Tour de France 2025 Stage 13: Loudenvielle to Peyragudes ITT Route & Climb

This isn’t your garden-variety chrono stage. Nope — this is an uphill time trial that separates the true GC beasts from the pretenders. A short but savage 11 km test that starts calm in Loudenvielle and finishes with a punch-to-the-lungs climb to Peyragudes Altiport.

And if you think a TT bike’s staying on for the final 4 km? Think again. We’ll likely see mid-stage bike changes and pure wattage war.

This is where the yellow jersey can crack wide open.

What’s Special About Stage 13? 🔔

Alright, fellow cycling diehards — Stage 13 of 2025 is no ordinary individual time trial. This is the kind of stage that makes or breaks Grand Tours.

Forget the flat, aero-tucked 45 km drag races — this is an uphill chrono-climb that shatters legs, shuffles GC standings, and leaves no hiding spots.

Why’s the ITT Stage special?

✅ Uphill ITTs are rare beasts — a high-stakes, short-distance battle against gravity and your own lactate threshold.

✅ It’s only 11 km — but those 11 km will have 675 meters of vertical gain, with gradients maxing out at 13% in the final kilometer.

✅ Expect GC drama. This is where pure climbers claw back time from flatland chrono monsters. GC contenders can’t play safe here — they go full gas or risk losing the Tour.

✅ The location? A stunning Pyrenean backdrop, finishing at Peyragudes Altiport — famous for dramatic finishes, tight fan-packed roads, and scenery so good it hurts.

What makes it extra spicy?

Riders will likely change bikes mid-TT — swap their aero rig for a climbing bike before the final 4.5 km ramp.
It’s a psychological test. No drafting, no peloton tactics. Just you, your legs, and the clock.
With GC gaps likely tight after Hautacam (Stage 12) — this could reshape the entire Tour before the final weekend.

It’s not about who rides fastest on the flat — it’s about who can manage their effort, suffer the most, and stay composed at 180 heart rate when the road turns vertical.

Stage 13 Overview — Loudenvielle to Peyragudes 🏔️

Feature	Details
Date	Friday, July 18, 2025
Start/Finish	Rue du Chemin Vert, Loudenvielle → Peyragudes Altiport (Altiport 007)
Distance	11 km
Stage Type	Individual Time Trial (Uphill ITT)
Elevation Gain	675 m
Key Climbs	Col de Peyresourde Climb @ 7%
Expected Finish	GC reshuffle, potential time gaps
Weather Watch	Sunny, 22°C at altitude, risk of afternoon thunderstorms.

Stage 13 Key Facts:

Elevation Gain: 🔥 675 meters over 11 km
Avg Gradient: 6.1%, but don’t be fooled — it’s a tail of two halves: flat-ish start, killer ending.
Max Gradient: 13% ramp inside the final km
Road Surface: Smooth tarmac, freshly laid in spots. Narrow mountain roads from km 6 onwards.
Bike Change Zone: Around km 6.5–7 (likely designated pre-stage by ASO).

🛣️ Stage 13 Detailed Route Breakdown:

Sector	Distance (km)	Terrain Type	Avg Gradient	Road Width	Notes
Loudenvielle Start	0 – 2.5 km	Slightly uphill false flat	2.5%	Wide road	Fast TT bike section, riders aero-tucked
D25 to Bordères-Louron	2.5 – 6.5 km	Steady drag, rolling	4–5%	Wide open road	Riders settle into threshold pace, crosswind risk in exposed areas
Road to Peyresourde base	6.5 – 7.0 km	Small descent then immediate ramp	-2% to 5%	Narrows slightly	Critical bike change opportunity
Col de Peyresourde Climb	7.0 – 9.5 km	Serious climbing begins	7%	Narrow mountain road	Fans packed roadside, classic Pyrenean grind
Peyragudes Altiport finish	9.5 – 11 km	Brutal final ramp	Avg 8.5%, max 13%	Very narrow	Heartbreak zone. Last 500m hits 13% on exposed Altiport strip

Where it Gets Spicy:

Km 7.0: Transition point. TT bikes become deadweight, climbing rigs and lighter setups take over.
Km 9.0: Legs burning. Riders begin to blow as gradients stiffen.
Final 500m: The legendary Altiport Wall — short runway-style tarmac strip where GC hopes either soar or crash. Expect gaps of 10–20 seconds here alone.

Think a sawtooth profile:
🔸 First half — rolling, not too sharp
🔸 Second half — relentless upward spikes ending with a wall.

Stage Profile & Route Breakdown — Loudenvielle to Peyragudes (ITT)

🔥 Uphill Individual Time Trial (first of its kind since La Planche des Belles Filles 2020 showdown)

Stage Personality: Tactical split — aero drag race into brutal summit slog.

📊 Stage 13 Detail Route Overview (Sector by Sector)

📍 Sector	🛣️ Road Type	🏔️ Gradient	📝 Features & Insider Notes
Start: Loudenvielle Town Center (0 – 2.5 km)	Wide tarmac, slightly uphill false flat	2.5% avg	Straight out of town square, perfect for TT bikes. Aero tuck essential. Crosswinds possible — shielded by townhouses early on, then exposed. Expect average speeds 48–52km/h in this stretch.
D25 to Bordères-Louron (2.5 – 6.5 km)	Smooth, open main road	3.5%–5%	Long sweeping curves and gentle undulations. Big-ring threshold power. Open valleys — if the wind kicks up here, it’s echelon city even in a TT. Watch for time gaps already opening for weaker riders.
Transition/Bike Change Zone (Start of Climb) (6.5 – 7.0 km)	Slight descent into steepening ramp	From -2% to 5%	Decision point! TT bike vs. Climbing bike. Alpecin, UAE, and Jumbo expected to switch. Quick descent then instant incline — timing the swap is art.
Col de Peyresourde Ascent (7.0 – 9.5 km)	Narrow, winding mountain road	7% avg, spikes at 9%	Classic Pyrenean climb. Fans inches from handlebars. 5 hairpins. Tree-lined with dense crowd walls. Those with climbing legs shine here. Every second lost multiplies by the top.
Altiport Peyragudes Wall (9.5 – 11 km)	Exposed narrow strip of tarmac	8.5% avg, max 13%	The legend. First 500m: tight switchbacks. Final 500m: open tarmac runway straight up. Feels twice as steep as it is after the climb. GC riders drop the hammer, or crack catastrophically. Helicopters buzzing overhead. Wild.

Where the Stage 13 Breaks Apart:

🔥 From 6.5 km onwards:

Lighter riders + climbers’ day
Pure wattage in the lower section won’t save you here.
Altiport finish is a morale crusher if your legs are cooked.
Expect 10–25 sec gaps between top GC guys in this final 2.5 km alone.

Fan Madness Hotspots:

Km 7 hairpin: Massive flag-waving crowd zone
Col sign at 9 km: Local fan clubs camp here overnight
Altiport final stretch: 13% wall. Expect flares, horns, madness.

Pro Insider Notes:

Riders will pace this like a two-act play:
1️⃣ Act 1: Smash it on TT bike to the base
2️⃣ Act 2: Swap to climbing bike (or stay if you’re a power climber like Roglič) and tempo grind the climb.
Weather factor: If it rains, the Altiport tarmac turns slick as glass — hairy descents and cautious hairpin entries.
Team cars limited: Only 1 DS vehicle per rider on mountain sections — mechanical drama would be catastrophic here.

Tour History of Loudenvielle & Peyragudes 🏔️

You wouldn’t guess it by its laid-back lakeside vibe, but Loudenvielle’s been a crucial player in Tour history’s biggest mountain dramas.

📍 Loudenvielle — The Unsung Hero

First appeared on the Tour map in 1997 — as a mid-stage check-in when Richard Virenque was still the polka-dot king. While it rarely hosts finishes, its steep surrounding roads and proximity to Col de Peyresourde and Val Louron make it a tactical chessboard where breakaways get reeled in and GC moves quietly hatch.

🔥 Memorable Moments:

2010 Stage 16:
- Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck had their infamous chain-drop drama just before descending into Loudenvielle from the Peyresourde. The tension that day? Electric.
2022 Stage 17:
- Tadej Pogačar launched a brutal counter-attack here before getting clawed back by Vingegaard on the final climb. Fans still argue about it over drinks in the village square.

📍 Peyragudes — The Punisher’s Playground

Now we’re talking Tour de France folklore, baby. Peyragudes is the cruel final act that’s seen champions born, and legends crumble on its savage altiport ramp.

Debuted in 2012, and ever since it’s become a GC graveyard and a fan-favorite mountaintop finish.

🔥 Iconic Stages:

2012 Stage 17:
Alejandro Valverde bagged the win, but it was Chris Froome who famously left Bradley Wiggins in the dust — triggering that awkward post-stage tension between Sky teammates. A Tour politics classic.
2017 Stage 12:
Romain Bardet scored an epic win, while Froome cracked in front of a howling French crowd. The final 16% Altiport wall devoured Froome’s legs and his yellow jersey aura.
📣 “La défaillance de Froome!” still echoes in French highlight reels.
2022 Stage 17:
Jonas Vingegaard vs Tadej Pogačar — round 7 of their mano-a-mano saga. Pog launched attack after attack but couldn’t shake the Dane. The Peyragudes finale proved Vingegaard was a Tour monster built for the high stuff.

🏆 Why Peyragudes Matters

This finish isn’t just steep, it’s evil genius steep.
That 16% ramp in the final 300m turns time trials, breakaways, and GC gaps into chaos.

Riders lose 30-60 seconds here in a blink.
Fans get nosebleed-close.
Helicopters buzz so low you feel the rotor wash.

This year’s Stage 13 ITT ending here is a Tour first — a mountain time trial with this kind of savage finale hasn’t been seen since La Planche des Belles Filles 2020 when Pog snatched yellow from Roglič’s hands. Expect fireworks, heartbreak, and historic splits.

Fun Fact Corner

The Altiport’s ski-run style runway was built for emergency landings and is now famous for making elite cyclists look like they’re pedaling square wheels.
Loudenvielle’s Lac de Génos-Loudenvielle was once a key logistics site for Tour convoys before paved access to Peyragudes existed.

🎺 Why Fans Love It:

You get mythical mountain drama + lakeside village charm in one package.
The vibe swings from family-friendly picnic spots in Loudenvielle to rabid cowbell-wielding fan mobs on the Altiport wall.

And trust me — nothing, NOTHING tastes better than a cold Madiran red after watching GC giants crack in front of your eyes.

FAQs: Stage 13 Essentials – What You Gotta Know

🤣 Nice try. This one’s pure mountain agony.

It’s uphill from start to finish. No flat, no reprieve, just relentless climbing.

Profile Summary:

Start: Loudenvielle (cobbled square by the church)
Finish: Peyragudes (top of the altiport runway — yes, where planes land on an incline 😳)

Peyragudes Altiport finish:

Max Gradient: 16%
Average Gradient final km: 13.5%
It’s a wall, folks. Bring crampons.

Split setups likely:

TT bike for flat start.
Switch to road bike at intermediate checkpoint (like Pog did in 2020).

Watch for bike swaps around the Granges d’Astau section.

Weather: Sunny, 22°C at altitude, risk of afternoon thunderstorms.
Possible changes to forecast. See updates!

Zip. Nada. None. It’s a solo test.

✅ Remco Evenepoel
✅ Jonas Vingegaard
✅ Primož Roglič
✅ Juan Ayuso
✅ Pello Bilbao (dark horse for a top-5)

What a savage, blood-and-guts kind of day this is gonna be. Stage 13’s Individual Mountain Time Trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes isn’t just a race against the clock — it’s a soul-crushing, lactic acid bath in front of the world. And believe this: someone’s GC dreams will vaporize on that altiport runway.