Looking forward to the start of Le Tour

 

Have you bought your guide to the Tour de France 2025 which kicks off on July 5 in Lille Nord, just across the Channel?

It’s an excellent magazine, with in depth features on the riders, full route, detailed maps of each stage and much more. It also includes a supplement about the stages which have featured the feared climb of Mount Ventoux, scene of triumph and tragedy over the years and which features again this time. One page is devoted to Britain’s Tom Simpson who in 1967 collapsed on the cruel slopes of the Ventoux under the hot sun and died. The sport was shocked to the core.

That terrible occasion will for ever remain as a sobering reminder of the brutality of the Tour.

Curiously, though, this guide contains only a passing mention to Lille which is hosting the Grand Depart for the third time. Lille has a long relationship with Le Tour, having  hosted over 30 stages since 1906, including two Grand Departs before this one, in 1960 and in 1994.

Clearly, this is an oversight.

To find out more check out  this link: www.tourdelille.com

This is provided by Andy Sutcliffe, former editor of Cycling Weekly, who now lives in the Lille area. The lucky beggar will have the Tour passing his front door twice, or is it three times?

The Guide I have makes only a passing mention to Lille when it refers to  Chris Boardman winning the prologue there in 1994, in record time, to wear -  briefly - the famous yellow jersey.

This  year Lille Nord is graced with  hosting the first three stages in the region.

I was in Lille when reporting the 1982 Tour, when Dutchman Jan Raas won stage 6 there, a 221- kilometre loop.  They were longer stages back then.

That year’s race started from Basle in Switzerland and Bernard Hinault would win his fourth Tour out of five after an absorbing battle. That year also saw history made when non-European riders dominated for the first time, making HInault work to take time bonuses in intermediate sprints. Ireland’s Sean Kelly won the green points jersey, and Aussie Phil Anderson held the yellow jersey for eight stages before finishing fifth overall.

After the Lille stage the race had a day off to make one of its famously long transfers by road, this one over 400 miles to Brittany for Stage 7, a team time trial starting from Cancale.

Of course, the riders flew.

There was slight problem when  one of the two planes charted by Le Tour was taken out of service at the last moment! We picked up this story when we arrived at the press centre after a long drive from Lille.

Well,  you can’t simply hold up tired riders on Le Tour!  In fact, the riders barely noticed the delay, for another aircraft was conjured up to get them off the ground.

There was speculation as to where they got this plane from at such short notice.  The story goes that passengers about to board another flight were suddenly told of a hold up and must wait for another aircraft. Yes,  you guessed it. Le Tour nicked it, allegedly. No one stops Le Tour.

Well, demonstrations used to do so, workers wanting to bring their grievances to the notice of the press.

The Tour guide includes lots of good photographs, including of course, several of the defending champion, the wonder boy, world champion  and three times Tour winner Tadje Pogacar. His dominance these past few years – with one exception -  as exciting as it has been, is now  beginning to tire for some followers. 

Such is the fate that awaits all sports champions who so completely stifle the opposition year after year. We admire them of course, but then become impatient to see them beaten.

Having said that I shall eagerly await his attacks, for he lights the race up like no other, and from so far out.  He seems to have so m much more power than anyone else, often leaving riders like Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard struggling. But equally, I hope to see Pog seriously challenged this time, and for race to go down to the wire.

Last year Pogacar famously won the Triple: Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Road Championship. A rare feat.

We’ve got used to his seemingly effortless style, holding 50kph with that serene expression, almost a  smile.

Yet in one photo of this Tour guide,  Pogacar is barely recognisable. No smile. His face instead is wrought with pain and suffering. We don’t ever see that!  That shot was taken in the 2023 Tour on the Col de La Loze, when he famously cracked.  It cost him the Tour, and Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard went on to win his second consecutive edition.

The very same Alpine brute features again this year.

Could that be an omen?

Spookily. In typing the word “omen” the word count reached 666.

I have no wish to put spell on Pog, so I have added a few more words!