Tour de France 2025 Favourites stage 12: First high-mountain finish

foto: Cor VosAnd this isn’t just any high-mountain finish — it’s Hautacam, the ski resort where Van Aert led Vingegaard to both the stage win and the overall Tour victory three years ago, cracking Pogacar in the process. What’s in store this time? (Slideshow route/profile)

Back then, it was the final mountain stage of the Tour — this time, it’s the first real test in the high mountains, which will no doubt produce a very different dynamic. Of course, there’s always a chance the GC contenders go all in, but it’s more likely the breakaway will be given enough leeway to fight it out for the win.

Since the opening phase of the stage is far from demanding, it’s likely the day’s break will include plenty of riders who ultimately have no real chance. In fact, the first 122.3 kilometres are flat even by sprinters’ stage standards. That changes dramatically in the final 58.3 kilometres, when the riders face the Col du Soulor (11.9 km at 7.3%), the Col des Bordères (3.1 km at 7.6%), and the finish climb to Hautacam.

The Hautacam ski resort sits at the end of a dead-end road. The climb begins in Argelès-Gazost and runs for 13.6 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.8%. It’s a highly irregular ascent, with the second half packing the biggest punch. Kilometres 8 and 9 are especially punishing, with gradients of 10.3% and 11.3% respectively, and kilometre 11 isn’t much kinder at 10.4%.

Favourites 12th stage 2025 Tour de France

*** Thymen Arensman, Michael Storer, Ben O’Connor
** Lenny Martinez, Michael Woods, Mattias Skjelmose, Pablo Castrillo
* Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Geraint Thomas, Sepp Kuss, Simon Yates

Another interesting read: route 12th stage 2025 Tour de France.