to achieve either of these feats. Elsewhere, German Georg Zimmermann is perhaps their best hope of a breakaway win, having placed second from one at a hilly stage 10 two years ago, while the likes of Hugo Page and…

One of four French teams in the WorldTour and arguably the most consistent and successful among them, Groupama-FDJ have plenty of strength in depth when it comes to all but the biggest races. Their Tour squad stays, for the most part, loyal to their French roots, counting among their ranks former home GC hope Guillaume Martin, Classics specialist Valentin Madouas (right) and climber Roman Grégoire, who put in a sterling showing in the Tour de Suisse. The only non-native French speaker among the chosen eight is Brit Lewis Askey, a former Junior Paris-Roubaix winner. The Cannock-born rider earned his first two professional wins earlier this season, as well as two podiums at the Tour de Suisse. At 24 years old, he has now been rewarded with a Tour debut, made…

It wasn’t long ago that Movistar were serious players at the Tour. With Nairo Quintana as the captain, and Alejandro Valverde in their ranks, the yellow jersey – or at least the podium – looked a real possibility. In recent years, however, results have dropped off rapidly for the Spanish squad, with regular 30-win seasons slipping into the single figures. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Einer Rubio’s eighth place at the Giro d’Italia proved he’s one of the best ascenders in the bunch, and although Pablo Castrillo is yet to win this season, there’s a feeling good things will come from the new signing. Previously of Kern Pharma, the 24-year-old was the breakthrough star of last year’s Vuelta a España, winning two stages on mountaintop finishes. Can he…

Nationality: Spanish | Age: 24 | Tour 2024 result: 7th overall | 2025 highlights: 6th Tour de Romandie, 9th Critérium du Dauphiné | Strength: Climbing Weakness: Third week recovery and TTs Entertainment rating ★★ Carlos Rodríguez is the kind of rider who, in years gone by, might have managed to sneak onto the podium – and possibly even win – the Tour, should the perfect cocktail of form, clever tactic and luck materialise. He’s a talented climber, and a steady, reliable rider all-round who rarely makes mistakes or has catastrophic days. But in the era of such freakish and untouchable competitors as Pogačar and Vingegaard, he’s condemned to make do with trying to be best of the rest. This will be his third Tour de France leading Ineos’s GC ambitions,…

Owned by Swiss Classics legend Fabian Cancellara, this will be Tudor’s first Tour de France and a breakthrough moment – "the dream becomes reality," as Cancellara says. Emerging from the guise of the Swiss Racing Academy and moving from Continental to ProTeam status in 2023, the team secured the signature of French star Julian Alaphilippe this year, which no doubt helped them on their way to their first wildcard selection for the Tour. Star rider: Julian Alaphilippe Alaphilippe’s best results would appear to be behind him, but what results they are. He has won multiple Classics and memorably wore the Tour’s yellow jersey for 14 days in 2019 before ultimately capitulating to Egan Bernal. Not only does he have major pedigree but he can still turn in a great ride,…

Roval has updated its Rapide Sprint CLX, CLX and CL wheelsets in a move that attempts to turn thinking around rim depth conventions on its head. The new models feature a deeper rim at the front and a shallower one at the rear, defying conventional wisdom that sees competitive riders using the opposite strategy. The Sprint CLX wheels now pair a 63mm rim up front, with a 58mm out back, while the lightweight CLX III sees a 51mm-deep rim combined with a 48mm depth at the rear. The more affordable CL III is a “direct descendant” of the CLX and uses the same rim sizes. The US brand’s confidence in its fresh approach to finding more speed was confirmed when Remco Evenepoel won the Paris Olympics time trial event using…

Back in the 1970s, it was much the fashion for keen racers to drill holes in components to make them lighter. When a bike shop owner in North London sold two pairs of identical handlebars to a rider in around 1977, he casually enquired as to why he wanted them, knowing as he did that the rider only had one race bike. “I’m going to drill holes in one pair, and keep drilling more until they break. Then I’m going to drill exactly the same holes in the other pair except for the last one on each side.” “That’s if don’t die in the crash when the first bars break?” “I hadn’t thought of that.” The merry days before carbon-fibre. And intelligence.…

Having been a loyal reader for years, I felt compelled to write following the latest round of UCI bashing. Like many, I’ve probably sub-consciously developed a negative caricature of the organisation - think rulers and sock length. However, having recently returned from a few weeks training with the UCI’s team of mechanics at their World Cycling Centre in Aigle, nothing could be further from the truth. What I found was a hugely talented and welcoming team of people who were not only passionate about the sport but also the safety of its riders – everyone from the amazing mechanics, to the centre’s administrators and chefs. A reminder that it’s not all about rules and fines, but the people and passion behind the rainbow bands!…

Depending on the time gaps, the yellow jersey could be up for grabs again. Today’s 33km time trial gives a glimpse into the form of the GC hopefuls. Today’s route Remarkably, given that Caen was an ever-present host town of the Tour in the first few decades of the race, the Normandy city hasn’t welcomed the race since 2006 – though it remains a regular stage host of the Tour de Normandie. Its long absence from the Tour comes to an end this year, with attention focused on the port city throughout the day. The time trial starts in the city centre and then heads north-west before looping back to the historic centre. What to expect This is a time trial route designed for the specialists, so expect one of…

The elevation profile of the final 100km depicts the jagged lines of a shark’s mouth, as the classic commentator’s cliché goes. With no fewer than four cols to be summited before the final showdown at Luchon-Superbagnères. It’s a critical stage for those in the yellow jersey and podium fight. Today’s route If the Tour is in the Pyrenees you can be assured the beautiful city of Pau will welcome a stage start, finish or rest day – or all three. Greeting the Tour for the 77th time – only Paris and Bordeaux have played host more often – riders will be on familiar roads when they head south towards Lourdes and into the mountains. Their first task is the mighty and mythical Col du Tourmalet from its western approach, included…

The Mistral can be fierce in the Rhône Valley, and if it blows, it could not only prevent the sprinters from winning in Valence but disrupt the top 10 too. Today’s route Bollène has featured in Paris-Nice eight times but has never before welcomed to the Tour de France. Starting from an elevation of just 50m, the road gradually rises upwards for the first 70km, culminating at the top of the gentle Col de Pertuis. A speedy descent leads into the Col de Tartaiguille, and then it’s flat all the way to Valence, a stage host for the fifth time. Route highlights The final 35km takes place on flat roads which are ideal terrain for the sprinters, but as the peloton snakes its way north, slightly east and then due…

WorldTour riders in their late-30s are usually close to kicking back with pipe and slippers – or at least joining the squad’s management team – but some riders have achieved big wins in their later years. US rider Chris Horner is the stand-out example. He was only six weeks away from his 42nd birthday when he won the Vuelta a España in 2013. There was – and remains – a healthy amount of scepticism about his ride, which in terms of age still stands head and shoulders above all other men’s Grand Tour victories. In response to the doubters, Horner released 39 biological passport results and said, “People can believe it or not,” adding: “I really only feel my age when I first wake up in the morning. But once…

The Belgian team will head to this year’s Tour de France with the same lead riders – and the same aims – that it has built its French campaign around for the past three seasons. Mathieu van der Poel will once again ride as a talented and talismanic domestique de luxe for sprinter Jasper Philipsen, who will be seeking to add to his lengthening stage win tally. Also on board will be Aussie Kaden Groves, who will be riding his first Tour de France. Groves has already chalked up nine Grand Tour sprint wins and could well find himself scoring a Tour victory too if Philipsen ends up boxed in or off the pace. Hitter: Mathieu van der Poel There aren't many races in which Mathieu van der Poel won't…

There is no smoke and mirrors when it comes to the Dutch team’s Tour de France ambitions – they are unabashedly out to reclaim the top spot taken by their Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard twice already. The team in yellow and black have spent the past two months riding high on the success of Simon Yates at the Giro d'Italia, with the newly signed Brit making good on the promise of 2018 to take overall victory on the final GC stage. Yates’s success is likely to instil a little extra self-belief in the Tour roster, which has been filled with a who’s who of Grand Tour and Classics stars and will almost certainly mean they'll boast the strongest line-up in the race. Overall victory has been the team’s goal since…

Victor Campenaerts’s breakaway win on stage 18 last year was the standout moment of Lotto’s entire season, but since the Belgian left for Visma-Lease a Bike, the good fortunes appear to have gone as well. In what has been a sub-par year for the team, climber Lennert Van Eetvelt remains a shining light, and will make his Tour debut with GC ambitions. The 23-year-old won last year’s Gree-Tour of Guangxi, but might be out of his depth against the bigger names. Star rider: Arnaud De Lie De Lie makes his second appearance at the Tour de France, with mounting pressure on the 23-year-old to aim for the green jersey. In his first three years with Lotto, the Belgian enjoyed consistent success, topping up the team’s UCI points tally. The wins,…

The ongoing participation of Israel-Premier Tech is becoming increasingly controversial in the context of the wars in the Middle East. The team has, however, again been invited to ride the Tour de France. There is a leadership dilemma in relation to who will be their main man for bunch sprints. Pascal Ackermann is the senior sprinter, especially having placed third on three occasions last year. But while he has struggled for form all year, Jake Stewart made a case for himself by winning a stage at the Dauphiné. Stewart’s fellow Brit Stevie Williams will miss the Tour due to injury, but their younger compatriot, the 22-year-old Joe Blackmore, is deemed ready for his Grand Tour debut. Without a man for the GC – Derek Gee, who was ninth last year,…

In the aftermath of May’s thrilling Giro d’Italia finale, spare a thought for Jayco-AlUla. While neutral (and especially British) viewers were marvelling at Simon Yates’s astonishing ambush to win the pink jersey, this team must have felt at least a little envious watching him triumph in his very first Grand Tour after leaving them. After all, it’s now seven years since Yates won the Vuelta for them. Still, his replacement Ben O’Connor is himself a capable GC leader, with the added bonus for the sponsors of being an Australian. O’Connor isn’t quite good enough to demand that the whole team unite behind him, and so stage wins will be sought. The ever-reliable Michael Matthews misses out due to a health scare, but the team have plenty of riders who could…

A rkéa-B&B Hotels may not be France’s leading WorldTour team – that’s Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale – but they play the role of the plucky underdogs well. First founded in 2005, the team scored its first ever Tour de France stage win last year, courtesy of Kévin Vauquelin. They’ll be hoping for more of the same this July, especially when the race visits the squad’s home region of Brittany. Star rider: Kévin Vauquelin With five wins to his name already this campaign, Vauquelin has been responsible for more than half of his whole team’s season tally. The 24-year-old’s victory on stage two in Bologna last year was a memorable one, not only because it continued a French streak, following Romain Bardet’s day one heroics, but because it shot him from…

How better to prepare for three weeks around France than in a tunnel in Northamptonshire? In Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s pursuit of speed, head of engineering Dan Bigham took Florian Lipowitz to the 2.7km, 100-year-old Catesby Tunnel last month, testing kit and tweaking positions. “It gave us some really interesting data,” Bigham told CW. “We’ve made some big improvements.” Whether it was down to the tunnel work or not, Lipowitz went on to score fifth in the time trial at the Dauphiné, and now gears up for his Tour debut. The German is part of a band of climbers in the team’s squad, alongside Aleksandr Vlasov and 2020 stage winner Dani Martínez. The idea? Support Primož Roglič, and disrupt the race’s Pogačar-Vingegaard dominance. They’d probably settle for third, though. Hitter: Florian Lipowitz…

It will be the end of an era for Picnic PostNL as they go into the Tour without Romain Bardet for the first time since the Frenchman joined the team from AG2R La Mondiale in 2021. Bardet and Dutch youngster Frank van den Broek gave Iwan Spekenbrink’s team a day to remember on the opening stage from Florence to Rimini last year, going clear in the latter half of the race in a two-up breakaway to take first and second, and the first yellow jersey that came with it. No Bardet on the road may take some getting used to for the team, although the Dutch squad will still head to Lille with plenty of firepower and optimism that they can still get up the road and look to contest…

There will be no victory lap of France for veteran Alexander Kristoff, who has not been selected in his retirement year. The four-time Tour stage winner said he was “a little bit disappointed” by the decision, but that he harboured “no bad feelings” towards the team, which instead shapes up to support GC rider Tobias Halland Johannessen (r) and young sprinter Stian Fredheim. This year marks Uno-X’s third in a row as a wildcard invite to cycling’s biggest race. In both of their previous participations, they’ve refused to simply play passenger, attacking into breakaways and wearing classification jerseys. After their most successful year to date in 2024, the next tickbox on Uno-X’s bucket list is to score a maiden Tour de France stage win – no easy feat for a…

Other figures from the rock and roll industry with a passion for road cycling include: Kraftwerk: When on tour in the early 1980s, co-founders Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider would regularly be dropped off 100 miles from the venue and cycle the rest of the way. The band released a single, Tour de France, in 1983, and 20 years later an album, Tour de France Soundtracks, to coincide with the Tour’s centenary edition. Echo and The Bunnymen: Guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson were confirmed roadies. They organised a bike ride for fans on the day of their 1984 ‘Crystal Day’ gig in Liverpool. John Cooper Clarke: The Salford punk poet knew he wanted to become a cyclist after his Uncle Dennis moved in with his family: “He was…

7-9HR The recommended amount of sleep per night for adults to allow the body to fully recover. 60MIN The ‘metabolic window’ postexercise for optimal refuelling is wider than was once thought – but make sure to replenish carbohydrates within two hours. 10-15BPM The typical fall in resting heart rate (RHR) that indicates adequate recovery. An elevated RHR can be a sign of overtraining. 48-72HR The peak window for DOMS when rest and active recovery are most crucial. 5-8G/KG/DAY The daily carbohydrate requirement for cyclists to maintain glycogen stores and support recovery training. 20-25% The percentage reduction in muscle soreness reported with consistent sleep of at least eight hours, compared to six or less. 1.6-2.2G/KG/DAY The optimal daily protein intake range for athletes to support recovery, adaptation and lean mass maintenance.…

JULY CHALLENGES Each month we set our riders two challenges to keep them motivated no matter their total mileage. ● CW MINI 1. Ride the distance of a stage of the Tour 2. Cross a border ● CW MIDI 1. Ride the distance of a stage of the Tour 2. Cross a border ● CW MAXI 1. Ride the distance of a stage of the Tour 2. Cross a border ● CW5000 1. Ride the distance of a stage of the Tour 2. Cross a border ● BONUS CHALLENGE Join a MyWhoosh virtual social ride. Every Thursday at 5:30pm Sign up to the MyWhoosh Big Ride Challenge at www.cyclingweekly.com/bigridechallenge POWERED BY…

Over the weekend of National Championships action across Europe and the world, possibly the most surprising result came in the Italian elite men’s race, where Filippo Conca, of club team Swatt Club, beat WorldTour pros to take the green, white and red jersey. More predictably, the elite women’s race was won by Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) for the sixth time in her career. The men’s TT title also had an expected winner in Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), while Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-Suez) triumphed in the women’s. The Belgian national men’s road race was won by Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) ahead of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) triumphed in the women’s race, preventing Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) from taking a fifth title,…

Ineos x TotalEnergies Ineos Grenadiers will ride with the TotalEnergies logo on their jerseys at the Tour and beyond, it was announced last week. The Ineos Grenadiers WorldTour squad and the TotalEnergies ProTeam will not merge; instead the French petrochemical giant will be a large secondary sponsor of Ineos the cycling team. Toms Skujiņš on Instagram Latvia’s national champs get a crown as well as a new jersey and medal, thanks to their celebration of the summer solstice. 251 The number of times Paul Clark cycled up Stock Hill in Bromley while climbing over 12,000m. The cyclist rode for 27 hours, and raised over £27,000 for charity, in support of the Chartwell Cancer Trust’s plans for a new information centre at a hospital in Farnborough, Kent. Arkéa’s future in doubt…

The first of three huge days in the Pyrenees that will have a significant bearing on the final outcome of the race. The hopes of some riders will be extinguished on the slopes of the Hautacam, while we’ll get a clearer picture of who’s set to go well in the upcoming high mountain tests. Today’s route This is a typical Pyrenean stage: starting in a town on the outskirts – this time it’s Auch, a stage host for the fourth time – and then covering 100km of flat and mostly uneventful roads before the mountains come into focus. As is often the case with the Pyrenees, the climbing starts abruptly with a left or right turn off the flat valley road. The first major climb, the Col du Soulor (11.8km…

A aaaaaaand relax. The Pyrenees are done for another year. But non-GC riders can’t relax too much: there’s still 2,400m of climbing to be done and a battle between the sprinters and the breakaway riders. Today’s route Muret, a suburb town of Toulouse, is the starting point of what is essentially a transitional day to get the peloton away from the Pyrenees and towards the Alps. There are a handful of modest climbs early on, before the Côte de Sorèze (6.2km at 5.5%) is crested ahead of the ascent of the Pas du Sant and the uncategorised climb of Col de Fontbruno. A 40km descent into the medieval city of Carcassonne will ensure a hair-raising and tight finish. Route highlights Usually a sprint finish is all but guaranteed in Carcassonne,…

This year’s queen stage packs in more than 5,500m of elevation across 171.5km of racing, with two legendary HC cols being summitted before a return to a modern HC favourite: the Col de la Loze. Today’s route As soon as the race flag drops it’s east into the Alps, with the first major climb, the Col du Glandon, beginning just 36km into the stage. A regular feature in the race in the 1980s and ’90s, this will be the 21.7km climb’s first appearance since 2015. The descent leads directly to the Col de la Madeleine (19.2km at 7.9%), similarly a former favourite that hasn't been used as much in recent years. There’s a stretch of valley road on the other side of the Madeleine, with the race dropping to 445m…

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have cemented their place as the number one UCI team, topping the rankings for the last two years, and winning by a landslide in 2024. A big wedge of that is thanks to their talisman, Tadej Pogačar, who was responsible for 25 wins last season – including two Grand Tours and a world title. The Slovenian can’t take all the credit, though. His victories contributed to a whopping tally of 81 for the whole team, meaning more than two thirds of the glory came from other riders. Among them were Adam Yates, João Almeida, Pavel Sivakov and Marc Soler, all of whom go to the Tour as super domestiques for Pogačar. The team’s sports director, Joxean Fernández Matxin, said earlier this year that he wants to maintain…

The team from the Middle East has riders that can win every type of stage. Colombian climber Santiago Buitrago has twice won Giro stages in the mountains, while Matej Mohorič is on hand for the long, lumpy days where he has excelled in the past. Although winless this year, the Slovenian has a habit of rising to big occasions, and often stays strong in the final week. As it stands right now their focus will be on recent Tour de Suisse stage winner, 21-year-old Lenny Martinez (right), and sprinter Phil Bauhaus. Also in the squad is Fred Wright, who showed off his fast finish at the Critérium du Dauphiné, when he came second in the stage-two bunch sprint at Issoire. The Brit will be looking to get in the breaks…

Nationality: Danish | Age: 28 | 2024 Tour result: 2nd, 1 stage win | 2025 highlights: 1st Volta ao Algarve, 2nd Critérium du Dauphiné | Strength: Climbing | Weakness: Pretty much nothing Entertainment rating ★★★★★ Given how prolific Tadej Pogačar was last year and has been this year, it’s easy to forget that not so long ago – 2022, ’23 – Vingegaard was the victor and the Slovenian the vanquished. This season, the tendency has been to assume that the new status quo will prevail, and a Pogačar cakewalk will ensue at the Tour. But don't forget that three months before last year’s race, Vingegaard was literally in pieces, having sustained multiple fractures and a punctured lung in an awful crash in the Itzulia Basque Country race. And yet, somehow,…

The late withdrawal of Richard Carapaz, announced just a week before the Grand Départ, comes as a significant blow for EF Education-EasyPost. The Ecuadorian won the King of the Mountains classification last year, but has now been ruled out with a gastrointestinal infection. “We’re all gutted for Richard,” his team boss Jonathan Vaughters said. Carapaz’s absence means there will likely be no GC bid from EF, who will instead go stage hunting. The effervescent Ben Healy, who made his Tour debut last year, is a former Giro stage winner, and should relish the Classics-style terrain of the first week. US rider Neilson Powless is a strong all-rounder who has been close to a stage victory before and could seal the deal this time round. The 28-year-old enjoyed a stint in…

Soudal Quick-Step head into the Tour under new management for the first time since the team’s inception in 2003. After 22 years at the helm of the Belgium-based squad, Patrick Lefevere stepped down as CEO at the end of last year and was replaced by fellow countryman Jurgen Foré, an ex-professional cyclist, at the top of the management structure. Following such a lengthy tenure at the top, Lefevere moving on was a hugely significant change given that he oversaw the organisation’s transition into a GC-focused team after an extensive period in which they were known for their Classics prowess, having won 22 Monuments during his time in charge. Foré certainly has big boots to fill, his main task being to ensure that the team builds on their impressive showing last…

One of the red-hot teams of the year, Lidl-Trek raced to 24 wins by mid-June, only the second team to reach that mark after UAE Team Emirates-XRG, with a remarkable six coming at the Giro d’Italia. It’s been an admirably collective effort, too, with nine different riders contributing to that tally, and such is their all-round strength that they can afford to leave star man Mads Pedersen off the Tour roster and still boast a fearsome line-up. While half the team will be reserved for Jonathan Milan’s sprint train, the other half of the squad is bursting with stage win potential. In the mountains, the Vuelta a España’s best young rider, Mattias Skjelmose (below), is among the best, while prodigious debutant Thibau Nys is a candidate for any puncheur stages…

As ever, Cofidis head into their home race looking for stage wins and TV exposure for their main sponsor, one of the longest standing in the WorldTour. Alongside the experienced Ion Izagirre, a two-time stage winner himself, the team has plenty of options for offensive racing as they look to go toe to toe with some of the bigger and more powerful squads. Alex Aranburu, for example, scored three top 10s last year, and is still looking for a maiden Grand Tour stage win. Star rider: Emanuel Buchmann Experienced German pro Buchmann finished fourth at the Tour in 2019, just 25 seconds short of a spot on the podium. After a lengthy spell with Bora-Hansgrohe, the 32-year-old moved to Cofidis last winter and has already impressed, finishing 11th at the…

How the mighty have fallen. There was a time when Ineos Grenadiers (formerly Team Sky) appeared to have unlocked a code to winning the Tour de France that no other team had access to, riding each edition with an algorithmic preciseness that rendered them virtually unbeatable. They won all but one of the eight editions between 2012-2019 with four different riders, and were barely challenged in any of them. But since the spell broke in 2020, when Egan Bernal’s title defence came apart due to a back injury, they’ve been well and truly usurped by UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Tadej Pogačar and Visma-Lease a Bike’s Jonas Vingegaard. The decline has been gradual but inexorable. First Geraint Thomas and then Richard Carapaz finished as best of the rest well behind those two…

XDS-Astana made headlines last year as the team Mark Cavendish was riding for when he took a record-breaking 35th Tour stage win in Saint-Vulbas to become the rider with the most Tour stage wins in history. The team will head into the race with high morale once more due to climbing out of the WorldTour relegation zone after making a flying start to 2025. Expect them to be on the attack as they look to continue the positive momentum in the coming three weeks. Star rider: Sergio Higuita The Colombian will be one of several cards to play in a strong hand for Alexandre Vinokourov as the team look to contest stage wins and throw their hat in the ring for prizes like the mountains classification. The 27-year-old Colombian finished…

Fill out the spaces below with the riders you think will finish in the top 10. At the end of the race award yourself three points for a rider in the correct position or classification jersey, and one point for a rider who finishes in the top 10 but not in the position you predicted. Your name __________________________________ Send a picture of your predictions to cycling@futurenet.com with ‘2025 TdF prediction game’ in the email title before the start of stage one to be in with a chance of being crowned chief TdF smartypants 2025!…

Rating The Giro Imperial II preserves many of the design elements of its predecessor, which was released in 2019. Thin translucent cutouts run along both sides of the shoe, and two aluminium BOA dials function as the tightening mechanism. Fit with the Imperial II is about as neutral as they come. The heel cup is built up, but is low enough to stay out of the way mechanically, while the toe box is firmly middle-of-the-road in terms of width. What’s more, the breathable, woven TPU fabric that makes up the shoe’s upper also offers flexibility that allows it to contour to different foot shapes more effectively compared to other, more rigidly built footwear options. I have been using this shoe regularly for around a month now, for everything from short,…

What’s the origin of your name? My dad is half-German, half-Swedish: Bjoern is Swedish, and Koerdt is German. My mum is from Northern Ireland. I was raised in Yorkshire, spent a few years racing in France, but now live in Sittard in the Netherlands, a few kilometres from Germany, and 15km from Belgium. So I’m a mix of everything! What’s your cycling background? When I was five, my dad bought a road bike for my middle sister, but she wasn’t interested so I took it up instead. I raced cyclo-cross as well as road as a junior. How did cyclo-cross help you? For technical skills, it’s been invaluable – you gain so much from riding off road. You can jump over things, your reactions are sharper, and you’re calmer when…

Claire Harrison’s laser focus earned her the Lach Dennis win Morden GP When: Sunday 20 July Where: Swindon Held on the new 1.2km-circuit at the Moredon Sports Hub, these women’s Regional A, and men’s Regional A and B races form part of the Oxfordshire Road Racing League. Organised by League RT, riders are encouraged to register in advance, with ORRL teams prioritised. Entry is £25. Dooleys Cycles RR When: Sunday 20 July Where: Paisley, Scotland Another new race takes place in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, west of Glasgow. Organised by Dooleys Cycles in Paisley, the race consists of 12 laps of a 7km circuit on rolling terrain, with cash primes every lap. The Regional A costs £25 to enter in advance, via BC.…

Alex Dowsett once told me that one of the reasons he was grateful to finish the Tour de France in 2019 was that if someone – a taxi driver, say – heard that he was a pro cyclist and responded by asking him if he’d ridden the Tour, he could say, “Yes”. Alex rode in 2015 as well, but crashed out on Stage 12. He reckoned you needed to finish to claim membership of the “Giant of the Road” club of Tour riders. When I am asked if I’ve ridden the Tour I obviously have to say “no”. I usually try to soften the impact on their opinion of me by telling them some of the other things I’ve done and won. It never helps. No one believes there are…