The best stages of the 2025 Tour de France - Domestique's Greatest Hits

The Tour de France is the pinnacle of the cycling calendar. With its mythic peaks and rolling landscapes, the parcours offers something for every type of cyclist, from the fast men to the sinuous climbers. 

Just as there are days for all variety of specialisms at the Tour, so too can every individual cycling fan find something to love at a Grand Tour. Whether it's the beauty and grace of the solo climber rising into the mists on the highest peaks, or the consistency and determination of the top GC riders. Some favour the daring and bravado of the breakaway hopefuls while others relish the power and speed of the bunch sprints. 

Which stages shone for our creators? Four give their opinions, below.

So often when reflecting on favourite stages, recency bias, and the drama of the high mountains which tend to congregate in the latter stages, draw our attention. But let me take you back – way back – to the early days of this year’s Tour, when the spirits were high, and the hunger was raw. 

The most memorable stage, for me, was stage 2. Not for all the right reasons, but in a way that will stick with me as an enduring memory of this year’s Tour.

I was there for the start, in Lauwin-Planque – a place with little to distinguish it, other than its right to host a stage start for the greatest race. Despite getting lost, drenched and muddy, I made it in time to see the peloton roll out after a delayed start, the weather contrasting with the stage 1 sunshine, the team paddock resembling Glastonbury. It was grim. 

The longest stage of the race, I spent the first half of the day travelling – desperately ordering Ubers and picking up connecting trains to make it back to the Eurostar on time. Keeping up with the race via text, and watching on phones when we could. Everything was still up for grabs – Andreas Leknussund crashing, puncturing, then sprinting against Brent van Moer for KOM points, while Jonathan Milan remonstrated with Biniam Girmay at the intermediate sprint point. All the prizes were still there for the taking.

With a prime seat in the Eurostar departure lounge, it was divine timing when the TVs flickered on to show the race, and with all of the action set to unfold in the final 30km, the fact our train home was delayed became a secondary concern. 

Excitement grew as cycling fans gathered to watch – it was standing room only and the irony was not lost that the race drew ever closer to the northern coast of France, while we were stranded inland. When we were finally called for our train, there was a ripple of disappointment to go alongside the relief – just a handful of kilometres remained in the race, and heading over the penultimate climb, the charge of French hopefuls led by Groupama-FDJ for Romain Grégoire were attempting to mix it with the big guns.

Down on the platform, the buzz around the race centred around a group of men and we sauntered closer to try and eavesdrop – only to discover that someone had the race running live on an iPad. Rob Hatch’s voice rang out in the cavernous concrete auditorium as Kévin Vauquelin tried his luck on the final climb and a crowd encircled the man with the screen, everyone trying to find a vantage point as an elite group stormed up the final climb. Everyone cheered different riders, and the pace and intensity were visceral even from where we were standing. As Mathieu van der Poel punched the air, a cheer rang out on the station platform, the excitement dissipating slowly as we drifted back to our respective groups, and even more when we discovered the train was delayed yet again – we could have stayed upstairs and enjoyed the conclusion to the race in the comfort of the lounge, after all. 

Over three hours late in the end, soaked through and defeated, a miserable day was much improved by a moment of jubilant connection to the cycling community. On the Eurostar home we revelled in the race still to come, ripe with promise, all possibilities still open ahead of us. That early thrill, the fizz of what was to come, is the reason why I have chosen stage 2.

The main colour of Toulouse is purple, and this city is also known as the city of violets. The violet symbolises loyalty and innocence, and purple corresponds to rarity, majesty, and royalty. On a day when 156 kilometres were covered around Toulouse, only a competitor who could win in one of the rarest ways could emerge victorious, holding back one of modern cycling's greatest, Mathieu van der Poel. On the other hand, Jonas Abrahamsen secured his team's first Tour de France victory by working closely with the mechanics, sports directors, and team management from the very moment Uno-X Pro Cycling Team was formed, feeling each other's every movement, while Abrahamsen evolves with the team and shapes his style to help them both rise higher.

Stage 11 demonstrated that it is indeed worth attacking right from the start, showing that a 20-30 second gap can be maintained over 60 kilometres if one is a sufficiently skilled rouleur. At the same time, however, one must be very tactical in such a chase, as it is not necessarily a problem if strong riders jump onto the breakaway, who can serve well in terms of increasing the gap. The key is to present and think of yourself as stronger. Jonas Abrahamsen and Mauro Schmid did exactly this in the last 50 kilometres; they beautifully worked together with the breakaway group to keep the star chasing group (I believe all members of the van der Poel – van Aert – Laurance – Simmons – de Lie group fall into this category) as far behind as possible. When it became clear that, despite good cooperation in the rear group, they could not gain on the leading group, the riders in front had the ever-growing feeling that one of them would reach the finish line first. 

The word "Pech" essentially means bad luck in Hungarian, but this was not the case for the Côte de Pech David; very few mountains had such a crowd as this one. It was fascinating to see thousands of people jumping and screaming while Abrahamsen and Schmid were engaged in a knife-edge battle for victory. However, after the leaders rode over the hill, everything and everyone went crazy, as if some bad luck (or ‘pech’) struck the peloton overall. 

It's hard to summarise in a few words what happened over just 8.6 km, but etymologically, bad luck did indeed become a reality. Mathieu van der Poel reportedly thought he was on the way to a solo victory after passing Mathieu Burgaudeau at the top of the hill, but he slightly hesitated at the top to confirm it, which cost him the stage victory. Tadej Pogačar crashed, and the peloton waited, but no one knew the extent of the injury or what would happen to him in the next days. A spectator rushed into the finishing straight while the two leaders were fighting for the biggest victory of their lives. Chaos, at every level. But perhaps this is still the amount of chaos that one can absorb. 

In hindsight, Uno-X probably doesn't regret how it all turned out, as they now have a Grand Tour stage success to their name after this year's Tour. Due to its historical significance and as a perfect, prototypical example of a successful breakaway stage of cycling in the 2020s, the 11th stage certainly deserves a place on this list.

On the race’s most iconic climb, finally a Frenchman would put his hands in the air in victory on stage 16 as the race ascended the mythical Mont Ventoux. Up to this point, it had been slim pickings for the home nation. Kevin Vauquelin’s GC efforts had been the peak of their cheer during the first two weeks. However it was Valentin Paret-Peintre who wrote his name into the annals of those who had won on top of the Giant of Provence.

It took 70km, but eventually 30 hopeful riders extricated themselves from the grasp of UAE’s Nils Politt. Before Ventoux, a smaller group had chipped off the front and held just over six minutes at the bottom of the HC climb with a large chase group, including Paret-Peintre, 90 seconds back. 

Up front, Enric Mas looked momentarily magnificent as he went solo. However he buckled as the he went past Chalet Reynard. Paret-Peintre launched an ambitious move from way behind in the chase group alongside Ben Healy and Santiago Buitrago, but surely the gap to the front was too great. No. Former yellow-jersey wearer Healy dragged the group to the lead and the trio would fight it out for the win.

From seemingly nowhere, Paret-Peintre’s team-mate Ilan van Wilder arrived to lead out the final sprint. Healy launched with the tiny Frenchman in his wheel, but Paret-Peintre was able to come round him after the final corner to take a sensational victory. 

A Frenchman wins on Mont Ventoux - Vive le Tour. It’s possible that other stages had more action during this Tour de France, but none had a more iconic image than that. 

It was two races in one up Ventoux. Behind, Vingegaard looked at his best, laying down several stinging attacks. Ultimately he was unable to shake Pogačar, who sprinted away in the final 200 metres to take yet more seconds on the two-time champion.

Thymen Arensman delivered a spectacular confirmation of his climbing talent by winning his second stage of the 2025 Tour de France for Ineos Grenadiers on stage 19 to La Plagne. Coming just days after his first Tour victory on stage 14 at Superbagnères, Arensman doubled his victory in a dramatic fashion.

With 14 kilometres remaining, Tadej Pogacar launched a decisive attack that shattered the group. Jonas Vingegaard was the only rider able to follow closely, but soon Arensman joined the “duet”. The Dutchman then made a bold move, dropping both with 13 kilometres to go. He then bravely resisted the relentless chase from cycling's top GC “giants”, holding them off by a narrow two-second margin at the finish, delivering the fans a spectacular and emotionally charged finale in La Plagne.

This was not a victory from a breakaway group, Arensman pulled a bold move after attacking the general classification favourites themselves, making this win a definitive statement of his power and resilience. “Already to win one stage in the Tour was unbelievable from a breakaway, but now to do it against the GC group, against the strongest riders in the world, it feels like I’m dreaming,” Arensman said after finishing. He credited his lack of general classification ambitions for giving him the mental freedom to attack, hoping the favourites would hesitate as they eyed each other - they did not hesitate but Arensman stil managed to be victorious.

This Tour was anticipated to be a duel between two showmen, but Arensman’s performance and the raw emotion he displayed during his first victory already touched the fans’ hearts. By stage 19, that emotion intensified as he dramatically snatched a potential GC triumph, delivering a surprising, unforgettable moment that sent a powerful message to future riders: it’s possible to break free and pursue stage victories with full determination.

Against all expectation, the day belonged to Arensman, and to Ineos Grenadiers, in what will be remembered as one of the great defiant victories of the 2025 Tour de France.