Tour de France 2025 through the lens of James Startt - Stage 1

During his run of Tour de France success in the 1990s, Miguel Indurain used to jot down the names of the most striking places the race had visited in a notebook with the intention of one day returning as a tourist. In the supersonic 2020s, however, Tour riders barely have time to look up, far less slow down and appreciate the view. 

The opening kilometres of stage 1 took the peloton out of Lille and through the town of Seclin, whose beating heart is the Auberge de Forgeron. The famed inn was established at the beginning of the 20th century and rebuilt after World War II, growing into a culinary institution in the Nord.

The hotel-restaurant was an obvious point of congregation for fans in the opening kilometres of stage 1. They could watch the peloton flash by in pursuit of the early break and then retire inside for a plate of Artois trout before catching the remainder of the stage on television.

For the riders of the 112th Tour, the afternoon would be rather less relaxed. The opening stage was tense and frenetic, with the peloton splintering into shards in the crosswind in the finale ahead of Jasper Philipsen’s victory.

James Startt is covering his 36th Tour de France. He is a two-time winner of the World Sports Photography awards and he currently serves as the creative director to inGamba luxury cycling tours.