Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes 2025 features a challenging, hilly course ending in Guéret, anticipated for some Grand Tour action.
Tour de France Femmes Stage 5 Preview: Hillier Stage Sets Up GC Battle
Stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes is set to be a pivotal day in the race, with a distance of 165.8 kilometers and a series of hills in central France's Creuse department. This stage, the longest of the race, promises to be a key day for puncheurs, breakaway specialists, and general classification (GC) contenders.
The terrain starts fairly flat but steadily rises into rolling hills, transitioning into more challenging climbs in the final 40 km. The stage will feature three classified climbs in the last 30-40 km that are expected to shape the race decisively:
- Côte de Chabannes (1.4 km at 5.2%) – a fourth-category climb, relatively short but steep.
- Côte du Peyroux (3.3 km at 4.3%) – also a fourth-category climb, longer than Côte de Chabannes but with a slightly gentler gradient.
- Le Maupuy (2.8 km at 5.4%) – the key third-category climb topping out just under 6 km from the finish, which offers bonus seconds at the summit and is a prime launchpad for GC attacks.
After Le Maupuy, riders face a rapid descent into Guéret and a final 500 meters with a gentle uphill drag to the finish, favoring a strong sprinter or an aggressive climber with excellent timing. The last climb’s steep 14% gradient section (about 100m) provides a crucial spot to break away and gain time on rivals.
Expect a breakaway to form early but stay within reach of the peloton due to forecasted tailwinds, with selective racing and potential GC battles on the final climbs, especially Le Maupuy. Marianne Vos, having already won a stage earlier in the race, is predicted to be a strong contender on this hillier stage given her climbing and sprinting capabilities.
Other GC contenders who have already shown their strength on shorter climbs include Pauline Ferrand-Prevéot and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. Le Maupuy, with its challenging gradient and bonus seconds at the summit, is likely hard enough to split things, especially with the earlier climbs potentially softening up the competition and dispatching sprinters.
Stage 5 will not decide the winner of the Tour de France Femmes, but could potentially end someone's hopes at yellow or the podium if they are unable to follow in the punchy hills. The stage's hillier profile and longer distance mark the race's transition from flat sprint stages to more selective climbing days, increasing the intensity and likelihood of time gaps in the GC standings.
Stay tuned for an exciting Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes!
In the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, Stage 5 is predicted to be a crucial day for general classification (GC) contenders, with three classified climbs and a key third-category climb at Le Maupuy offering bonus seconds at the summit and opportunities for GC attacks.
The hillier profile and longer distance of Stage 5 could potentially end someone's hopes at yellow or the podium if they are unable to follow in the punchy hills, signifying the race's transition from flat sprint stages to more selective climbing days.
