Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Cycling in Yorkshire & Beyond
Stage 19 | Stage 20 | Stage 21
Stage 20 of the Tour de France 2025 is a 184.2km hilly stage from Nantua to Pontarlier.
The route takes the riders over the hills of the Jura, with the Col de la Croix de la Serra the longest climb. That's where the selection could be made as to who gets into a breakaway.
The second half of the stage is flatter which could make for a sprint finish, or a sprint among members of a breakaway.
This is the race report for Stage 20 Tour de France 2025.
These are video highlights of Stage 20.
Race Details | Poll | Map & Profile | Timings | Videos | Food & Drink | Route Notes | Favourites
| Date | Saturday 26th July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Stage classification | Hilly |
| Distance | 184.2km |
| Intermediate sprint | Chaux du Dombief |
| Climbs | Col de la Croix de la Serra (Cat. 3) Côte de Valfin (Cat. 4) Côte de Thésy (Cat. 2) Côte de Longeville (Cat. 4) |
| Total climbing | 2,900m |
Vote for one of the main contenders to win Stage 20.
This is a map of the route of Stage 20, Tour de France 2025.
This is a zoom-able map of Stage 20 Tour de France 2025.
This is the profile of Stage 20 Tour de France 2025.
| Caravan | Fast Schedule | Slow Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Time (départ fictif) | 1005 |
1205 |
1205 |
| Start Time (départ réel) | 1015 |
1215 |
1215 |
| Chaux du Bief Intermediate Sprint | 1200 |
1350 |
1400 |
| Côte de Thésy Climb | 1310 |
1454 |
1510 |
| Côte de Longeville Climb | 1403 |
1543 |
1603 |
| Finish Line (184.2km) | 1435 |
1612 |
1635 |
This is a video of the route of Stage 20 Tour de France 2025.
Stage 9 of the 2017 Tour de France started in Nantua.
Stage 20 goes through the Jura, which has some interesting food and drink.
Cheeses of the Jura include Comté and Morbier.
The Jura has a Wine Route, and white, red and rosé wines are made in the region. There's also a brandy, Marc du Jura, as well as absinthe.
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The stage starts in Nantua (départ fictif).
Nantua is a town in the Ain département. It's name comes from the Gallic nanto or nantu, meaning valley or ravine.
The town grew up around a Benedictine monastery which was founded in 671 by St Amand.
There was active Resistance in Nantua during the Second World War and as a result a number of young men were rounded up by the Germans and deported.
Nantua stands at the end of the Lac de Nantua, and under high limestone cliffs. It is known to motorists for the Nantua viaduct, which takes the A40 autoroute over the D1084, just south of the town.
Nantua sauce is a Béchamel sauce with cream and crayfish butter.
The départ réel is at Les Neyrolles, east of Nantua on the D1084.
The race turns off the D1084 and heads north on the D33, past the Marmites de Géant (giant's cooking pots) at Saint-Germain-de-Joux.
Here the race is in the gorges of a river called the Semine.
It reaches a village called Belleydoux then heads on up to the Col de la Croix de la Serra.
The Col de la Croix de la Serra climb is 12.1km at an average gradient of 4.1%.
KOM competition: 2 points for 1st place and 1 point for 2nd place.
The descent is to Saint-Claude.
Saint-Claude is a town on the river Bienne. It's named after Saint Claude, who lived in the 600s; his grave became a popular pilgrimmage site.
Saint-Claude was well-known for making wooden smoking pipes in the 1800s and 1900s. The town has the world's largest model pipe.
Comté cheese is produced in Saint-Claude.
Alexis Vuillermoz is from Saint-Claude.
From Saint-Claude the route continues north towards Valfin-les-Saint-Claude. This is the next categorised climb.
The Côte de Valfin is 5.7km at an average 4.2%. The top comes after 45.1km raced.
KOM competition: 1 point for 1st place.
The road continues to rise to Château-des-Prés.
The race route then passes the Abbaye-en-Grandvaux and the Lac de l'Abbaye.
Next the race is on the D678 through La Chaux du Dombief for the intermediate sprint.
The intermediate sprint at Chaux du Dombief comes after 72.3km raced.
Green jersey competition: from 20 points for 1st place down to 1 point for 15th place.
The riders then go along the shore of the Lac d'Ilay.
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The route continues past the Mont des Ifs to Pont-de-la-Chaux. The N5 then leads the riders to Champagnole.
Champagnole is a town of 7,901 people, about half-way between Geneva and Dijon. It is overlooked by a hill called Mont Rivel (805m), which once had a Medieval château on it.
Champagnole used to be an industrial town, with steel and aluminium made here until the 1990s, as well as toy trains. The economy has since gone off the rails (or declined, at least).
Champagnole is twinned with Dunkinfield (UK).
Stage 19 of the 2023 Tour de France went through Champagnole.
Leaving Champagnole, Stage 20 heads relentlessly north. It passes through Pont-d'Héry and the edge of Salins-les-Bains before heading up the Route de Censeau towards Thésy.
This is the next categorised climb, the Côte de Thésy.
The Côte de Thésy is 3.6km at 8.9% .
KOM competition: from 5 points for 1st place down to 1 point for 4th place.
Now the race leaves the Jura département and enters the Doubs. The riders pass close to the summit of the Mont Serin (803m) then descend to Déservillers.
Next on the route are Bolandoz and Reugney, then Amathay-Vésigneux and Longeville. After Longeville comes a climb.
The Côte de Longeville is 2.5km at 5.5%.
KOM competition: 1 point for 1st place.
Now there are 23km remaining. Stage 20 goes through Sombacour on the D6.
There's a little climb out of Sombacour, past Mont Calvaire and Ronchau, then a descent towards Pontarlier.
Stage 20 finishes in Pontarlier.
The route is the D130 past the Sablière Marguet, then the N57 Rocade Georges Pompidou. The finish is near the Stade Paul Robbe and the Cinéma Olympia.
Green jersey competition at the finish line: from 30 points for 1st place down to 2 points for 15th place.
Time bonuses at the finish line:
The Stage 20 finish town is Pontarlier.
Pontarlier is a town in the Doubs département, close to Switzerland.
It is on the site of the Roman settlement of Ariolica.
Pontarlier was famous for the production of absinthe until it was banned in 1915. The distilleries switched to producing a type of pastis called le Pontarlier. Now some absinthe is made once again.
The Tour de France finished in Pontarlier in 2001, and fourteen breakaway riders were 35 minutes ahead of the peloton. According to a strict application of the time-cut rules, the whole peloton should have been disqualified from the race - but they weren't.
Favourites for Stage 20 of the 2025 Tour de France could include breakaway specialists. Richard Carapaz was going to go for stage wins in this Tour, but unfortunately he fell ill before the race started and isn't taking part.
In his absence, could this be one for Quinn Simmons, Ben Healy or Mathieu van der Poel?
Who do you think will win Stage 20 of the 2025 Tour de France?
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