Tour de France 2025 Stage 11: Sprint showdown in Toulouse after rest day

Tour de France 2025 Stage 11 returns to action with a flat 156.8km loop around Toulouse. Two late climbs might spice things up, but a bunch sprint is still expected.

📝 Introduction: Back in the saddle

After a well-earned rest day, the peloton rolls out for Tour de France 2025 Stage 11 — a relatively gentle 156.8 km loop from and to Toulouse. While the route is mostly flat, a pair of climbs inside the final 15 kilometres might give us more than just a straightforward sprint. For teams hunting stage wins, it’s a day that can’t be wasted.

The overall favourites will be happy to sit tight in the bunch — but the sprinters? They’ll be licking their lips.


📍 Tour de France 2025 Stage 11 – Route summary: Two bumps and a bullet train finale

The day’s route features two categorised climbs late in the stage:

  • CĂ´te de Vieille-Toulouse (1.3 km at 6.8%) — crested with 14 km remaining.
  • MontĂ©e de Pech David (800m at 12.4%) — brutally short and steep, peaking 8.8 km before the finish.

Despite the gradients, these are short efforts that sprinters like Tim Merlier and Wout van Aert should be able to power through — if they're positioned well.

Once over the top, the riders face a 6 km flat run-in along Boulevard Lascrosses — wide roads, fast surface, and high speed guaranteed.

Tour de France 2025 Stage 11

⚔️ Tour de France 2025 Stage 11 – Tactical outlook: Who makes it over Pech David?

The stage is deceptive. It screams “bunch sprint,” but we’ve seen how unpredictability reigns — even more so after rest days.

Positioning into Pech David will be crucial. A sharp right-hand turn precedes the climb, killing momentum. Expect a drag race up the 12.4% gradient, and anyone not in the front 20 could be out of contention for the win.

The likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe, and even Alex Aranburu could try their luck on the punchy climbs if the pace in the bunch hesitates.

Still, with teams like Alpecin-Deceuninck, Jumbo-Visma, and Lidl-Trek all keen to set up their fast men, it’s going to take a lot to prevent a full-throttle sprint finish.


🏆 Tour de France 2025 Stage 11 favourites – Who’s the fastest in Toulouse?

Top picks:

  • Tim Merlier – The man to beat. He’s already shown his power in this Tour and looks confident in these run-ins.
  • Wout van Aert – Survives hills better than most sprinters and always finds a way to be in contention.
  • Kaden Groves – Quietly consistent, and this type of finish is right in his wheelhouse.

Outsiders and wildcards:

  • Jonathan Milan – Green jersey holder and always in the mix.
  • Mathieu van der Poel – If there’s any hesitation in the sprint trains, he could attack late.
  • Julian Alaphilippe – On home soil and could give fans a thrill with a daring move on Pech David.
  • Arnaud De Lie, Axel Laurance, Biniam Girmay – Don’t discount these if chaos breaks loose.

🟡 General classification after Stage 10

  1. Ben Healy (IRL)
  2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) + 0:29
  3. Remco Evenepoel (BEL) + 1:29
  4. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) + 1:46
  5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) + 2:06
  6. Kévin Vauquelin (FRA) + 2:26

Healy is the surprise leader after his strong ride on Stage 10. But Pogacar, Evenepoel, and Vingegaard are all lurking within reach, ready to pounce in the mountains.


đź•“ Tour de France 2025 Stage 11: Start and finish times

  • Stage start: 13:10 (CEST)
  • Expected finish: Around 17:40 (CEST)

đź”— Check out the full TDF 2025 preview here:
https://thetipster.com/tour-de-france-2025-preview/

Tour de France 2025 Stage 11

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