A presidential playground for the spring riders from the classics

The fourth stage of the 2025 Tour de France goes from Amiens to Rouen and promises to be a delightful ride. Although both cities are known in the history books of the Tour de France as sprint cities, the chance doesn't seem very high that we'll actually get a (divided) mass sprint on Tuesday - given the profile in the last thirty kilometers.

There will undoubtedly be more gendarmerie on duty than usual in the Tour on this Tuesday. The starting place Amiens - which already has a rich history - is the birthplace of French President Emmanuel Macron. Despite all the global problems, it seems unlikely he won't be there that day. Furthermore, the world-famous writer Jules Verne is buried in Amiens. Dylan Groenewegen also won a Tour stage there in 2018.

From the city on the Somme, a scenario could emerge that we also saw in the first week of the 2024 edition: riders who don't attempt to get into the breakaway of the day, because they know it's pointless with the finale that's coming. You can do the math yourself: where are you riding to if you know that in the last hour - which goes over a course reminiscent of a classic - you're hopeless?

In the last thirty kilometers, there are four (!) categorized climbs. Compared to what's still to come in this Tour, the climbs are peanuts. But for the classics riders, this stage is still a treat. The finale on Tuesday begins with the Côte de Belbeuf (1.3 kilometers at 9.3%), followed by the Côte de Bonsecours (900 meters at 7.2%) and soon the regular climb of the Côte de Grand'Mare (1.8 kilometers at 5%).

The gentlemen cyclists will probably only make real differences six kilometers from the finish on the Rampe Sant-Hillaire (900 meters at 10.6%), which even reaches 13% halfway. After this climb, the peloton races at high speed toward Rouen, where there are still some uphill sections of around 5%.

In Rouen, viewers will be treated not only to an attractive finale but also to beautiful images of the city. The capital of the Normandy region breathes (medieval) history and still has two magnificent landmarks with the beautiful Gros-Horloge clock and the imposing Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. The finish line is drawn right next to this thirteenth-century cathedral.

Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert will relish this course (and the city). Should they win - they will join a list with mainly sprinters who have won in Rouen in the past. Riders like André Greipel, Gerrit Solleveld, Jan Raas, and Walter Godefroot have all triumphed here.

Date	08 July 2025
Start	Amiens
Finish	Rouen
Distance	174.2 km
Elevation gain	2050 m
Type	Individual Road Race
Average Speed	45.35 km/h
Overall Profile	Hill
Finish Profile	False flat

Tour de France

Men Elite - 2.UWT