Tour de France 2025 through the lens of James Startt - Stage 8
On each stage at the Tour de France, James Startt selects his image of the day, offering a unique perspective on the rolling citadel and the characters who inhabit it.
The sun keeps beating down on this Tour de France, but nobody – young or old – wants to miss out when the race visits their home patch.
Stage 8 brought the Tour into the Mayenne, famed for producing figures like Marc Madiot and Jacky Durand, and the crowds on the roadside were every bit as enthusiastic as those in Brittany and Normandy in recent days.
This weekend leading into July 14 signals the formal start of the holiday season in France, and there was a vacationing feel among the fans lining the road this Saturday.
For the riders of the peloton, of course, it was business as usual en route to a rapid finale in Laval.
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.
