- 16,000 cycling enthusiasts took part in the 33rd edition of L’Étape du Tour de France, between Albertville and La Plagne.
- 131 km et five climbs with a total of 4,500 metres of elevation gain.
- Five days before the champions, the riders rode the route of the 19th and second to last stage of the Tour de France 2025.
- Victory went to Frenchman Victor Vidal and Germany’s Stephanie Meder.
- Champions at the start… and the finish.
- Don’t miss Saturday 2nd August for the 1st edition of L’Étape du Tour de France Femmes with Zwift, between Chambéry and the Col de la Madeleine pass.
With thirty-two years of unceasingly intense images, more than three decades of scenes at the finishing line of L’Étape du Tour de France including joy, yells, raised fists, smiles and stars in their eyes, with their finishers’ medals around their necks, none of the riders will forget such a special day on the leading cyclo-sportive event, the only one to be ridden on roads entirely closed to traffic. None of them will forget the effort they put in and none of them will forget the happiness felt at riding through the sublime landscapes that the Savoie area boasts. For this 33rd edition, 16,000 riders tackled the roads between Albertville and La Plagne (over 131 km with 4,500 metres of elevation gain), coming from all over the world (with 90 nationalities and 27.4% of the peloton from outside France) and having prepared for the event for weeks and months, or even sometimes having dreamt of it for years. Among them, 44% tackled this legendary cyclo-sportive for the first time.
Several kilometres after the start, they first got their teeth into the Héry-sur-Ugine slope (11.3 km at a gradient of 5%), which was the day’s first climb, before heading towards the Col des Saisies pass (13.7 km at a gradient of 6.4%). The descent then took them towards Beaufort where they then faced the formidable ascent of the Col du Pré pass and its 12.6 km at an average gradient of 7.7%. Next came the Chapelle de Roselend before tackling the second part of the Cormet de Roselend climb (5.9 km at a gradient of 6.3%). With already heavy legs, they reached Bourg Saint-Maurice and then began the 19 km final climb at a gradient of 7.2% to La Plagne and the long-awaited finishing line.
At the front of the race, two men took the lead at the halfway point. At the summit of the Cormet de Roselend, 26-year-old former mountain-biker Victor Vidal, a member of the CC Etupes club since the beginning of the season, was accompanied by Arthur Blanc, a little more than 2 minutes ahead of a group of eight riders including last year’s winner Damien Jeanjean (who finished 10th). On the final climb, Vidal, who won the Bourgogne Franche-Comté championship in mid-June and was seventh in the French amateur championships three weeks ago, broke away to grab his greatest victory. “I was patient at the beginning,” explained the man from Montpellier. “Before the Col du Pré pass, we managed to put some distance between ourselves and other riders. I accelerated on the climb and that left just two of us. We worked well together until the foot of the ascent to La Plagne, where I broke away from him. I then tackled the climb at my own rhythm. The final part was really tough. I was losing time to the riders behind me but I managed to win. It’s crazy”. Crazy is a suitable word for his entire day. “I’m absolutely delighted because I really wanted to win, but saying it is one thing, doing it is something completely different,” admitted the winner. “All the more so because the peloton was packed with good riders. L’Étape du Tour de France is the best cyclo-sportive in my opinion. Even if I came here to enjoy myself, I know that it can be a good springboard to joining a professional team. It’s so well organised and there are spectators everywhere. I didn’t think there would be as many people on the roadsides, it was incredible, and everyone is cheering you on, it was wonderful”.
In the women’s race, 30-year-old German rider Stephanie Meder, who was sixth in the German championships on 28th June, triumphed with a time of 5:14’02’’. She led from the start and finished 3’47’’ ahead of Frenchwoman Aurore Pachet. Swiss rider Selina Burch completed the podium, 10’13’’ behind. “In the last climb, I even thought I was going to have to stop,” explained the winner, who lives in Zurich in Switzerland. “I was lucky enough to be accompanied by Stefan Kirchmair [an Austrian former professional who won L’Étape du Tour de France in 2022]. Winning L’Étape du Tour de France was one of my prime goals for the season because it’s the most prestigious event. It was fantastic. It's rare to see so many spectators on the roadside. The landscapes were incredible, too. We don’t always have the time to look at them when riding but you have to try and enjoy them as well”.
For several hours, the finishers continued to roll in, with the same level of happiness for all.
Aged more than 80 years old, Jean Bachelard has participated in cyclo-sportives at a disconcerting rhythm. Today, he finished L’Étape du Tour de France for the eighth time (in 8 hours 13 minutes). “It was steep but beautiful,” he remarked. “Once again, I really enjoyed it. Even if you have to be careful on the descents, we have to realise how lucky we are. We can’t get enough of it… it’s like a stage on the Tour de France! I’ll be back again next year”.
This yearly event is also sometimes something of a family affair. Julien Faux-Girard and Sébastien Mathelin are cousins and business partners. Together, in Aix-les-Bains, they have opened a cake shop and tearoom with a cycling-themed name in French: L’Étape Sucrée (the sweet stage). They both took part in this edition of L’Étape du Tour de France, which is the third for Sébastien and the second for Julien. “It’s always just as magical,” said Julien, who finished with a time of 6:29’, just a few minutes ahead of his cousin. “It’s a day of fun and fervour. You can feel you’re in cycling country, with lots of fans at the bottoms and tops of the passes. When we need a bit more energy, the encouragement they provide gives us wings”.
Florent Rodriguez comes from the region around Nice. With his friends, he trained for the 2025 edition, with the aim of completing it within 7 hours. He crossed the finishing line after 6 hours and 58 minutes. “I’m super happy. I already took part last year because it was very near to where I live but the mountains here are just magnificent. The descent down to the dam with the waterfalls was superb. The organisation for such a large peloton is also impressive. Honestly, it’s something you should do at least once in your life”.
When Mathilde Mongeau was a child, with her brothers and grandparents, she went along to encourage the elite riders from the roadsides in the Pyrenees. Yesterday, for the 28-year-old from Toulouse, who is a member of the Hutchinson X She Rides team, it was her turn to enjoy an experience of the Tour, obtaining her finisher’s medal with a time of 8 hours and 35 minutes.
The sight of many jerseys in the colours of charities was widespread at the finishing line. More than 670 cyclists were riding for a good cause and in the name of solidarity (including 420 for French heart surgery charity Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque). As a result, more than 450,000 euros were collected for charity, with many French riders, naturally, but also cyclists from abroad taking up the challenge, all of whom universally described their feeling of the event with a heartfelt “amazing”.
In several days’ time, on 25th July, Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and the Tour de France peloton will tackle these same roads for the 19th stage. When they watch the elite riders, either in front of their TV screens or perhaps even on the roadside, for the participants in this 33rd edition of L’Étape du Tour de France, it will undoubtedly bring back some very fond memories…
Saturday 2nd August: L’Étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
On Saturday 2nd August, the 1st edition of L’Étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which is open to all, men and women, will take place between Chambéry and the Col de la Madeleine pass (over distances of 112 km, with 3,490 metres of elevation gain or 100 km and 2,950 metres of elevation gain). The event will take place on the same day and on the same route as the 8th stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Final straight to register on timeto.