Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert immediately in their element

The second stage of the 2025 Tour de France is a hilly ride of 209 kilometers from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer, with a finale that's perfect for punchers like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Though we should immediately note that Tadej Pogačar might also want to test how sharp and good the competition is here.

In this stage, the riders must overcome more than 2,100 meters of elevation gain. The most challenging elevation gain is in the final ten kilometers. The Côte de Saint-Étienne-au-Mont (900 meters, 10.8%) and the Côte d'Outreau (800 meters, 7.9%) are the two steep leg-breakers that could decide the race in the finale. After the second climb, there are still 5.5 kilometers to the finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where the last kilometer slopes gently upward.

Sunday's stage travels through the Département du Nord. This department is known for its steep hills, fields, and rugged coastline. As far as television images are concerned, we can expect beautiful shots. Furthermore, this department feels Flemish at times, which is hot: the local dialect has Flemish words, and here too you can find hearty beef stew dishes with beer in café-restaurants. However, the riders' minds won't be on this on Sunday: new opportunities for a yellow jersey and a stage victory await.

In the lead-up to the finale, the riders travel through rolling landscape with two climbs offering mountain points besides the two hills in the finale: the Côte de Cavron-Saint-Martin (1.2 km, 5.6%) after 103 kilometers and the Côte du Haut Pichot (1 km, 10.3%) after 179.5 kilometers. Whether we can expect fireworks here already is questionable. Normally you'd think not - except for the first real battle for the polka dot jersey. But in contemporary cycling, we dare not predict anything with certainty as a logical consequence.

The finish town of Boulogne-sur-Mer has a rich history as a finish location in the Tour, with winners such as Peter Sagan (2012), Erik Zabel (2001), Jean-Paul van Poppel (1994), and Norbert Callens (1949), who all triumphed in this city on the Opal Coast. It also houses France's largest fishing port. Who will cast a line here and reel in a big fish? The stage victory seems good for the yellow leader's jersey as well. Is there reason to cheer for Belgians or Dutch riders immediately or again?

Date	06 July 2025
Start	Lauwin-Planque
Finish	Boulogne-sur-Mer
Distance	209.1 km
Elevation gain	2550 m
Type	Individual Road Race
Average Speed	43.92 km/h
Overall Profile	Hill
Finish Profile	Flat

Tour de France

Men Elite - 2.UWT