Date: Thursday, July 17
Distance: 181km
Start location: Auch
Finish location: Hautacam
Start time: 13:10 CEST
Finish time: 17:32 CEST
For many years, the Hautacam was a mountain more closely associated with the seedier elements of cycling’s past than anything else. In 1996, in a now notorious ride, Bjarne Riis flew up the climb with stunning ease, riding its vertiginous gradients in the big ring while breathing through his nose to win both the stage and take firm control of the yellow jersey he went on to win. It was a miraculous performance from a rider who never before had been a pure climber — and one that was later explained by the use of EPO. Since then, the disgraced Lance Armstrong’s ride here to take the yellow jersey here in 2000 has since been rescinded along with all his other Tour de France victories, while the winner at the summit in 2008, Leonardo Piepoli, has also since had that result scratched off the record for doping.
Thankfully, in 2022 a new, untarnished memory was made by a sublime team display from Jumbo-Visma. After a devastating turn from Sepp Kuss had shed leader Jonas Vingegaard of all of his GC rivals bar Tadej Pogačar, Wout van Aert dropped back from the day’s break to take over the pace-setting about 5.3km from the top, treating us to the unique sight of Vingegaard in the yellow jersey, Pogačar in the white and Van Aert in green riding up a mountain together at the front of the Tour. Then a kilometre later, in one of the most jaw-dropping moments in recent Tour history, Pogačar, one of the greatest climbers we’ve ever seen, was dropped by the pace set by the indefatigable Van Aert, ostensibly a Classics specialist. Vingegaard took off alone another kilometre later to solo to the stage win, and all but seal overall victory, with no asterisk against it.
That was one of the great days in Van Aert’s career, and just two months ago he pulled off something comparable at the Giro d’Italia, again dropping back from the break during the final mountain stage for a race-changing turn that set his Visma-Lease a Bike leader Simon Yates up for an unlikely and thrilling overall victory. Today, however, isn’t the time for such ploys. This time, the Hautacam will be the first, rather than last, mountain top finish of the Tour, where you’d expect the GC teams to keep things simple and their main mountain domestiques to remain by their side in the peloton as they embark on the first test of sustained climbing at this year’s Tour.
Everything is therefore likely to come down to the Hautacam, which, averaging 7.8% for 13.5km, is the steepest of this year’s five mountain top finishes aside from Mont Ventoux. Though there is one other high mountain to complete (the 11.8km, 7.3% Col du Soulor), it's preceded by 122km of flat roads, and there’s only a single, smaller category two climb (Col des Bordères) between it and the Hautacam. Both Vingegaard in 2022 and Vincenzo Nibali in 2014 put over a minute into the second-best rider when they won atop the Hautacam — this is a chance for the strongest climber at this year’s Tour to lay a similar marker down.
Ride these iconic climbs yourself with Rouleur Travel.
Contenders
The first summit finish of the Tour will bring out the best climbers in the race, of course, meaning we expect to see a head-to-head duel between Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).
So far, the odds favour Pogačar, but Vingegaard has yet to have the opportunity to play to his biggest strength on the long climbs in the mountains. It's tough to call between the pair, especially given Pogačar suffered a late crash on stage 11.
There seems little chance of the breakaway staying away on the first crucial GC day, so expect to see the rest of the overall hopefuls trying to stay in the mix with cycling's top two climbers.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), given his recent record, will be pleased to mitigate his losses on this climb, but he does have the potential to win a stage like this at his very best and given an inch of leeway.
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) is the other candidate from Visma that could last this deep and be allowed to go on the attack, acting as a foil for Vingegaard. If Pogačar and the Dane watch each other, then it could allow Jorgenson to go clear for the stage win.
Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa B&B) has impressed in this Tour, and after a strong showing at the Tour de Suisse, will be hoping to carry that climbing form into the Pyrenees.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe pair Florian Lipowitz and Primož Roglič both remain in the top 10 overall and will need to start making up time on their rivals, so expect one of them to try going on the attack.
Felix Gall (Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale) is a former Tour de France stage winner but may be more focused on making up places in GC rather than the stage win itself.
Britain's Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) has impressed so far in this Tour, but may not yet be at the level to contest the stage win against Pogačar and Vingegaard.
The yellow jersey, Ben Healy (EF Education First-EasyPost), will do his best to defend his narrow lead, but may come unstuck on Hautacam.
Prediction
We think Tadej Pogačar will win the first mountain-top finish and reclaim the yellow jersey.
Ride the Pyrenees with Rouleur Travel
Follow in the tyre tracks of the 2025 Tour de France with a thrilling five-day cycling adventure through the heart of the Pyrenees with Rouleur Travel. This August, conquer the legendary climbs featured in this year’s race — including key stages that will shape the yellow jersey battle — all while soaking in the raw beauty of high mountain passes and verdant valleys.
Climb Highlights
Col d'Aubisque, Col du Soulor, Col Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin, Col de Peyresourde, Col de Mente, Col de Portet d'Aspet, Col de la Core, Col de Latrape, Col d'Agnes, Port de Lers
Total distance 394 km, Total elevation 10,820 m
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