LAUWIN-PLANQUE, July 6, 2025
Stage Two Promises Explosive Finale
Riders face a grueling 209.1km stage with challenging climbs and unpredictable weather.
- Stage two spans 209.1km with categorized climbs.
- The final 35km are expected to be decisive.
- Rain and crosswinds pose significant challenges.
- A four-man breakaway has formed early in the race.
The Tour de France 2025’s stage two, a lengthy 209.1km ride, is anticipated to favor “puncheurs” and may offer opportunities for riders such as Mathieu van der Poel or Wout van Aert.
Stage two of the Tour de France 2025 is set to test the riders with a mammoth 209.1km route, featuring categorized climbs and a potentially explosive finish in Boulogne.
Preamble
Get comfortable, because stage two is going to be a long one. The 209.1km stage includes a few categorized climbs, likely to challenge the pure sprinters without being overly punishing. The stage profile suggests an explosive final 35km, featuring steep inclines leading to the finish line along the river Liane in Boulogne. This sets the stage for “puncheurs” like Mathieu van der Poel or Wout van Aert to seize a stage win and potentially the yellow jersey.
Predicting Tadej Pogacar’s strategy is a fool’s game, but he undoubtedly possesses the capability to win this stage. However, the weather is a more certain factor, with rain and crosswinds expected to buffet the peloton, increasing the risk of splits and crashes, something everyone hopes to avoid after stage one.
Grab some snacks, a drink, and settle in for the long haul. Updates will be provided throughout the stage.
Did you know? The final 35km of stage two features steep climbs and an incline toward the finish line along the river Liane in Boulogne.
Reader Insights
William Preston shared his thoughts on today’s stage, noting Simon Yates’ time loss and Ned Boulting’s literary inclinations.
Preston wasn’t surprised by Yates’ performance, citing the difficulty of competing in two major stage races so close together. He anticipates Yates focusing on supporting Jonas Vingegaard and potentially targeting stage wins in the mountains.
“Firstly, I wasn’t surprised to see Simon Yates lose time yesterday. Well, maybe seeing him lose time on the first stage, but not in general. After the massive high of winning the Giro – especially the way he did it by laying to rest the ghosts of the Colle delle Finestre from 2018 – he was always going to struggle to be competitive for the Tour. Physiologically, he isn’t the sort of rider who can be competitive in two stage races barely a month apart. With the exception of Pogacar, no rider is these days, but a climber who only weighs 58kg is always going to struggle to come back to form so quickly. I won’t be surprised if Simon isn’t particularly visible in the high mountains in the later parts of the stage. I think it will be largely up to Kuss and Jorgenson to accompany Vingegaard when the action hots up,” Preston said.
Preston also mentioned Ned Boulting’s plan to read from Les Miserables, connecting the route to the towns featured in the novel. Boulting, along with David Millar and Lizzie Deignan, will be covering the Tour independently next year.
“Secondly, Ned Boulting flagged up that he was going to read a passage from Les Miserables a few weeks ago on his podcast. He had identified the route on this stage as linking the two towns which he mentioned as being on today’s stage,” Preston added.
There’s hope that Boulting will remain on screens despite the Tour’s move to TNT next year. What are your favorite cycling podcasts to follow during the Tour?
Race Updates
What’s happening on the road? Here’s a quick rundown of the action so far:
154km to go: Tim Wellens experienced a mechanical issue, leading to a brief stop. Cameras captured him taking a comfort break while his mechanic worked on the bike.
158km to go: A farmer with a “smiley” face towed a huge bull around a field on a tractor. The breakaway group has reformed, establishing a 2 minute, 33 second lead over the peloton.
164km to go: A crash in the breakaway! Yevgeni Fedorov and Andreas Leknessund both went down on a slick turn, losing about 20 seconds. Both riders are back on their feet and working to rejoin Bruno Armirail and Brent Van Moer.
172km to go: Ned Boulting is indeed reading passages from Les Miserables. The breakaway’s lead extends to 2 minutes, 42 seconds.
Nick Wayne commented on Simon Yates’ performance:
“Simon Yates, What happened? Six minutes in arrears means relegation to super domestique. Was that the plan? No competition to Pog I suppose.”
Given his Giro victory, Yates is likely supporting Jonas Vingegaard. This time gap may allow him to pursue stage wins later.
182km to go: Despite the grey weather, roadside vibes remain high, with a brass band serenading the peloton as it passes through another town.
190km to go: The peloton maintains a brisk pace of around 50km/h. Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) had a rear-wheel change and is working to rejoin the group.
199km to go: The breakaway group of four has established a lead of over two minutes. The riders making up this group are Yevgeni Fedorov (XDS-Astana), Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Brent Van Moer (Lotto), and Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility).
206km to go: Racing is underway in difficult conditions. Four riders are attempting to form an early breakaway.
Updated at 21.22 AEST
The ceremonial rollout: The riders are making their way out of Lauwin-Planque, approaching the official start. Some riders arrived late due to traffic in the small commune (population 1,600), causing a slight delay. Many riders are wearing rain gear, making identification more challenging. Kilometre zero is approaching.
Other Sporting Events
There’s a lot more sports action today. The second Test between England and India is underway, as well as Wimbledon.
