Race in Tour de France 2025 on stage 12 set to be transformed; Hautacam, scene of Vingegaard's triumph in the past, to shake up competition yet again
The Tour de France reached new heights on Thursday with stage 12, featuring the first hors catégorie climb of the race at Hautacam in the Pyrenees. This mountain stage marked the first major summit battle of the race, and Tadej Pogacar emerged victorious with a commanding solo climb.
The stage 12 route included tough climbs before the final ascent to Hautacam, such as the Category 1 Col du Soulor and the Category 2 Col des Bordères, designed to fatigue riders before the final climb. Hautacam itself is a hors catégorie climb (13.5 km at 7.8%), well known for shaping the GC.
Pogacar's strong attack on this climb exemplified his superior form compared to his main rivals, especially Jonas Vingegaard, who was unable or unwilling to follow directly and instead struggled to limit losses. The Slovenian rider finished two minutes and 10 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, significantly extending his overall lead to 3 minutes and 31 seconds.
Remco Evenepoel and Ben Healy faced big challenges in stage 12, as it was a huge test of how they are climbing in this year's Tour de France. The stage started in Auch and covered 180.6km, with most of the climbing happening in the latter part of the stage.
Ben O'Connor, a former GC hopeful, believed that the flat roads before the Hautacam climb could create an opportunity for a breakaway. Only one breakaway win in a Tour mountain stage has been recorded in 2024, but stage 12 could be more suited to a breakaway success. The stage 12 map and profile indicated that it was the first real opportunity for the GC contenders to put time into each other on the Hautacam summit finish.
The Côte de Labatmale, Col du Soulor, Col des Bordères, and Hautacam were the mountain points in stage 12, in order of appearance. The Col du Soulor and the Col des Bordères are two key climbs before the Hautacam, with gradients of 7.3% and 7.7% respectively.
Pogacar's victory in stage 12 reinforced his status as the strongest climber and top favorite for the overall win, putting him in a dominant position midway through the Tour. The Hautacam climb has played a crucial role in deciding the race throughout the years, with three of the last five winners on the climb going on to win the maillot jaune in Paris. This outcome sets the tone for the remaining stages of the Tour, with Pogacar in a commanding position.
[1] Tour de France Official Website [2] Cyclingnews [5] Velonews
Sports enthusiasts can marvel at the challenge posed by the Hautacam climb, a hors catégorie climb that played a crucial role in Pogacar's decisive victory in stage 12 of the Tour de France. The mountain stage, featuring key climbs like the Category 1 Col du Soulor and the Category 2 Col des Bordères, pushed riders to their limits before the final ascent.
