The Village Départ, located in the Parc Olympique Henry Dujol in Albertville, is open from Thursday 17th July to Saturday 19th July and admission is free.
- 40,000 visitors are expected and more than 80 exhibitors, experts and service partners will be in attendance to present what’s new in cycling and give riders advice.
- Conferences held by the French Federation of Cycling and free activities will be organised over the three-day period to allow the riders to enjoy a good time.
- The spotlight will be on women riders in the Village, with a dedicated zone (boasting activities, debates, advice, games, etc.), as well as on the road with women road captains and 100% female pelotons.
- A technical zone will be available to fine-tune equipment preparation.
On Sunday 20th July, 16,000 cyclists are expected for the 2025 edition of L’Étape du Tour de France, between Albertville and La Plagne (over a distance of 131 km, with 4,500 m of climbing), on the same route as stage 19 on the Tour de France (on 25th July). From this Thursday onwards in Albertville, cyclists and visitors will be able to discover the Village Départ, which is an essential stopping point for race number collection but also a place for discussion and exchange. With many Tour de France related activities, for both children and adults alike (a fans corner, wall of names, etc.), the Village Départ resembles a veritable cycling festival and boasts the possibility of watching the live broadcast on giant screens of the 3 Pyrenean stages on the Tour de France. The 40,000 visitors expected will also be able to meet and discuss with more than 80 exhibitors from various sectors of the cycling world.
WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE VILLAGE PODIUM?
The three days during which the Village will be open will be punctuated by several
interventions on the podium:
French Federation of Cycling conferences
- Thursday: the FFC’s various offerings for cyclo-sportives in France, by Tristan Horreaux, FFC Director of Marketing and Communication. For cyclists, the FFC has set up a dedicated site for FFC approved routes within France’s borders, stretching over distances between several dozen kilometres and more than 200 kilometres. Routes can include climbs, descents and flat sections.
- Friday: the FFC’s legacy for French cycling ahead of the UCI World Championships in 2027, by Thierry Bedos, French Deputy Technical Director in charge of development.
- Saturday: Experiencing cycling as a woman, by Marie-Françoise Potereau, FFC Vice-Chairwoman.
Partner interventions
Julbo: presentation of the new WATT’EVER collection with 12 models revisited to embody speed, the desire to push yourself beyond your boundaries and, especially, to break with the traditional codes of cycling.
Team Hutchinson x She rides: presentation of the team on the podium.
Maurten: nutrition guide presentation
Shimano: technical assistance guide presentation
PARTNERS WITH THE FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THE RIDERS’ NEEDS
The Étape du Tour de France’s loyal partners will be especially active at the Village. On Friday 18th July on the podium, Hutchinson will be presenting its Blackbird range, which it developed in collaboration with WorldTour team Intermarché-Wanty and Olympic triathlon gold medallist Alex Yee. Blackbird Race reduces rolling resistance by 10% compared to the previous model and weighs only 240 g for the 28-mm version. As for the Blackbird All Season, it offers better grip in wet conditions and impressive longevity of 6,000 km. Saturday 19th July, at 15.00, Kärcher will be presenting its mobile cleaners in the presence of Claude Dartois, Kärcher ambassador for the Étape du Tour de France 2025, four times finalist of French survival reality TV programme Koh-Lanta and a starter on Sunday. The presentation will take place at Kärcher’s stand at the entrance to the Village, in a zone dedicated to finding out and experiencing new products and ideas, providing the opportunity to test products in real-life conditions, watch technical demonstrations and benefit from personalised advice from experts. Shimano will also be showcasing Shimano e-bike systems. SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS technology is based on more than a century of cycling engineering and offers powerful, light and intuitive assistance for e-bikes, cargo bikes and city bikes. Finally, Explore Savoie will be promoting the destination to the riders. Two activities will be held in this zone: Greenwheel, an energetic warm-up where every pedal stroke provides electrical power to the Village, and a VR experience in which you can virtually climb five legendary mountain passes in Savoie. On the podium, Explore Savoie will also be organising the round table, “Savoie, a land of riding for all, all year round” on Friday at 11.00 and then the mountain-biking trial show by Léo Nobile and Baptiste Braire on Saturday at 17.30.
THE “WOMEN’S ZONE” AT THE VILLAGE
Like last year, in order to support women and give them pride of place, there will be a “Women’s Zone” at the Étape du Tour de France Village. It will be open to both women and men and will also be promoting the first edition of L’Étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (on 2nd August), as well as hosting many activities on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. ·
- Keynote speakers on women’s cycling (FFC coach, professional cyclist, advice, testimonials, recommendations about the route by road captains, Team Hutchinson x She Rides).
- A photo booth to encourage all women cyclists and female participants in the 2025 edition and a photo booth for capturing memories of the event to share on the social networks.
- Exhibition of the four distinctive jerseys from the Tour de France Femmes with Zwift.
- Distribution of “We are the Femmes” stickers and tattoos.
- Quiz with the prize of a race number for L'Etape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (1 race number per day to be won). · Four women road captains will also allow riders to take part in a 100% female peloton, split between starting zones 5, 9, 13 and 16.
TECHNICAL ZONE AND SECURE ENCLOSURE
As a new feature in 2025, a technical zone run by the partners of L’Étape du Tour de France will be accessible to participants, offering them the opportunity to optimise and fine-tune preparation of their equipment, with especially valuable help for the riders discovering the event (44% of the peloton).
Kärcher washing station.
Shimano technical assistance.
Hutchinson tyre workshop.
Secure enclosure
Each day, a secure enclosure will be available to riders to leave their bikes in total security in order to make the most of the Village. On Saturday, it will be possible for riders to leave their bikes in the nocturnal secure enclosure before the Village closes (at 19.00). It will then open at 5.30 on Sunday morning.
L’ÉTAPE SERIES BY TOUR DE FRANCE ITERNATIONAL ZONE
With 90 different nationalities among the participants, riders from abroad will be able to meet up at L’Étape Series by Tour de France international zone. In 2025, more than thirty events will take place from January to December throughout the world, with a wealth of challenges to overcome, landscapes to observe and cultures to discover! From Rio’s beaches to the green Irish plains, the Tour de France experience can be enjoyed at the four corners of the earth with L’Etape Series by Tour de France.
THE VILLAGE Parc Olympique Henry Dujol in Albertville
- Thursday 17th July, from 14.00 to 19.00
- Friday 18th July, from 10.00 to 19.00
- Saturday 19th July, from 10.00 to 19.00
Free admission for the general public
Thanks to a dining and relaxation area, you can continue to enjoy the experience.