With no clear weaknesses for Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in the 2025 Tour de France, a positive aspect for his main competitor, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), is the return to three mountain stages where he has previously excelled.
Legendary ascents have consistently highlighted the distinction in the battle for the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. Whether it’s the Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central, or a particular ‘Giant of Provence’, each ascent in the Tour is rich with stories and memories of legendary cyclists from the past.
The riders on the 2025 route are no different and are anticipated to become the arena for Pogačar and Vingegaard to compete against each other in just a few days. However, three distinguish themselves from the others for a particular reason, notably considering the current situation where Slovenia holds a significant advantage before the Grand Départ.
Following Pogačar’s total climbing supremacy in last year’s Tour, there are three days from past Tours that Jonas Vingegaard will recall vividly: Mont Ventoux in 2021, Hautacam in 2022, and the Col de la Loze in 2023. Each of them led to increasingly significant separation from Pogačar in chronological order, with the last two contributing to his consecutive yellow jersey victories, and these ascents are returning for 2025.
The Dane will return to former hunting grounds, providing an opportunity to once more demonstrate dominance in the high mountains. After competing for the first time since March at the Critérium du Dauphiné and being significantly behind Pogačar’s climbing ability, he will require his final preparations to bridge the gap, but the trio of grueling climbs might be the game-changer he seeks.
For Pogačar, it offers a threefold opportunity for redemption, and he will surely be eager for his UAE team to manage stages 12, 16, and 18 effectively so he can seek revenge for earlier defeats in the world champion’s or yellow jersey.
Each of these three stages carries both historical weight and personal significance in the rivalry between the two leading contenders for the 2025 Tour. Their inclusion on this year’s route promises not only drama and spectacle for fans but also strategic importance in determining who will wear the yellow jersey in Nice.
Stage 12: Mont Ventoux – The Windy Giant Returns
The inclusion of Mont Ventoux in stage 12 brings immediate flashbacks to 2021, when Vingegaard cracked Pogačar for the first time on the legendary ascent. Though Pogačar held onto yellow that year and ultimately won the Tour, the Danish rider revealed a chink in the Slovenian’s armor, opening a psychological edge that would pay off in the following years.
Mont Ventoux, famously brutal with its barren lunar landscape and relentless gradient, is both iconic and unforgiving. It is a climb where pacing and strategy must blend seamlessly with power and mental fortitude. Pogačar will be particularly motivated to rewrite his experience on this climb—now a symbolic battleground of his earlier vulnerability.
Stage 16: Hautacam – The Pyrenean Memory
Stage 16 brings the Tour deep into the Pyrenees and back to Hautacam, where in 2022 Vingegaard sealed one of his most dominant stage victories. That day, he distanced Pogačar in the final kilometers, riding away with composure and strength that marked the beginning of a new era in their rivalry. It was not just a stage win but a psychological turning point that all but confirmed his first overall Tour title.
For 2025, Pogačar returns with both a deeper team around him and an extra layer of motivation. The Hautacam challenge is more than a race against time—it’s a climb that still lingers in his memory, and this year’s opportunity is a chance to conquer a past defeat and reclaim the summit with authority.
Stage 18: Col de la Loze – The High Alps Showdown
The queen stage of the 2025 Tour is stage 18, ending atop the Col de la Loze—a beast of a climb that was the scene of Pogačar’s unraveling in 2023. On that day, Vingegaard delivered a devastating blow in the Alps, leaving Pogačar unable to respond and solidifying a time gap that would secure his second consecutive yellow jersey.
Rising to over 2,300 meters, the Col de la Loze is both physically and mentally draining, with its irregular gradients and narrow, punishing roads. It is a climb that suits the pure climber with deep reserves, and Vingegaard exploited it perfectly. This year, Pogačar is expected to enter with stronger form, improved support, and the full intent to flip the script.
A Duel Defined by the Mountains
Beyond the historic implications of each climb, the 2025 Tour de France is shaping up to be defined once again by these legendary mountain stages. While the Grand Départ in Lille and the subsequent early stages may favor sprinters and classics specialists, the true story of the yellow jersey will likely be written on the slopes of Ventoux, Hautacam, and the Loze.
UAE Team Emirates will need to execute their tactics flawlessly, protecting Pogačar while setting him up for successful attacks. Meanwhile, Visma-Lease a Bike faces the challenge of regaining their rhythm after a disrupted start to the season for Vingegaard, who suffered injuries and spent much of the spring recovering.
However, the Dane’s historical dominance on these three climbs offers hope that he can turn the tide and reassert his authority in the high mountains. It is a rare and potent opportunity for both riders: redemption for one, reaffirmation for the other.
As the Tour approaches, these stages loom large not just on the route map, but in the minds of the sport’s two biggest stars. For Pogačar, they are more than just climbs. They are personal milestones, and this July, he aims to conquer them not just for the jersey, but for pride, memory, and legacy.
