CARDS. Tour de France 2025: from Lille to Dunkirk, discover the route of the first three stages

2023-11-30 11:24:00

This Thursday morning, the official route of these three stages of the Tour de France 2025 was presented to the Northern prefecture, in the presence of the organizers and the main elected officials of the region. Discover the program.

First stage: Lille Métropole – Lille Métropole (185 kilometers)

The 112th edition of the Tour de France will take off on July 5, 2025 during a 185-kilometer stage around Lille. From the capital of Flanders, the peloton will head towards Pas-de-Calais and Lens-Liévin before going up towards Cassel then returning to Lille along the Belgian border. Three climbs will spice up this route: the coast of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (1 km at 7.6%), the coast of Cassel (1.9 km at 3.5%) and Mont Noir (1.3 km at 6.4%), the last listed climb placed more than 45 kilometers from the finish. Unless the wind and rain get involved, a massive arrival is expected in Lille. This was also the case during the last arrival of the Tour de France in the capital of Flanders, in 2014, where Marcel Kittel won. The first yellow jersey of this 112th edition should therefore be worn by a sprinter, which has not happened since 2020 with the success of Alexander Kristoff in Nice.

Second stage: Lauwin Planque – Boulogne-sur-Mer (209 kilometers)

The route of the second stage linking Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer embodies the wonderful surprise of this big start in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. And it’s a safe bet that a sprinter will not win near the most important French fishing port on July 6. The last thirty kilometers of this second stage will be like a roller coaster. The coast of Haut-Pichot (Mont Violette, 1 km at 10%) and the coast of Saint-Etienne-au-Mont (Mont d’Ecault, 900 m at 11%), two of the most difficult climbs in Hauts-de- France, should break through the peloton for the first time. Before the Côte d’Outreau (800 m at 8.8%) and the climb leading to the finish make a final selection. The Tour de France will therefore return to Boulogne-sur-Mer, thirteen years following the resounding success of Peter Sagan. At the time, the peloton had already taken Mont Violette but had reached the finish via Mont Lambert. The 2025 version of the Monts du Boulonnais stage promises to be much more demanding than the 2012 version. That promises!

Third stage: Valenciennes – Dunkirk (172 kilometers)

The day following the Boulogne festival, the last day in Nord-Pas-de-Calais promises to be relatively peaceful. From Valenciennes, the peloton will bypass the Lille metropolis to the west to reach Dunkirk at the end of a 172 kilometer stage. The start of the route will follow the Paris-Roubaix route to Mons-en-Pévèle but without taking any paved sector. A quick detour through Pas-de-Calais will end with an intermediate sprint in Isbergues, a Mecca for regional cycling. The last 55 kilometers will trace almost a straight line towards the north, enhanced by an ascent to Cassel (2.3 km at 3.8%). A climb which will not allow the peloton to be split up but which will be followed by a completely exposed finish which might cause edges in the event of a side wind. A massive arrival is still expected around the Marcel-Tribut stadium in Dunkirk.

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