WorldTour racing hits record speed as average pace reaches new all-time high

ProCyclingStats has tracked WorldTour speeds since 2001, and the shift in recent years is remarkable. Between 2001 (40.015 km/h) and 2020 (40.437 km/h), the average barely changed. Since the pandemic season, though, speeds have climbed year after year: 41.286 km/h in 2022, 41.807 km/h in 2023, 42.229 km/h in 2024 and now 42.874 km/h in 2025. That means the peloton now rides 6 per cent faster than just five years ago.

The one-day classics showed a similar evolution, with the average speed rising to a record 43.568 km/h. Between 2020 (41.238 km/h) and 2025, that figure has increased by 5.7 per cent, showing that the classics are keeping pace with the rest of the calendar.

That upward curve extended to the Tour de France. The 2025 edition, won by Tadej Pogačar, was officially the fastest in history with an average speed of 42.849 km/h. Even mountain stages were raced at a breathtaking pace, and stage 9 to Châteauroux, won by Tim Merlier, became the second fastest road stage in Tour history with an average of 50.013 km/h.

But it’s not just the statistics that tell the story. Riders themselves describe a peloton that feels faster, tenser and more explosive than ever before. Primož Roglič recently expressed amazement at the current speeds in professional cycling, comparing the peloton to motorcycle racing. “I already call the peloton MotoGP. The speeds are really incredible, astonishing,” he said, predicting next year would be even faster.

The rise in speed reflects the scientific transformation of the sport. Advances in aerodynamics, equipment, nutrition and training have created an unprecedented level of performance. Yet as racing becomes faster, concerns about safety are growing. It seems likely that any future reduction in average speed will depend not on athletic limits but on regulatory ones. 

The UCI has already explored measures to address safety, including a proposed maximum gear ratio of 54x11. That test, however, was suspended this month after SRAM successfully challenged the plan before the Belgian Competition Authority, arguing that it unfairly restricted competition. The UCI has vowed to appeal, insisting that rider safety remains its priority, but for now the speed revolution shows no sign of slowing down.