Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Stage 2 of the Tour de France 2025 is a 209.1km hilly stage from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Early on, the peloton rides through Douai and Arras.
Four climbs feature in the second half of the race, and the finish is uphill too. This suggests that Stage 2 will favour the puncheurs.
This is the race report for Stage 2 Tour de France 2025.
These are video highlights of Stage 2.
Race Details | Poll | Map & Profile | Timings | Videos | Food & Drink | Route Notes | Favourites
| Date | Sunday 6th July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Stage classification | Hilly |
| Distance | 212km |
| Intermediate sprint | Enocq (Bréxent-Enocq) |
| Climbs | Côte de Cavron-Saint-Martin (Cat. 4) Côte du Haut Pichot (Cat. 3) Côte de Saint-Etienne-au-Mont (Cat. 3) Côte d'Outreau (Cat. 4) |
| Total climbing | 2,550m |
Vote for one of the main contenders to win Stage 2.
This is a map of the route of Stage 2, Tour de France 2025.
This is a zoom-able map of Stage 2 Tour de France 2025.
This is the profile of Stage 2 Tour de France 2025.
| Caravan | Fast Schedule | Slow Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Time (départ fictif) | 1015 |
1215 |
1215 |
| Start Time (départ réel) | 1035 |
1235 |
1235 |
| Intermediate Sprint Enocq | 1427 |
1606 |
1627 |
| Côte du Haut Pichot Climb | 1504 |
1639 |
1704 |
| Finish Line (209.1km) | 1549 |
1720 |
1749 |
This is a video of the route of Stage 2 Tour de France 2025.
This video shows Peter Sagan winning in Boulogne-sur-Mer on Stage 3 of the 2012 Tour de France - a different finish to 2025.
Because Boulogne-sur-Mer is a major fishing port, its cuisine revolves around fish and seafood.
La Gainée is a dish with fish, vegetables, onions and fresh cream.
Other fish-based specialities are herring, haddock and salmon, salted and smoked at the port. There's also waterzooi, a soup/stew of fish and vegetables.
Le Welsh - a local version of
Welsh rarebit - is served by the restaurants here just as much as in
Lille.
Libouli tart is made with a brioche dough and prunes.
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The stage starts in Lauwin-Planque (départ fictif).
Lauwin-Planque is a small suburb on the outskirts of Douai. It's on the river Escrebieux.
Since 2013 there has been an Amazon distribution centre here, and in 2014 four wind turbines were put up. What did you expect? Not everywhere can have the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.
The peloton heads south. The départ réel is south of Douai, on the D956 near Férin.
Douai is a city on the river Scarpe in the Nord département.
It is probably on the site of a Roman fortress built in the 300s AD and called Duacum.
Douai belonged to the Counts of Flanders from the 900s, then passed to the Dukes of Burgundy and, in 1477, to the Habsburgs. In 1667 it was captured by Louis XIV of France.
The town was known in the Middle Ages as a market centre for textiles.
The Germans occupied Douai for much of World War I, and the Red Baron operated from La Brayelle airfield.
Douai's belfry was begun in 1380. It has a carillon with 62 bells, and they play every quarter of an hour.
Renault has had a large assembly line at Douai since 1970, the Usine Georges Besse.
Douai is twinned with Harrow in England and Kenosha in the USA.
The race heads south to Tortequesne, on a river called La Sensée, then west to Sailly-en-Ostrevent, Hamblain-les-Prés and Biache-Saint-Vaast.
Stage 2 continues west to Arras.
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais département and the historic centre of the Artois region. The population is around 41,000.
Arras may be a contraction of Atrebates, a Gaulish tribe who established a settlement on the Baudimont hill.
It became an important Roman garrison town.
A Benedictine Abbey dedicated to Saint Vaast, the first Bishop of Arras, was founded in 667. The town grew up around the Abbey, initially as a grain market.
Arras received a commerical charter in 1180, and it became a centre for banking and the wool trade. It was famous for making tapestries.
The Medieval history of Arras is similar to that of Douai, but it became part of France in 1659 and has remained French since then.
One of the key figures in the French Revolution, Robespierre, was from Arras.
Arras was only 6 miles from the front line during much of World War I, and it was badly damaged. The town was occupied by the Germans during most of World War II.
Arras has two central squares, La Grand' Place and La Place des Héros. They are surrounded by Flemish Baroque-style town houses.
The Town Hall and belfry date from the early 1500s.
Arras had a Medieval Cathedral, but it was destroyed during the French Revolution.
Les Boves are underground tunnels from the 900s, intended to connect up inhabitants' cellars. They were put to good use during the World Wars.
Arras has a Vauban citadel which dates from the 1600s.
A big Christmas market is held in Arras.
The route continues west north west on the D341 to Mont-Saint-Eloi. Soon after, it forks off the D-road at Camblain-l'Abbé and takes very minor roads through Cambligneul, Villers-Châtel, Béthonsart, Frévillers, Magnicourt-en-Comte and Monchy-Breton to Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.
The remains of one British soldier who had been killed in World War I
was brought to Saint-Pol's chapel, then taken to Westminster Abbey to
be buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Next Stage 2 follows the valley of the Ternoise north west to Monchy-Cayeux, then heads cross-country south west via Fleury to Humeroeuille. The route rejoins the Ternoise valley at Blangy-sur-Ternoise and continues to Auchy-lès-Hesdin.
Now the riders leave the valley again, heading for La Loge. Soon they start the first categorised climb on the stage, the Côte de Cavron Saint-Martin.
The first categorised climb is of the Côte de Cavron Saint-Martin. It is 1.1km at an average 5.9%, to a height of 104m.
There's 1 King of the Mountains point available for 1st place.
After the climb, the route is north north west to Lebiez, Embry, Maninghem and Hucqueliers.
Next it's south south west via Clenleu to Aix-en-Isaart. Then the riders head west to Montreuil-sur-Mer.
Montreuil-sur-Mer is a town on the Canche river.
Its ramparts were built after the town was destroyed by Habsburg Emperor Charles V.
This was the HQ of the British Army in World War I, from 1916 to 1919. There is a statue of Field Marshal Haigh outside Montreuil's theatre - but it is a copy because the Germans took it down when they occupied the town in World War II.
Montreuil-sur-Mer is twinned with Slough, UK.
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The race continues down the Canche to Enocq for the intermediate sprint.
The intermediate sprint is at a very small place, about half-way between Montreuil and Etaples, called Enocq. It comes after 154.6km raced.
Green jersey competition points are available, from 20 for 1st place down to 1 for 15th place.
Next on the route is Etaples-sur-Mer.
The Roman port of Quentovicus was at or near Etaples. Roman ships set off from Quentovicus for Britannia.
Etaples-Le Touquet station opened in 1848. This made transporting fish easier, opening up new markets, and brought visitors to the Côte d'Opale.
In World War I, Etaples was the main depot and transit camp for the British Expeditionary Force, and had a military hospital. Etaples was badly damaged in World War II, by German bombing before they occupied it and by Allied bombing as they retook it.
The Canche Bay Nature Reserve has 505 hectares of natural dunes.
Now Stage 2 goes north up the coast to Lefaux and Neufchâtel-Hardelot. Soon after comes the next categorised climb.
As the race heads inland from Neufchâtel-Hardelot, it reaches the Côte du Haut Pichot. It is 1.1km at 9.4% to a height of 179m.
2 points in the KOM competition are available for 1st place and 1 point for 2nd place.
The riders continue to Samer.
Samer grew up around Saint-Wulmer Abbey.
It is known for Vieux Samer cheese, la Terre de Brume craft beer, and
strawberries (with a Strawberry Festival every year). Cheese, beer and
strawberries is not a bad afternoon snack.
Now the riders are on the D901 to Hesdin-l'Abbé. They continue towards Saint-Etienne-au-Mont for the next climb.
The Côte de Saint-Etienne-au-Mont is 1km at an average 10.6% to a height of 111m. There are 2 KOM points for 1st place and 1 for 2nd place.
It is quickly followed by the Côte d'Outreau.
The final categorised climb is the Côte d'Outreau, 5km before the finish line.
It is 800m at an average 8.8% to a height of 86m.
Again, it's 2 points for 1st and 1 point for 2nd place in the KOM competition.
Stage 2 ends with an uphill finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The race crosses la Liane river on the Pont Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It continues alongside the water on the Boulevard Diderot.
The riders then climb away from the river on Rue Faidherbe/Rue Dutertre. They continue on Rue Tour Notre-Dame and Boulevard Auguste Mariette.
The finish line is on Boulevard August Mariette, just outside the ramparts of the old town at Porte Neuve.
There are green jersey points at the finish line, from 30 points for 1st place down to 2 points for 15th place.
The time bonuses on the finish line are:
Boulogne-sur-Mer is a town on the Côte d'Opale. It is a fishing port specialising in herring.
It was the main Roman port for trade and communication with Britain, called Gesoriacum.
In 1805, Napoleon gathered troops here when he was planning to invade Britain.
Boulogne was badly damaged by Allied bombing in 1944.
Boulogne has a belfry from the 1100s, and a large Basilica which was built in the mid-1800s.
The first World Esperanto Congress was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1905. Footballer Franck Ribéry is from Boulogne.
Stage 2 is one for the puncheurs such as Julian Alaphilippe (now with Tudor Pro Racing), Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Tadej Pogacar could be a dark horse candidate for the stage win.
Who do you think will win Stage 2 of the 2025 Tour de France in Boulogne-sur-Mer?
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