[An image of riders from the 2017 Tour de France. Photo credit to Unsplash]

The 2025 Tour de France concluded on July 27 in Paris, capping three weeks of racing across France.

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar secured his fourth overall victory, adding to his wins from 2020, 2021 and 2024, establishing himself as one of the top riders of his era.

The Tour de France is the world’s most prestigious cycling race, first held in 1903. 

It traditionally takes place over three weeks each July and covers a route of about 3,300 kilometers, mostly in France with occasional sections in neighboring countries. 

The overall winner is determined by having the lowest total time after completing all stages.  

This year’s course was approximately 3,338.8 kilometers long and included several challenging routes through the Alps and Pyrenees.

The varying stages tested riders’ abilities on both mountain ascents and flat sprints.

For the first time, the final stage did not finish on the Champs-Élysées, and instead concluded on the slopes of Montmartre, with a circuit finish similar to the one used in the recent Paris Olympics.

Race organizers decided to neutralize the overall timing before riders entered Montmartre due to rain and safety concerns.

This meant that riders could compete for the stage win without affecting the final overall standings.

Wout van Aert claimed victory in the final stage, marking his 10th Tour de France stage win.

Pogačar crossed the finish line shortly after, celebrating another yellow jersey awarded to the rider with the fastest total time, as well as the polka dot jersey given to the rider who accumulated the most points on climbs, earning him the “King of the Mountains” title. 

He was joined on the podium by Jonas Vingegaard, who finished second overall, and Florian Lipowitz, who took third and secured the best young rider category.

Italy’s Jonathan Milan won the green jersey for the points competition, which is awarded for consistent sprint finishes throughout the Tour.

Several riders made their mark on the 2025 competition, with notable stage wins from Kaden Groves and Ben Healy.

Groves stayed with a breakaway group for most of the stage but sprinted alone to the finish with 16km remaining to secure his first Tour de France stage win.

Similarly, Healy broke away from the leading group with 42km to go and gained almost a three-minute lead by the finish. 

Despite concerns about safety during the Paris finale, given Sunday’s wet conditions, the race’s immediate response in updating the format received positive feedback.

However, there were still several notable crashes and withdrawals during the race.

These occurred mostly in the Alpine mountain stages, due to harsh weather conditions and difficult descents. 

Meanwhile, there were challenges with crowd control along Montmartre, with several teams voicing concerns about rider safety as enthusiastic fans pressed close to the barriers. 

With four Tour de France victories at age 26, Pogačar now matches Chris Froome’s total and moves closer to the records held by cycling legends Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

As the 2025 Tour concludes, Paris and audiences worldwide continue to buzz about the three demanding weeks of cycling.

Many fans praised the organizers’ response to the rain, and eagerly await details about next year's route and format.

Expectations are already high for both emerging riders and this year’s champions heading into next July.