Nothing says summer like the Tour de France and the 112th edition could be one of the best yet.
This year's race is the last for the foreseeable future to be broadcast free-to-air in the United Kingdom and cycling fans should be treated to some unmissable racing across the next three weeks.
Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have shared the last five yellow jerseys between them and the big two are back for a fifth instalment of their epic rivalry.
Tour de France 2025 Tips and Predictions
Outright Prediction: Tadej Pogacar-Jonas Vingegaard straight forecast (8/11)
Dark Horse Tip: Joao Almeida each-way (18/1)
Alternative Bet: Mattias Skjelmose to win King of the Mountains (66/1)
Tour de France 2025 Key Stages
Stage 7 - Saint Malo to Mur-de-Bretagne Guerledan
The peloton begins their time in Brittany with a punchy stage featuring two ascents of the Mur-de-Bretagne, the second of which will be the finish. The steep slopes of the Mur favour attackers but may also bring the GC favourites out to play for the first time.Stage 13 - Loudenvielle to Peyragudes
An 11km mountain time-trial, of which the final eight are tackled at an average gradient of 7.9 per cent, could open up gaps in the race for yellow.Stage 16 - Montpellier to Mont Ventoux
All roads lead to the Giant of Provence on July 22nd with the peloton taking in a course of no real note until they hit the lonely mountain. Expect fireworks.Stage 18 - Vif to Col de la Loze
The Col de la Loze was the scene of Pogacar's surrender at the 2023 Tour as Vingegaard swept to victory and the penultimate mountain stage of this year's race could be just as dramatic.
Tour de France 2025 Favourites
The betting for the 2025 Tour de France is again dominated by Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
The pair have finished first and second in each of the last four years and it is 9/1 the pair in the yellow-jersey market, showing just how far ahead of the rest they are.
Data-Led Tour de France 2025 Predictions & Analytics
Tour de France 2025 Outright Prediction
It's extremely difficult to get away from the front two in the market at this year's Tour de France and the yellow jersey should once again be taken onto the hallowed Champs-Elysees in Paris by either Pogacar or Vingegaard.
Pogacar has been so far ahead of the pack since finishing second to the Dane two years ago that he has to be preferred, although a fitter Vingegaard should get much closer than he did last year.
However, the Slovenian reigning champion was the stronger of the pair at last month's Criterium du Dauphine, where he took time out of Vingegaard on both of the mountain stages that mattered, and he should be even fresher than he was last year given he has not raced the Giro.
Matthew Ireland explains:
Few sportsmen have enjoyed a better 18 months than Pogacar has and, with a better sense of racecraft, he may just edge his great rival VIngegaard.
Dark Horses to Watch
There haven't been too many surprise winners of the Tour in the last 15 years and the status quo is unlikely to be broken this year.
That said, three weeks of racing across some of the most punishing terrain in the world can catch out even the best and there are a few riders waiting to pounce should the favourites falter.
Remco Evenepoel (9/1), third last year, is the obvious starting point and he is a double Olympic gold medal winner from last year's Games in Paris.
However, he was over nine minutes down on last year's victor Pogacar and fourth place at the Criterium du Dauphine was a slight disappointment for the Belgian, being beaten to third place by German youngster Florian Lipowitz.
However the Tour will be a different beast entirely for the 24-year-old, who is not even forced to be his team's protected rider now five-time Grand Tour winner Primoz Roglic has been parachuted in after abandoning the Giro in May.
Roglic went off favourite for that race but, as has often been the case in his career, luck was not on his side as crashes and punctures curtailed his challenge.
The biggest danger to the big two could come from within Pogacar's own team via Portugal's Joao Almeida (18/1), who has never really taken to outright leadership but who has enjoyed a fine season to date.
Matthew Ireland adds:
Almeida will be a valuable wildcard for UAE Team Emirates should anything happen to Pogacar. The Portuguese has won the Tour de Suisse, Tour of Romandie and Tour of the Basque Country this season and arrives in tip-top shape.
Alternative Tip
There is a slight misconception that the iconic polka-dot jersey, awarded to the King of the Mountains, usually gets taken as a by-product of overall victory at the Tour.
However, that has been the case only five times since 1970 and there is some value to be had in the KOM market.
It's always tricky to work out who will target the polka dots, but taking a chance on a climber who is unlikely to have huge GC hopes or have a rider to look after in the mountains is usually a good starting point.
That may apply to Dane Mattias Skjelmose, who not too long ago would have been approaching the Tour with a high finish in mind, but may have more realistic target this time around.
Skjelmose won Amstel Gold in April and warmed up for the Tour with a one-day victory at the extremely mountainous Andorra Classica.
A climber through and through making odds of 66/1 are certainly interesting.
Who Wins the Tour de France 2025?
It could be much closer than last year, but Pogacar has given no indication that he is willing to relinquish the yellow jersey and the Slovene, arguably the most dominant sportsperson in the world right now, is fancied to bag a fourth Tour title as he inches closer towards legendary status.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
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