The good news, I suppose, is that Tadej Pogačar almost certainly won’t win stage one of next year’s Tour de France. The opening day will probably end in a sprint, with the yellow jersey heading to the shoulders of a fast man, but who could rule anything out for the Slovenian. The UAE Team Emirates rider won the final three stages of this year’s Tour, and already, nine months out from the 2025 edition, he is the overwhelming favourite. It is almost impossible to design a route which wouldn’t favour Pogačar, and this certainly isn’t that. Aside from a few more punchy finishes, it’s hard to know what else would be on his wish list.
The Tour de France 2025 route is a climber’s course - although when is it anything else - and the man atop the podium will be someone who can excel in the thin air of the Alps and Pyrenees, although there is barely a moment to switch off elsewhere.
