Beyond Tadej Pogacar’s triumph, the 2025 edition was elevated by top-tier protagonists across all terrains: from the podium duel between Florian Lipowitz and Oscar Onley to the sprinter clashes between Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier, not to mention the bold moves by Mathieu Van der Poel and Wout van Aert, Lenny Martinez’s polka-dot hunt, the gallant breakaways of Ben Healy, and the solo raids by Australians Ben O’Connor and Kaden Groves. Here's an incomplete overview of the key storylines across the Tour’s various battles…
Final podium: Lipowitz lives up to expectations
While Tadej Pogacar’s dominance at the top of the general classification and Jonas Vingegaard’s current inability to challenge him are indisputable, it’s just as clear that the second-best rider in the world faced no real competition for that spot. Aside from Pogacar, Miguel Indurain, and now the Danish champion, no other rider in Tour history has finished in the top three for five consecutive editions. In other words, the real battle was for the third step on the podium. And that became evident after the Caen time trial, and even more so following the Hautacam stage. That final podium place seemed destined, as in the previous year, for Remco Evenepoel.
Matteo Jorgenson and Joao Almeida briefly looked like contenders, but the fight eventually fell to the younger generation. Evenepoel, despite his efforts to stay in contention, dropped out just before the conclusion of the Pyrenees' battles, even while sitting in that coveted third spot. This left a clear duel between Florian Lipowitz and Oscar Onley. The German rider exceeded expectations following his podium finishes in Paris-Nice (2nd) and the Critérium du Dauphiné (3rd), lifting his performance even higher for his first Tour. After taking some risks during the Col de la Loze stage and seeing his lead reduced to 22 seconds by the young Scot, Lipowitz bounced back in the climb to La Plagne, where he distanced Onley by over a minute. The final top 10 also featured four other Tour's debutants: Tobias Johannessen (6th), Kévin Vauquelin (7th), Ben Healy (9th), and Jordan Jegat (10th).
Green jersey: Milan, power and precision
Jonathan Milan managed to clear the field and take advantage of circumstances that worked in his favor. While Biniam Girmay performed below his 2024 level, Jasper Philipsen started strong, taking the Yellow Jersey in Lille and later wearing green, until a crash shattered his hopes. In Alpecin-Deceuninck, Mathieu Van der Poel might have been a serious green jersey contender with more commitment, and if illness hadn’t forced him out of the race. Meanwhile, Lidl-Trek’s leader perfectly understood the nuances of the points classification, especially the need for constant focus on intermediate sprints. Whether at the front or chasing points behind breakaways, the Italian consistently beat his rivals at every intermediate opportunity.
His main goal, however, was to become a Tour de France stage winner, having already won four Giro stages. Involved in echelons before the Lille finish and second in Dunkerque, he became glorious in Laval and, even more heroically, in under the rain in Valence. Two stage wins and the green jersey in Paris capped an almost perfect Tour for one of the standout 2025 rookies. Still, the battles weren’t enough to definitively separate the two best sprinters of the moment. Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan both won twice, but in the two head-to-head sprints, the European champion edged out the Italian.
Polka-dot jersey: memories and regrets for Martinez
Pogacar took the mountains jersey early on modest climbs at 179m and 111m in Stage 2, wearing the polka dot jersey for only the second time in his career, despite having already won the climber classification twice (2020–21). His teammate Tim Wellens wore the jersey for a moment, but eventually Lenny Martinez launched his own polka dot jersey campaign heading toward Mont-Dore. Though focused, Martinez’s inconsistency on key stages meant he couldn't collect enough points when it mattered. Still, he had the honor of leading in the Col du Tourmalet with the iconic jersey, which celebrated its 50th birthday during this Tour.
To counter Pogacar’s dominance, and to a lesser extent Vingegaard’s, Martinez would have needed the legs and flair of Thymen Arensman to score on the most lucrative climbs. Ultimately, Martinez finished third in the mountain classification, 22 points behind Pogacar, 8 of which were lost to a preventable penalty that might have been avoided with more maturity.
White jersey: Onley waiting in the wings
Celebrating 50 years as the award for best young rider, the white jersey fulfilled its role as a talent spotlight. Remco Evenepoel started as the favorite to retain it, but it was Kévin Vauquelin’s race sense, especially in avoiding the crosswinds and echelons in Lille, that allowed him wear white until the time trial in Caen, near his home in Calvados. Evenepoel regained it there, but his collapse at Superbagnères transmitted the spotlight to the Lipowitz-Onley duel. The former biathlete managed to distance the Picnic PostNL rider, who finished the Tour 1’12’’ behind.
The young Scot can still aim for the white jersey next year as Evenepoel, Lipowitz, Skjelmose, and Healy will all age out of the under-25 category.
Most aggressive rider: Healy, without a doubt
Stage hunters and breakaway specialists made their mark with bold, aggressive racing, the key to earning the most agressive award. Lenny Martinez, Matteo Vercher, and Bruno Armirail each won it twice, but the Tour’s most consistent animator rightly took the title of 2025 Super-Combative Rider. Stage winner in Vire Normandie and 2nd in the Mont Ventoux, Ben Healy earned the daily combativity prize three times before unanimously claiming a spot on the Paris podium.
21 stages: a Belgian festival
The Belgian crew experienced all kinds of emotions during the Tour 2025, but the painful withdrawals of Jasper Philipsen and Remco Evenepoel came only after each had tasted success. Belgium maintained sprint dominance thanks to Tim Merlier, undefeated in every sprint he contested. The spree continued with Tim Wellens (in black-yellow-red, no less, on the eve of Belgium’s national day!) and Wout van Aert’s monumental ride from Rue Lepic to the Champs-Élysées. With five different Belgian stage winners, something unseen since 1986, the nation had a Tour to remember. The cherry on top? A French victory with a Belgian team: Valentin Paret-Peintre’s win atop Mont Ventoux for Soudal–Quick-Step.
Among nations returning to the winners’ club after long absences: Milan ended Italy’s drought since 2019 (V. Nibali, Hautacam); Norway hadn’t won since A. Kristoff (Nice, 2020) until Jonas Abrahamsen’s Toulouse triumph; and Ireland relived the glory days of S. Bennett (2020) through Ben Healy’s exploits.
Team classification: Visma-Lease a Bike delivers
Groupama-FDJ had a brief moment of joy as the first French team to lead the team classification since AG2R-La Mondiale won it in 2014. But by Stage 4 in Rouen, Visma-Lease a Bike took control of it and never looked back. Jonas Vingegaard’s performances laid the foundation, strongly supported by Matteo Jorgenson and, often, Victor Campenaerts. Simon Yates’ breakaway victory at Mont-Dore helped, as did Edoardo Affini’s outstanding 3rd-place finish in the Caen time trial. The Dutch team won the classification by 24’26’’ over last year’s winners, UAE Emirates XRG. It’s their second title in this ranking, following their first in 2023.
