Route
The race will take place immediately after the men's tour, returning to its late-July spot in the calendar. [1] In June 2024, it was announced that the Tour de France Femmes would have a Grand Départ in Brittany in northwestern France — with three stages in the region. [2] [3] Furthermore, the length of the race would be extended to nine days, with nine stages. [2] [3]
Prior to the route announcement, it was rumoured that the race will again visit the Alps. [4] [5] In October 2024, the full route was announced by race director Marion Rousse. [6] [7] It will comprise nine days of racing with nine stages, covering a total of 1,165 kilometres (724 mi) with 17,240 metres (56,560 ft) of elevation gain. The first three stages will take place in Brittany, before heading east across France towards the Alps via the Massif Central. [6] [7] The final two stages will take place in the Alps, with the queen stage on stage 8 culminating with a summit finish at the Col de la Madeleine at an elevation of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). [6] [7] The Col de la Madeleine has previously been tackled by the women's professional peloton, including twice during the 2002 Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale. [8] The final stage will feature Col de Joux Plane, with a finish at the ski resort of Châtel – Les Porte des Soleil. [6] [7]
The route does not feature a time trial, unlike the previous two editions. [9] [10] Rousse noted that the course was harder and longer, stating that "from the Thursday to the Sunday it's either medium- or high-mountain stages". [11]
Reacting to the route, Cyclist considered that it has a "punchy start and a very tough final few stages", [12] with Rouleur stating that "it's likely that these parcours could provide some extremely fiery racing" [10] and that the lack of a time trial was the "only glaring omission from the route". [10] L'Équipe noted that the "demanding course" and longer length "reinforces the idea that the event has grown". [13] Defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma stated that she liked the route, but noted disappointment regarding the lack of a time-trial. [14]
Both Marion Rousse and Rouleur noted that the changes in the women's peloton for 2025 could lead to competitive racing, [15] with the return of four-time Giro d'Italia Women winner Anna van der Breggen and French multi-discipline world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to the peloton, as well as the moves of Demi Vollering to FDJ–Suez and Elisa Longo Borghini to UAE Team ADQ. [15] [10]
| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 July | Vannes to Plumelec | 79 km (49 mi) |  | Hilly stage | |
| 2 | 27 July | Brest to Quimper | 110 km (68 mi) |  | Flat stage | |
| 3 | 28 July | La Gacilly to Angers | 162 km (101 mi) | | Flat stage | |
| 4 | 29 July | Saumur to Poitiers | 128 km (80 mi) | | Flat stage | |
| 5 | 30 July | Jaunay-Marigny (Futuroscope) to Guéret | 166 km (103 mi) |  | Medium-mountain stage | |
| 6 | 31 July | Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert | 124 km (77 mi) |  | Mountain stage | |
| 7 | 1 August | Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry | 160 km (99 mi) | | Hilly stage | |
| 8 | 2 August | Chambéry to Saint-François-Longchamp (Col de la Madeleine) | 112 km (70 mi) | | Mountain stage | |
| 9 | 3 August | Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel – Les Porte des Soleil | 124 km (77 mi) | | Mountain stage | |
| Total | 1,165 km (724 mi) | |||||
