Unmissable must-sees kick off the tour
In the heart of Lille, near the imposing citadel, the 112th Tour de France kicked off with a thrilling sprint stage on July 5, 2025. The opening stage, spanning 184.9 kilometers, saw crosswinds causing havoc and splitting the peloton, but two formidable riders, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, managed to hold their ground.
The race culminated in an impressive victory for Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen, who claimed the first yellow jersey of the race. Remco Evenepoel, another contender, unfortunately lost time due to the crosswind chaos.
Pogacar and Vingegaard, both top favourites, demonstrated no signs of weakness in the opening stage. Despite not contesting the stage win, they maintained their position in the main front group, ensuring they did not lose valuable time in the crosswind disruptions.
This stage was more about positioning and avoiding splits rather than deciding the general classification. Eritrean professional Biniam Girmay and Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold finished as runners-up, while German sprinter Marius Mayrhofer secured a respectable ninth place.
German cycling hopeful Florian Lipowitz had a setback during his debut stage, suffering a flat tire and having to make up nearly 40 seconds to rejoin the main pack. Meanwhile, no new information was provided about Emanuel Buchmann or his feelings towards his former team.
The second day of the Tour de France will see a stage of 209.1 kilometers between Lauwin-Planque and Boulogne-sur-Mer. The second stage favours breakaways and classic specialists, such as Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel, who has already won the Classics Mailand-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix earlier this year.
The excitement of the first stage sets the stage for an exhilarating Tour de France, with Pogacar and Vingegaard continuing to dominate and Philipsen starting the race in high spirits. The race is far from over, and the competition is sure to heat up as the Tour de France progresses.
I'm not going to be able to do this, despite the thrilling start of the Tour de France and the dominance of top riders like Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. This tour seems to be filled with sports chaos, with crosswinds causing splits and even the classics specialists like Mathieu van der Poel favored for the upcoming stage.
