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There’s something about the start of the Tour de France that feels like the summer sport season has properly landed. Sun (or rain), speed, strategy, a bit of chaos on the road, all the usual ingredients were firmly in place for the opening stages of Tour de France 2025. And true to form, we’ve already seen the peloton shaken up in ways no one quite predicted.
Whether you’re following the Tour de France stage results, planning your summer around the Tour de France route, or just tuning in for the highlights, there’s already plenty to talk about. Let’s dive into what’s gone down so far and what to watch as the next Tour de France stages roll in.
Stage one: Slippery starts and a few surprises
The Grand Départ this year had a bit of everything, a scenic but soaking wet route through Northern France, nervous legs all round, and the first few signs of who’s here to make serious moves.
There were no huge breakaways or headline crashes (thankfully), but the rain made things just tricky enough to keep the favourites quiet and the sprinters edgy. In the end, it was a stage that rewarded smart riding more than all-out aggression.
Not the most explosive opener in Tour history, but it did its job, set the tone, softened a few legs, and gave the peloton a reminder that nothing is handed to you on these roads.
If you’re checking the Tour de France stage highlights, this one won’t be the most memorable, but it was important groundwork for what came next.
Stage two: Van der Poel takes charge
Now this is where things started to warm up. Van der Poel showed once again that he’s not here for the sightseeing. A late surge, clever timing, and strong legs saw him cross the line first and throw himself into the yellow jersey for the first time this year.
For fans tracking the Tour de France today, this was the first real statement ride of the race. He didn’t just win, he took control of the narrative early on, always useful when the days ahead are only going to get more brutal.
The route had a bit of everything, including a nasty little climb in the final section that sorted the contenders from the pretenders. Van der Poel handled it like a man who’s been planning this stage for months (probably because he has).
He’s a bit of a crowd favourite too, so don’t be surprised if Tour de France news outlets spend the next few days trying to figure out how long he can keep hold of the jersey.
- Early leaderboard shake-up
With Van der Poel in yellow, the rest of the usual suspects are already doing the maths. It’s only the opening days, but the GC picture is starting to form.
Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard are lurking exactly where you’d expect them to be, not going all in just yet, but certainly not letting anyone run away with things either. Both look relaxed, which is probably more worrying than if they were charging up climbs already.
Further down the leaderboard, a few names popped up who might not stay there long, but it’s always nice to see some fresh faces getting their moment. That’s one of the joys of the first few Tour de France stages, you get some lovely little stories before the GC clamps down and it’s all watts and war faces.
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- The route ahead: rougher roads incoming
If you’ve seen the Tour de France route for 2025, you’ll know things start to get properly spicy around stage four and five. The cobbles come in, the gradients go up, and the peloton tends to get a bit less patient.
There are also a few crosswind sections coming up which could throw everything into chaos. Teams that aren’t switched on will get punished, plain and simple. The Tour has a habit of delivering at least one completely bonkers stage every year, and the next few days have that sort of potential.
So if you’ve only been half watching so far, now’s the time to start paying attention.
- Tour de France betting and form so far
From a betting point of view, early stages are usually a bit unpredictable, but there are patterns starting to show.
Van der Poel’s early win might tempt a few to back him for points classification or stage wins further down the line, though GC is probably a stretch. If you’re into betting markets (no judgment), it’s worth checking odds now before the big names start hoovering up all the headlines.
As for the GC favourites, there hasn’t been much movement yet, but form-wise Pogačar is already looking very composed. Vingegaard’s been slightly quieter but that’s nothing new for him. They’re both keeping their powder dry.
This is the kind of early form update that matters for fans watching Tour de France stage results with one eye and looking at odds tables with the other.
- Tour de France stage results Riders to watch
Outside of the usual stars, a few names have shown they’re up for a scrap this year.
Tom Pidcock looked punchy during stage two and could definitely take a stage win somewhere if the conditions are right. Same for Jasper Philipsen, who’s lurking with intent on sprint days.
There’s also been some solid riding from the French teams, which always adds a bit of theatre (especially when the Tour hits home soil properly). Don’t rule out a rogue breakaway win from a local lad trying to impress the crowd, it happens more often than you think.
Tour de France stage results – Final Thoughts
So there you have it. Two stages in, and Tour de France 2025 has already served up a nice mix of tension, strategy and rain-soaked drama. We’ve got our first yellow jersey in Van der Poel, a peloton that’s slowly revealing its pecking order, and a route that’s about to get much nastier.
If you’re following Tour de France news just to see who’s on top or you’re glued to every kilometre, the early signs are promising. It’s been a solid start (nothing too crazy just yet), but enough going on to keep it interesting.
And for those who’ve already picked their favourites, placed their bets, or are just here for the daily updates, don’t blink. This race changes quickly, and the next few Tour de France stages could shake everything up again.