We may have had a succession of fairly flat days in the 2025 Tour de France so far, but for Bastille Day the Tour organisers have arranged a pre-rest-day sting, with almost 4,500m of elevation gain.
Stage 10 may be where one of the GC contenders puts his mark on the race before it heads into the Pyrenees.
Stage 10: Ennezat > Le Mont-Dore
- Date: 14 July
- Distance: 165.3km
- Elevation gain: 4,450m
- Stage type: Mountain
Le Mont-Dore - schedule" class="wp-image-922660">Route profile
Route map
In most editions, the second Monday of the Tour de France is a rest day, but this year it falls on Bastille Day – the huge French national holiday – and the riders will be out to put on a show.
Mountains – or a dynamic route, at least – are a fixture of the day, and this stage in the Massif Central, in the Puy de Dôme department, is set to be a treat.
Two new stage towns and plenty of unfamiliar terrain in between await riders on a day filled with around 4,500m of elevation.
There’s nothing huge or particularly steep, but the frequency of the climbs will make for a fractious peloton.
The final ascent, to the Puy de Sancy ski area, above the town of Le Mont-Dore, is the steepest of the lot, averaging a steady 8% over 3.5km.
“A mountain stage on Bastille Day, and one that’s likely to create some fireworks as there are seven second-category hills or passes on the menu,” says race director Christian Prudhomme.
“Anyone who missed the 2023 Tour will be able to catch a glimpse of the climb to the Puy de Dôme, as the riders will tackle the first few kilometres of it early in the stage.
“After that, there’ll be no respite until the final climb to the resort of Le Mont-Dore.
“The 3.5km climb averaging 8% will bring the total vertical gain for the day to 4,400 metres!”
What's in store today?
Hills. Lots of them. The stage route skirts round the Puy de Dôme, a volcanic lava dome that was the site of epic Tour battles from 1952 to 1988, before it was closed to traffic in 2012. The Tour returned in 2023 for a spectator-free ascent won by Mike Woods.
The Puy de Sancy, site of the stage finish, is the highest point in the Massif Central at 1,886m, although the stage doesn't go to the top, with the finish line at 1,324m.
Le Mont Dore, the town at the base of the climb, is home to a number of thermal baths, a possible pre-rest-day attraction for the riders once the stage has ended, although teams will probably travel straight on to spend their day off in Toulouse, venue for the Stage 11 start and finish.
The Massif Central is another French region famed for its cheeses, as well as mountain fare such as potée auvergnate: a slow-cooked stew of cabbage, potatoes, bacon, sausage and more.
One to watch: Felix Gall
Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale's Felix Gall may be an outsider, but he's placed highly in both the Tour of the Alps and the Tour de Suisse this year.
Gall can climb and he's not likely to be marked closely by the main GC contenders at this stage in the race.
