Who Will Conquer the Peyragudes Wall? Tour de France 2025 Stage 13 Preview

Predicting Stage 13 of the 2025 Tour de France isn’t just about watts — it’s about strategy. This mountain 11 km time trial throws riders onto a brutal solo test, ending with a steep, leg-breaking climb to the Peyragudes altiport. It’s a rare mix of individual effort and savage terrain, and it could flip the GC battle on its head. Teams will need a plan, because this one’s a game-changer.

This is the sort of stage where legends get inked into Tour lore and big names hit the deck mentally.

Expect:

• Remco Evenepoel to unleash his full TT monster mode on the lower slopes.
• Jonas Vingegaard to claw back time on the steeps.
• Ayuso to quietly, dangerously, sneak into the picture.
• And one big GC rider to crack hard — someone we don’t see coming.
• Pogacar-style drama? Wouldn’t be the first time on a TT mountain stage.

Stage 13 Key Tactics & Team Strategies

📌 The Great Bike Swap Debate

TT rig vs Road bike — this is THE tactical hot potato of the day.

The Breakdown:

• First 6.5 km: Flat to gently rising, mostly wide roads. Pure aero TT rig advantage.
• Km 6.5 marker: Official bike change zone before the climb kicks viciously toward Peyragudes.
• Final 4.5 km: Steep, tight hairpins on narrow mountain roads, gradients averaging 8–10%, peaking at 16% on the Altiport wall. Road bike wins here.

Likely Moves:

• Remco? Might risk no swap. Could gain time on flat, bleed on climb.
• Roglič & Vingegaard? Swap guaranteed — they’ve practiced this move for years. 8–10 sec lost, 20+ sec gained later.
• Ayuso? Depends on UAE’s GC battle plan.

📌 Split Pacing Strategy

This ain’t a steady-effort TT. It’s a two-part war:

📌 Climbing Specialists: Save it for the Final Ramp

Pure climbers like Vingegaard will leak a little early but need to keep it manageable within +15 sec by Km 6.5. Then… UNLEASH.

The Altiport Wall (last 500m):
16%, straight-up brutality, with fans inches from handlebars.
Whoever’s got one last match left wins here.

📌 GC Mind Games

This is about more than legs — it’s about optics:

• If Remco rides TT bike to the top, others might panic.
• If Roglič sets a monster split to Km 6.5, GC guys might crack themselves chasing ghost numbers.
• UAE could play wildcard: Ayuso might hold back a hair early, then light up the mountain.

📌 Weather Watch

Local intel says light wind at valley floor, cross-tail up climb.

 Translation:

• Fast opening times possible.
• Crosswind risk minimal.
• Final ramp: Slight tail = higher climb speeds, but less drafting chance.

📊 Insider’s Race Day Tactical Zones Graphic

📍 Start → 6.5 km: Aero, full tuck, top 5 aero specialists set times
📍 Km 6.5: Swap zone chaos or bold no-swap moves
📍 6.5–10.5 km: Threshold climbing, watts-per-kilo duel
📍 10.5–11 km: Altiport wall — legs scream, crowds roar, GC explodes

 Who Benefits? Time Trial Gladiators & GC Sharks 🦈

🎯 Stage 13 isn’t your usual TT playground.

This is a rare hybrid beast — part aero drag race, part savage uphill grind. Which means…
two distinct tribes of riders will have their say, and the GC is gonna get properly shaken like a bottle of cheap sparkling wine at the finish.

🥇 Favourites of the Stage 13 for the Win

👀 Who Loses Big Here?

• Pure sprinters and classics men still hanging around in GC (if any at this point) — they’ll be paddling uphill in slow motion.
• Heavy rouleurs who can TT but hate climbs. 6.5 km is as good as it gets for them.

📊 Impact on the GC Picture

Before Stage 13:

• GC top 5 likely tight within 90 sec

After Stage 13:

• Expect top 3 separation: someone will crack, someone will soar
• Could see Roglič or Vingegaard in yellow if Evenepoel stutters on the climb
• Ayuso wildcard podium surge possible

Insider’s Wild Prediction:

Ayuso takes the stage. Vingegaard finishes second, Evenepoel fades on the climb after risking no bike change. Roglič cements himself back into the top two overall. GC blown wide open.

Stage 13 Predictions & Fan Polls: The Mountain TT Rumble 🚴‍♂️🔥

What’s on the menu?
A savage, twisty, lung-busting 11 km uphill ITT from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes. No teammates, no draft, no hiding. Just you, your legs, your lungs, and your demons. And brother — the margins here are gonna reshape this GC like a hurricane through a postcard rack.

My Hot Takes for Stage 13

Favourites to Win Stage 13:

• Remco Evenepoel — Mr. Chrono himself. Pure watts and fearless descending to the first time check. If his legs don’t betray him on the Peyragudes wall, it’s his to lose.
• Jonas Vingegaard — On a good day? He eats gradients like kids eat candy. Expect him to go nuclear on the steep ramps.
• Primož Roglič — Silent assassin mode. He thrives in mountain TTs, knows every corner of Peyragudes, and still owes the race one after 2020’s heartbreak.

🔥 Dark Horse:

• Juan Ayuso — If the young Spaniard’s on song, he could drop a top 3 finish here and torch a few bigger names.

📊 Stage 13th Fan Poll Time:

Who snatches Stage 13’s win and wrecks the GC picture?

📌 Remco Evenepoel
📌 Jonas Vingegaard
📌 Primož Roglič
📌 Juan Ayuso
📌 Wild Card Pick (Drop it in the comments!)

😈 GC Shaker Alert

👀 Biggest GC Riser:
I’m backing Evenepoel to catapult up the leaderboard. This stage is built for him.

😨 Most Likely to Crack:
Could be David Gaudu or João Almeida — both solid climbers, but under the TT spotlight on steep ramps? Danger zone.

⚠️ Stage 13 One Wild Prediction

Top 3 separated by less than 12 seconds. This route is so explosive and the margins so fine, expect a finish tighter than your granny’s cookie jar lid.