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2025 Tour of America Route Reveal
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 18-07-2025 09:07
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Directeur Sportif
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This route reveal is written by Ulrich Ulriksen
Yes it is still a Grand Tour
For 2025 the Tour of America undergoes probably the biggest change in its history dropping down to two weeks from three. While the organizers and all its passionate fans will undoubtedly miss that extra week, the mandates of the mangame UCIs oppressive point scoring system meant the change was essential to attract more teams and better riders to the most interesting Grand Tour on the calendar.
Spoiler
| Race | 1st to 2nd Gap 2024 | 1st to 2nd Gap 2023 | Average | | Tour | 5’44 | 1’27 | 3’35 | | Vuelta | 0’14 | 3’23 | 1’48 | | Giro | 3’23 | 4’43 | 4’03 | | ToA | 1’12 | 0’02 | 0’37 |
The good news for the traditionalists is that the People’s Grand Tour returns to its roots this year with a course almost entirely in the USA. While the organizers refused to rule out an African edition in a few years they committed to sticking to the Americas for now.
Last year the race was won by Newton’s Inigo Elosegui. Undoubtedly, Newton will be motivated to look for the repeat with the race back in their home country.
Week 1: Aruba and the East Coast
While this year’s race is mostly in the USA it does start with 2 Caribbean stages on the island of Aruba. Stage 1 is a prologue, 5k of flat time trialing in the Aruban capital of Oranjestad. After hitting one of its low points with just 19k of flat time trials last year this year’s prologue and 38k test on Stage 12 bring the race back towards the more well-rounded GC riders. Although the additional flat time trialing is offset by no team time trial and no mountain time trial on this year’s route.
After the prologue the riders stay in Aruba for the first flat stage that circles most of the island, starting and finishing in the capital. There are five small bumps on the course, that have generously been given Cat 4 status, which will be important because the rider who claims the most points will likely get the jersey until at least stage 5 as stages 3 and 4 have a single Cat 4 climb between them.
Next the race move back to the mainland with two more stages for the sprinters. A circuit race in Daytona and then a 212k trek north from Tallahassee to Eufala.
A sprinter who can prologue well should carry the leader’s jersey into Stage 5 but they will face a challenge to keep it as it, as it is the first hilly stage of the race. 164k, a Cat 1, two Cat 2’s and two Cat 3’s along the way. The finish comes after a flat run in to Asheville so a turn of pace will be handy but it seems unlikely that it will be sprinters contesting that finish.
And Stage 6 brings the first summit finish as the riders face 180k of flat followed by two ascents of Tennessee’s Black Mountain (4.5k at 9.6%), the second being the finish. At 227k, Stage 6 is the longest of the race (although stage 7 is only 1k shorter).
Riders who raced the 2021 Tour of America will recognize stages 3 to 6 of this year’s course because they were stages 1, 2, 4 and 5 of that year. The winners in 2021 were Colbrelli, Haller, Zordan and Novak. With Zordan winning stage 4 (stage 5 in 2025) from the break. Eventual winner Dominik Nerz moved into first after stage 5 (stage 6 in 2025).
Stage 7 in 2025 also has some similarities to its 2021 counterpart (Stage 6) in that they both started in Lexington Virginia. But while the 2021 version was a flat stage this year the riders will face another long, hilly stage as they tackle a loop around Lexington featuring 4 ascents of the Midland Trail climb (8.1k at 6.2%) with a finish at the top of the final ascent.
With 3 hilly stages at the end of the first week the GC contenders should have moved to the top of the leaderboard. The punchier climbers will have hoped to put some time into the diesels and TT specialists.
After Stage 7 the riders move west to Denver for the second half of the race which take place almost entirely in Colorado. The welcome to Colorado is a rude one with Stage 8 being the first mountain stage, it has only 1 climb but it is a biggie – the finishing climb up the famous Pike’s Peak. Officially the climb is split into two pieces, with a short flat section in between, the first half being 8.8k at 6.7% and the second 21k at 6.8%.
The next day is more peaceful so the sprinters should get another chance as the peloton works its way back to Denver, although that stage does feature a 29km climb, but at just 3.3% average.
Then more mountains although no summit finish this time - Stage 10 goes 165k between Evergreen and Silverthorne with the biggest climb being the 26k climb over Loveland Pass. 2021 featured essentially this stage but in the reverse direction - Muhamad Zawawi Azman won.
Stage 11 is the 5th and final chance for the sprinters as the peloton tackles 179k of relatively straightforward roads from Aspen to Meeker. And that stage leads into the final act of the race: the GC will be decided by the time trial and two mountain stages on stages 12 to 14.
The time trial in Glenwood Springs is 38k and mostly flat. The TT specialists among the GC favorites will want to establish a good lead after this stage as the final two stages may be the hardest of the race.
First the riders face what is probably the queen stage of the race. 183k featuring 3 ascents to Battlement Mesa (16k at 7.7%) with the last ascent being the finish. If major time is to be gained by the diesel climbers this is the stage where it will happen.
The race finishes the next day with the shortest road stage of the race. The route covers 118k and includes Red Mountain Pass (21k at 4.8%) and Molas Pass (9.6k at 4.9%). But the sting is in the tail as the riders finish the stage and race up a logging road on Engineer Mountain. The climb covers just 3.4k but at a brutal average of 13.4%. Major gaps won’t be opened on this stage, but if the race is close, Engineer Mountain will decide the winner.
Recap:
5 Flat
2 Flat TT (1 prologue)
3 Hills (2 summit finishes)
4 MT (3 summit finishes)
Acknowledgements: More my work than usual in this race. Stage 3 is based on a race by Johostile and the Colorado stages are all adapted from stages by Wings.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 18-07-2025 10:29
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Grand Tour Champion
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The one we have all been waiting for! Pretty sure I have IRL rode the first climb on Stage 5 if that's the Blue Ridge Parkway. My wife has family there.
Removing the last week will make it interesting to see who will show up for this.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 05-12-2025 13:01
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| knockout |
Posted on 18-07-2025 10:34
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8235
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I like the move to a two week race. Makes this more of a highlight with hopefully a stronger startlist. Curious whether the startlist will improve because of this change!
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Ulrich Ulriksen |
Posted on 18-07-2025 16:19
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 3914
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Mresuperstar wrote:
The one we have all been waiting for! Pretty sure I have IRL rode the first climb on Stage 5 if that's the Blue Ridge Parkway. My wife has family there.
Removing the last week will make it interesting to see who will show up for this.
Yup, that is the one, I think we discussed when we used this stage in 2021. I realized as I wrote this it this feels like I may have designed a perfect route for Jorgenson. Some nice steep finishes to take advantage of his punchiness, a good amount of TTing. Only question is if he could hang on with other climbers on the true MT stages. But with a little training . . .
Man Game: McCormick Pro Cycling |
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| Heine |
Posted on 18-07-2025 18:58
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4462
Joined: 08-04-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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This must be the best gc as it is the only one I can race…
Route looks great, I like that you could make it worth to send a sprinter with the chance to get a leaders jersey togethet with stagewins
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| Dane Bramage |
Posted on 18-07-2025 19:14
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This looks like a fun race. I hope we will get to race it. |
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| Caspi |
Posted on 19-07-2025 18:33
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Domestique
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Love this. The parcours, the length (two weeks), and the rumours of an African edition.
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| seancoll |
Posted on 19-07-2025 19:46
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 763
Joined: 20-12-2022
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Some very, very interesting things here for our Turtles and the CT division. Let's see if there's more attraction brought to the race with the shortened calendar or if it's still going to be tough to bring teams without a true GC contender.
Not sure what the plays will be, but am really interesting in how this parcours plays out
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| TheUlamog |
Posted on 20-07-2025 18:57
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With a shorter tour there might be a few less chances for breakaway teams like ours, but I'm very excited to see how it plays out! The route looks very interesting as well! |
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| TheUlamog |
Posted on 20-07-2025 18:57
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Free Agent
Posts: 130
Joined: 08-03-2020
PCM$: 600.00
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With a shorter tour there might be a few less chances for breakaway teams like ours, but I'm very excited to see how it plays out! The route looks very interesting as well! |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 21-07-2025 01:46
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7541
Joined: 11-04-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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This looks awesome! Keen for 2 weeks rather than 3. It might bring some more people to this race as it will cost less RDs now. Very excited!
Great work to the stage creators! Great write up!
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