2025 Tour de France sprinters guide – Who to back for green jersey glory and fantasy points

The 2025 Tour de France will undoubtedly be defined by the yellow jersey contest between Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič, but just as important for many fans is the fierce battle for sprint supremacy and the green jersey. For fantasy team selectors on platforms like Velogames, this year’s Tour presents an unusually complex puzzle.

With only five stages looking nailed-on for full-bunch sprints – stages 1, 3, 8, 9 and 15 – picking traditional flat finishers is less straightforward. Stages 6 and 11 have potential, but late climbs and uphill finishes could cause selection carnage. That leaves room for more versatile sprinters and punchy riders to score big across multiple terrains, and makes the green jersey battle and fantasy scoring more open than ever on sites like Velogames.

Best 2025 Tour de France Sprinters

Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quickstep)
One of the best-value sprinters in the field from a fantasy perspective, Merlier comes into the Tour in white-hot form. He won the Brussels Cycling Classic and two stages at the Baloise Belgium Tour, taking his 2025 tally to double digits. While Soudal-Quickstep is built around Remco Evenepoel’s GC bid, Bert Van Lerberghe will ensure Merlier gets a reliable lead-out. Merlier hasn’t raced the Tour since 2021, but with 20 WorldTour wins since then, he’s more than ready. If he hits early, he could dominate the limited sprint opportunities.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Nine-time Tour de France stage winner and 2023 green jersey champion Jasper Philipsen should be another cornerstone of fantasy lineups. Though he has just two wins this year, the return of Mathieu van der Poel as his final lead-out rider is a game-changer. Kaden Groves also joins the team and is an elite backup option should Philipsen falter. Even if Philipsen doesn’t repeat his green jersey win, he’s still one of the most likely stage winners, and his price will reflect that.

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Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Here’s the wildcard. With so few traditional sprint stages, Van der Poel could become a genuine green jersey contender himself if Philipsen falters, or if opportunities arise from reduced bunch finishes. He’ll also be key in any late-stage breakaways or hilly sprints. Fantasy managers looking for points across multiple stage types should seriously consider him.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
Milan has matured into a dependable points machine, winning green at the last two Giros. He heads to his first Tour with seven wins in 2025, including sprints at the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico and Dauphiné. His Lidl-Trek train, featuring Simone Consonni, Edward Theuns and Jasper Stuyven, is cohesive and well-drilled. He’s a potential green jersey candidate, but even without that, Milan is a strong fantasy pick for stage wins.

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty)
Last year’s green jersey winner, Girmay hasn’t won a race since the 2024 Tour, but he’s been close on multiple occasions. Five second places in 2025 show he’s competitive, even if he’s lacked a final kick. Intermarché-Wanty desperately need UCI points to avoid relegation, so Girmay will have team support and pressure in equal measure. For fantasy selectors, he’s a mid-priced option who can survive punchy finales and could collect points consistently.

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Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Another fantasy joker. Van Aert is unlikely to focus purely on flat sprints, but he’ll be active in late-stage breaks, uphill drags and transition stages. He’s also capable of sneaking into a reduced sprint when other top-line sprinters drop off. With no Olav Kooij in the squad, Van Aert will have the freedom to hunt stages. Expect his fantasy points to build from versatility, not volume of sprint finishes.

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto)
The 23-year-old Belgian is returning to the Tour for a second time after illness interrupted his 2025 season. Third at the Brussels Cycling Classic and a solid finish at the Tour de Suisse suggests he’s getting back to his best. Lotto will support him with Jarrad Drizners, Jasper De Buyst and Jenno Berckmoes, and he could surprise in chaotic finales. De Lie is more of a budget pick for fantasy, but he’s capable of a stage win and potentially more.

Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla)
Groenewegen has six Tour stage wins and a good hit rate historically. He added three wins this year in Hungary and Slovenia, and was third at the Dutch Nationals. With Elmar Reinders and Luka Mezgec as his lead-out, he should be competitive in every flat finish. He’s a reliable fantasy pick, though unlikely to win green.

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Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Last year’s Paris stage winner arrives with a win at Tour de Suisse and Copenhagen Sprint under his belt. With Danny van Poppel (fresh from Dutch Nationals victory) also in the squad, Bora-Hansgrohe may have more than one option. Meeus’s ability to hit the podium makes him a high-upside mid-tier fantasy pick.

Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious)
Bauhaus is consistent and good for the occasional third-place or surprise result. He’s yet to win in 2025, but with Bahrain’s Tour squad geared more to versatility, Bauhaus could be given chances. His fantasy value lies in cheap consistency, not fireworks.

Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)
Once among the best sprinters in the world, Démare is now hunting for form and for Arkéa-B&B’s WorldTour survival. While he hasn’t won in 2025, he was second behind Merlier at Paris-Nice and fourth at Copenhagen Sprint. The team’s desperation may fuel him, and he’s one of the more affordable picks with outside podium potential.

The best of the rest

Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) – Solid, but only one win in 2025 (Classique Dunkerque). Better as a budget option.
Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) – Surprise Dauphiné stage win could hint at more. One for transition stages.
Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) – Giro and Vuelta stage winner, now leading Tudor at their first Tour. Risky but interesting.
Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) – Replacing Kristoff, will contest sprints with Stian Fredheim. Fast, but inexperienced at this level.
Tobias Lund Andresen and Pavel Bittner (Picnic-PostNL) – Both 22 and very fast. Lund Andresen has a big engine and several podiums already.
Bryan Coquard and Alexis Renard (Cofidis) – Renard has been sharper of late. Coquard remains consistent but is often outgunned.
Paul Penhoët and Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) – Penhoët has top 10s across Tirreno and Dauphiné. A long shot, but could land a top-5.
Cees Bol and Davide Ballerini (XDS-Astana) – Not expected to contend seriously, but can nick points.
Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) – Won at La Route d’Occitanie, shown recent form. Fantasy dark horse.

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Final thoughts

The 2025 Tour de France doesn’t offer many pure sprint stages, so fantasy team builders need to think beyond just speed. Riders who can score on transition stages, contest reduced bunch finishes, and survive hilly days will be worth their weight in points.

Philipsen and Milan are the most obvious picks, but don’t sleep on value options like Meeus, Girmay or Van der Poel, who could turn a lead-out role into a green jersey campaign of his own.

Choose wisely. The sprint fight might not be the main narrative of this Tour, but in fantasy cycling, it could win you the league.