The Tour enters the Pyrenees for the first real summit finish of the race, as stage 12 delivers a brutal finale atop the Hors Catégorie climb to Hautacam. After a long flat opening, the road kicks up for three climbs in the final 60km – and by the summit, we should have a new yellow jersey and a clearer view of who’s really in contention.
Jonas Vingegaard won here in dominant fashion during the 2022 Tour, and while he’s been quiet so far in 2025, this is the terrain where he usually shines. For Tadej Pogačar, this is a chance to underline his grip on the race, but he arrives nursing bruises from a stage 11 crash. Either way, this is the first of the true mountain tests, and no one in the GC fight will come through unscathed.
The route – flat opening, fireworks in the finale
Stage 12 covers 181km between Auch and Hautacam. The first two-thirds of the day are flat, allowing a breakaway to form early, and giving the peloton time to settle back into rhythm after the tension of stage 11.
Things change dramatically after kilometre 120. The Col du Soulor (11.8km at 7.3%) is the first major climb of the Tour so far and will whittle down the bunch. It’s followed by a fast descent and the Col des Bordères (3.1km at 7.7%), which will act as a springboard before the final showdown.
The day finishes on the Hautacam – 13.5km at 7.8% – a relentless test with gradients often hitting 10% and higher. Climbing to 1,520m altitude, this is where the first big GC gaps will open.
What’s on offer
Date: Thursday, 17th July
Distance: 181km
Start/Finish: Auch – Hautacam
Sprint:
- Bénéjacq (km 95.1)
Climbs:
- Côte de Labatmale (cat. 4, km 91.4)
- Col du Soulor (cat. 1, km 134.1)
- Col des Bordères (cat. 2, km 145.7)
- Hautacam (HC, km 180.6)
Prediction
The breakaway will try its luck on the flat, but the GC teams are unlikely to let this one go. Expect the battle to kick off on the Soulor and explode on the final climb. Jonas Vingegaard knows this mountain well and was supreme here in 2022, but this time the form points towards Tadej Pogačar. He’s climbing well, motivated, and just 29 seconds from yellow. Unless he’s more hurt from his crash than he’s letting on, we expect Pogačar to win the stage and take back the race lead.
