The first half of the 2025 Tour de France is done, get all the updates here!
The 2025 Tour de France is off to a thrilling start, with the first 10 stages delivering everything fans could hope for; high speeds, dramatic breakaways, fierce mountain battles, and edge-of-your-seat sprint finishes. From the scenic coastal roads of Normandy to the punishing climbs of the Massif Central, this year's race has already seen standout performances from both top contenders and rising stars. As the peloton heads into the heart of the competition, the yellow jersey has changed hands multiple times, and sprinters and climbers have each had their moment to shine. Here's a stage-by-stage look at how the action has unfolded so far in the first ten stages of the world's most famous cycling race.
Stage 1: Lille Métropole> Lille Métropole
Stage 1 of the 2025 Tour de France took place in Lille Métropole, covering 185 km and featuring strong crosswinds that caused the main group of riders, called the peloton, to split apart. Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen won the stage in a wild sprint finish, marking his 10th stage win and earning the yellow jersey for the first time. His teammate Mathieu van der Poel helped set up the win perfectly. Biniam Girmay finished second, and Søren Wærenskjold came in third.
Wind and crashes made the race even more intense, forcing top riders like Filippo Ganna and Stefan Bissegger to drop out. A key moment came when a group of riders broke away, leaving big names like Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič 39 seconds behind rivals Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. Now, Philipsen leads the overall race, while Evenepoel and Roglič have some ground to make up.
Stage 2: Lauwin-Planque> Boulogne-Sur-Mer
The longest stage of the race, the 209.1 km stage 2 of the Tour, finally got under way after wet conditions delayed the race by 15 minutes and made for a challenging route. A four-man breakaway formed early, including Armirail, Van Moer, Fedorov, and Leknessund, with Fedorov and Leknessund crashing but rejoining.
The final 30 km featured steep climbs that split the peloton. In a dramatic uphill sprint, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) edged out the favorite Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), with Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in third. Van der Poel's win secured him the yellow jersey, taking it from teammate Jasper Philipsen. Pogačar and Vingegaard followed closely in the GC, four and six seconds behind respectively. Florian Lipowitz attempted a late solo attack but was caught before the finish. Despite the rain and crashes, all riders completed the stage, marked by a strong showing from the Alpecin-Deceuninck team.
Stage 3: Valenciennes> Dunkerque
Stage 3 of the 2025 Tour de France, spanning 178.3 km from Valenciennes to Dunkirk, ended with Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) claiming victory in a tight sprint finish over Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). The day was marred by a crash that forced top sprinter and stage 1 winner Jasper Philipsen to abandon the race. Early breakaway attempts, including efforts by Rickaert, Mohoric, Politt, and Wellens, didn't last past the first 21 kilometers.
Tim Wellens managed to secure the King of the Mountains point at Mont Cassel, earning the polka-dot jersey. No combativity award was given for the stage. Teams Alpecin-Deceuninck and Soudal Quick-Step controlled much of the pace in the peloton. In the final kilometers, Lidl-Trek led out the sprint for Milan, but Merlier's sprinting abilities won out, reminding many of his Stage 3 victory from 2021. Mathieu Van der Poel kept the yellow jersey, and the riders faced challenging, wind-exposed conditions after Béthune.
Stage 4: Amiens Métropole> Rouen
Stage 4 of the 2025 Tour de France was a tough 174.2 km ride from Amiens to Rouen, with lots of hills packed into the last part of the stage. A small group of riders broke away early, but they were caught before the final climbs. The real action came with 5.5 km to go, when Tadej Pogacar made a strong attack on a steep hill. Jonas Vingegaard tried to chase him but couldn't keep up.
In the final sprint, Pogacar beat Mathieu Van der Poel to win the stage, marking his 100th career win and 18th Tour de France stage victory. Even though both Pogacar and Van der Poel have the same time overall, Van der Poel keeps the yellow jersey because of better finishes in earlier stages. This win also made Pogacar the first reigning world champion to take a Tour stage since 2021, showing he's still one of the top riders in the world.
Stage 5: Caen> Caen
Stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France was a 33 km individual time trial in Caen, where Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel claimed his second stage win. He beat Tadej Pogačar by 16 seconds, but Pogačar still took over the overall lead and now wears the yellow jersey. French cyclist Kévin Vauquelin had a strong ride and moved up to third overall. Jonas Vingegaard, a top favorite, finished 13th on the day and now trails Pogačar by 1 minute and 13 seconds. Mathieu van der Poel, who had worn the yellow jersey for three days, slipped to sixth place.
The stage saw impressive early performances from riders like Edoardo Affini and Bruno Armirail. Two riders, Emilien Jeannière and Jasper De Buyst, dropped out of the race, leaving 179 cyclists still competing. The stage shook up the rankings and set the tone for a tough race ahead.
Stage 6: Bayeux> Vire Normandie
Stage 6 of the 2025 Tour de France was a tough, hilly ride through Normandy, stretching over 201.5 kilometers. It was described as the hardest "flat" stage of the race, with a lot of climbing. Early on, a breakaway group of eight strong riders formed, including well-known names like Mathieu Van der Poel and Ben Healy.
With about 42 kilometers left, Healy made a bold solo move, pulling away from the others and riding alone to the finish. He won the stage, his first ever in the Tour, and gave Ireland its first stage win since 2020. Quinn Simmons came in second, followed by Michael Storer. Van der Poel, even though he finished nearly four minutes behind Healy, took back the yellow jersey as the overall race leader by just one second ahead of Tadej Pogacar. The stage shook up the standings and showed how one big move can completely change the race.
Stage 7: Saint-Malo> Múr-De-Bretagne Guerlédan
Stage 7 of the 2025 Tour de France was a tough 197 km ride from Saint-Malo to Mûr-de-Bretagne. A small group of riders, including Geraint Thomas, broke away early, but their lead never got too big. Ewen Costiou pushed ahead and won the day's most aggressive rider award. With about 6.5 km left, a crash shook things up causing Jack Haig to have to leave the race, and João Almeida broke ribs and lost major time.
In the final steep climb, Tadej Pogačar turned up the pace and out-sprinted Jonas Vingegaard in the last 200 meters to win the stage. This was Pogačar's second stage win of the race. He also took back the yellow jersey as the overall leader and grabbed the green jersey for points. Now, he's 54 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel in the general classification. The stage showed Pogačar's strength and shook up the race standings once again.
Stage 8: Saint-Méen-le-Grand> Lava Espace Mayenne
Stage 8 of the 2025 Tour de France was a hot and windy 171 km ride from Saint-Méen-le-Grand to Laval, best suited for sprinters. Italian rider Jonathan Milan showed his strength by winning the intermediate sprint and later taking first place at the finish line, earning his first Tour de France stage win. His victory also ended a long drought for Italy, which hadn't seen a stage win since 2019.
The race saw early excitement when two French riders, Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Vercher, broke away from the pack and led for much of the stage. They even earned a rare shared "most combative rider" award. However, the main group caught up in the final kilometers, leading to a fast and powerful sprint to the finish. Milan's strong performance helped identify him as one of the top sprinters in this year's race.
Stage 9: Chinon> Châteauroux
Stage 9 of the 2025 Tour de France was a fast and exciting race, covering 174.1 kilometers from Chinon to Châteauroux. The flat route made it ideal for sprinters, and the riders kept a blazing pace, averaging 50 km/h. Early in the race, Mathieu van der Poel and teammate Jonas Rickaert broke away from the pack and built a lead of over five minutes, but they were caught just before the finish line.
In a powerful uphill sprint, Tim Merlier of the Soudal Quick-Step team claimed victory, beating Jonathan Milan and Arnaud De Lie. This win marked Merlier's second stage win of the Tour and the third for his team. The stage finished in Châteauroux, also known as "Cavendish City" to honor British sprinter Mark Cavendish, who won there in 2008, 2011, and 2021. With a rest day coming up after the next stage, riders now prepare for Stage 10, which heads into the more challenging hills of the Massif Central.
Stage 10: Ennezat> Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy
Stage 10 of the 2025 Tour de France took place yesterday, on Bastille Day, covering a tough 165.3 km mountain route from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore. A big group of 29 riders broke away early, including Simon Yates and Ben Healy. Lenny Martinez earned mountain points on several climbs, eyeing the polka-dot jersey. As the stage neared its end, Healy pushed hard to take the overall lead, but it was Yates who made a powerful move in the final steep climb to win the stage—his first Tour de France victory in six years.
Healy finished third, but it was enough to earn him the yellow jersey as the new overall race leader. He became just the fourth Irishman in history to wear it. Behind them, top contenders Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard finished together, nearly five minutes later, keeping the overall competition close.
And there you have it! What did you think of the first half of the Tour de France? What are your early predictions? I hope you're having as much fun watching as I am! Remember to come back to Outdoor Revival after the race is finished for another recap of the second half of the race.