Stage 12 – Pogačar’s Revenge: Crushing the Climbs, Leading by 3.5 Minutes
Stage 12 brought the first HC climb of the 2025 Tour, covering 180.6 km with 3,850 meters of elevation gain. This was the day the general classification truly began to take shape.
The stage opened with several riders—Jonathan Milan among them—attempting early breakaways, but they were quickly reeled back in. At 166 km to go, a major split in the peloton saw about 40 riders escape and form a strong lead group.
As the race progressed and the climbing intensified, more and more riders dropped off the pace. With 54 km remaining, Remco Evenepoel also lost contact with the main GC contenders. Visma's mountain train strategy proved brutally effective.
At 19 km to go, Tim Wellens continued to set a relentless pace at the front. The GC group eventually caught the breakaway, and UAE Team Emirates took full control. At the 12 km mark, Wellens delivered one last powerful effort before handing over to Narváez, who set up Pogačar for the final blow.
With 11 km remaining, Narváez launched a searing acceleration, and Pogačar took off. Vingegaard followed, but Pogačar quickly opened up a 20-second gap that only grew with each kilometer. They eventually caught and dropped the remaining breakaway riders from AG2R.
Pogačar crossed the line solo, claiming another dominant mountain stage victory. Vingegaard finished 2 minutes and 10 seconds behind, with Florian Lipowitz taking third, 13 seconds behind Vingegaard.
Stage 13 – TT Domination: Pogačar Wins Again, Vingegaard Outsprints Evenepoel
After the brutal mountain test of Stage 12, Stage 13 brought a short but punchy uphill individual time trial of 10.9 km. Despite the short distance, the stage delivered significant GC drama.
Pogačar once again proved his all-round dominance, posting the fastest time. But the real highlight came behind him—Vingegaard and Evenepoel were neck and neck for much of the climb. In the final meters, Vingegaard launched an explosive sprint, narrowly beating Evenepoel by just one second to finish second on the stage. This micro-battle may foreshadow a fierce GC fight heading into the third week.
Stage 14 – Flat Finish Before the Storm: Philipsen Grabs His Second Sprint Win
Stage 14 offered a rare opportunity for sprinters, with only two fourth-category climbs and a mostly flat profile. Riders were focused on recovering before the next block of mountainous stages.
Although there were several breakaway attempts early on, none succeeded in staying away. UAE controlled the pace for much of the day, ensuring a bunch sprint.
Jasper Philipsen delivered a textbook sprint, powered by excellent lead-out work from Mathieu van der Poel. The victory marked his second stage win of this year’s Tour.
Stage 15 – A GC Shakeup: Vingegaard Strikes Back, Evenepoel Cracks
Stage 15 saw a critical high-mountain test, and it delivered fireworks.
With about 5 km to go, Evenepoel began to struggle on the climb. Vingegaard sensed the opportunity and launched a powerful attack. Pogačar chose not to follow immediately, preserving his energy.
Vingegaard crossed the line first, reclaiming precious time. Evenepoel, meanwhile, suffered a major blow to his GC hopes, losing over a minute. It was a psychological and tactical win for Visma.
Stage 16 – Calm Before the Alps: Sprinters Return, Philipsen Makes It Three
Stage 16 offered the final flat stage before the decisive Alpine showdowns. With most GC riders riding defensively, the sprinters’ teams took control again.
Once more, the day belonged to Jasper Philipsen, who proved untouchable in the final dash to the line. Van der Poel once again played a key role, delivering a perfect lead-out. This marked Philipsen’s third victory in this year’s Tour.
Image sources:
Official media of the Tour de France
Official media of each team
ASO