The Grand Dรฉpart returns to French soil for the first time in four years, and it does so with a sprint-friendly showdown through the cobbled heartland of Flanders. Stage 1 of the 2025 Tour de France, a 185km loop starting and finishing in Lille, is as classic an opener as they come โ flat, fast, and full of tension โ and with the yellow jersey on the line, itโs already shaping up to be one of the most frenzied days of the race.
Itโs a rare modern opportunity for a sprinter to pull on the maillot jaune. Since Alexander Kristoff took victory in Nice in 2020, most recent Tours have opened with puncher-friendly finales or time trials. But Lille, with its wide boulevards and Flemish history, has offered a return to the tradition of stage 1 sprint chaos, and a new name is set to be added to the list of legends whoโve led the Tour from day one.
2025 Tour de France Stage 1 details
- Date: Saturday, 5th July
- Distance: 185km
- Start/Finish: Lille โ Lille
- Sprints: La Motte-au-Bois (km 87.5)
- Climbs:
- Cรดte de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (cat. 4, km 41.2)
- Mont Cassel (cat. 4, km 106)
- Mont Noir (cat. 4, km 139.7)
After a loop south into the windswept flats of French Flanders and a brief visit to cobbled Mont Cassel, the riders return north into Lille with no major obstacles to break things up – unless the wind does. Expect cross-tailwinds in the final 80km to keep GC favourites on edge, and a 7-metre wide tree-lined sprint finish on Boulevard Vauban to deliver elbows-out mayhem.
An extended 5km โsafety zoneโ offers a small cushion to the overall contenders, with Tadej Pogaฤar, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard all targeting survival before thinking about supremacy.
Sprintersโ dream: the fight for yellow
The field is deep, the stakes are high, and the run-in is narrow. Here are the key contenders:
Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step)
The form sprinter of 2025, with 10 wins to his name already. Heโs the consensus favourite, despite lacking a full lead-out train. Heโll rely on childhood friend Bert Van Lerberghe to deliver him late โ and the pair plan to gamble from deeper in the bunch. With no GC duty to distract the team this year, Merlier has never had a better shot at yellow.
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
The Tourโs most prolific sprinter since 2022, with nine stage wins and a green jersey already on his CV. Backed by Mathieu van der Poel and Kaden Groves in what is arguably the best sprint train in the peloton. Form has been patchy โ just two wins so far โ but Philipsen knows how to peak for the Tour. He says heโs โin the best shape possible.โ
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
The most powerful sprinter in the bunch. Milan is making his Tour debut but arrives with huge expectations and a team built for him. Simone Consonni, Jasper Stuyven, and Edward Theuns are there to guide him โ if he gets a clean run, he might just win by bike lengths.
Biniam Girmay (Intermarchรฉ-Wanty)
Last yearโs green jersey winner isnโt coming in with top form, but heโs dangerous in a messy sprint and always races aggressively. Hasnโt been as dominant in 2025, but can never be written off.
Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla), and Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) round out a loaded sprint field. A chaotic finish could easily throw up a surprise.
Final kilometre
The final 1.5km includes a sharp left-hand corner, followed by a fast, flat dash on wide roads. The challenge isnโt gradient or terrain โ itโs positioning. Expect Alpecin and Lidl-Trek to dominate the front, with the โwashing machine effectโ creating havoc as late-arriving riders try to surf wheels.
GC tension in the bunch
While the sprinters fight for glory, the GC contenders will just want to make it through in one piece. Expect the likes of Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson to guide Vingegaard to safety, while Pogaฤar and Evenepoel use their spring classics experience to stay sharp in the wind. The echelons, if they form, could be more decisive than any crash.
With a treacherous first week on tap, surviving Lille might already feel like a small win for the GC favourites.
2025 Tour de France Stage 1 Prediction
Tim Merlier has the form, the hunger, and the power. Even without a full lead-out, he knows how to take risks; with the first yellow jersey up for grabs, he may be willing to risk it all in Lille.
Main photo credit: Getty
