After two years (2023 and 2024) of absence, Tour de France return to Lille. On the 5th July 2025 the first stage of the race wil start and also end in the city.
An odd couple on the cobbles
Although Roubaix is part of Lille, the host city of the first stage of Tour de France 2025, currently nothing indicates a possible appearance of the famous cobbles of Paris-Roubaix. It wouldn't be a wise decision anyway, putting the GC guys on risk on the very first day of the race.
But when last time Tour de France visited Lille, in 2022, there were cobblestones. The race finished in Arenberg, although the famous long cobbled road of Arenberg Forest wasn't in the program. And the two most active riders at the front of the peloton were Jasper Stuyven and Tadej Pogacar. In 2022 it felt a bit strange to see the spring classic specialist working together with the then two-time Tour de France winner GC guy, therefore I called them an odd couple. During the recent few years, of course, Pogacar proved that he can ride cobbles too, although at a bit different kind of race by winning Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Fnalders) in 2023.
Lille is an old Tour de France contestant city. Its first appearance dates back to 1906.