Tour de France 2025: The Final Stages
The Tour de France 2025 is a true summer tradition in France, as iconic as rosé wine and Mediterranean beaches. Starting on 5 July, riders have already made their way through cities like Lille, Dunkirk, and Saint-Malo, heading south through the countryside to Toulouse and Carcassonne, before reaching the eastern mountains. The mountain stages, especially those in the Alps, add the magic touch as riders battle for the €2.3 million prize pool.
Here’s what you need to know about the final stages of the Tour de France 2025:
Stage 18: Vif to Courchevel — Col de La Loze (24 July 2025)
This mountain stage covers 106 miles (171.5 km) and is considered the most demanding of the race. Riders will face a vertical ascent of 5,500 meters, including the tough Col de La Loze (2,304m). For the first time, they will climb the eastern flank to reach Courchevel, a famous ski resort.
Nearby attractions:
— Lake Annecy is just an hour away, perfect for boating and swimming.
— The Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard overlooks the lake and has been in the same family for 23 generations.
— Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, is a two-hour drive away. Visitors can enjoy cable car rides, restaurants, and glacier walks.
Stage 19: Albertville to La Plagne (25 July 2025)
This ultra-mountainous stage spans 80 miles (129.9 km) with five climbs. The first climb, Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugine, begins just 6 miles into the race. Amateur cyclists can also experience this stage five days before the professionals.
Albertville is an ideal base for cycling and hiking. The town, famous for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics, offers the Fort de Tamié, a 19th-century fortress now with zip lines and hiking trails suitable for the whole family.
Culinary delights: Enjoy regional specialties like raclette, tartiflette, fondue, and Savoy cheese such as Beaufort. Don’t miss the plant-based liqueur, génépi, and chocolate truffles.
Stage 20: Nantua to Pontarlier (26 July 2025)
This stage will bring the Tour de France 2025 to an exhilarating close, weaving through scenic landscapes and challenging mountain passes.
Book Your Vacation with MWR LIFE
If you’re planning to visit France during the Tour, why not book your stay through MWR LIFE? Whether you’re here for the race or to explore the beauty of the French Alps, we’ve got the perfect vacation packages to make your experience unforgettable.
That sounds like an incredible stage! The ride around Lake Nantua in Stage 20 of the 2025 Tour de France will definitely be both challenging and scenic with its hilly terrain. The culinary culture there, especially the famous Nantua sauce, sounds delicious—especially with its crayfish butter twist! It’s fascinating how deeply food culture is tied to places like that, and it seems like a real treat to explore not only the hiking and swimming but also the Absinthe history in the area.
The Château de Joux also looks like a great stop. A military fortress with such strategic importance during history—it’s crazy to think how places like that once controlled key mountain passes between Italy and Switzerland. So much history packed into a small area!
The final stage in Paris should be the perfect way to cap off the race, cruising down the Champs-Élysées. Have you been following this year’s Tour, or planning to watch the final stages live?
The crowd-pleasing ‘ballon de la vasque olympique’ of Paris 2024 in the Jardin des Tuileries is making a return every day this summer.
The final stage is a flat race of 82 miles (132.3 km) that leads to a famous show finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, although last year Nice stood in for the capital city because it was hosting the Olympic Games. The riders will pass by the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe before one of them is crowned the winner.
A trip to the world’s most famous museum, the Louvre, is worth a visit if you can brave the crowds, as is the impressive, recently refurbished Notre-Dame Cathedral. Some of the absolute pleasure of Paris is, however, just finding a neighborhood that looks lovely on paper and strolling through it to see what you discover.
Until 14 September, the Olympic air balloon, the Vasque, is making a dramatic return to the Parisian skies, minus the Olympic branding. After such a prestigious entrance during the Olympic Games, visitors can find the crowd favorite in the Jardin des Tuileries every day.
You can watch the Tour online through one of the broadcasting partners of the Tour de France 2025 in over 190 countries worldwide.
