Tour de France 2025 live: Stage 1 result as Jasper Philipsen sprints to victory as Evenepoel loses time in crosswinds

Independent

06-07-2025

Belgian Jasper Philipsen won the opening stage of the Tour de France, a 184.9km ride around Lille, to claim the first yellow jersey of this year's race.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider out-sprinted Eritrean Biniam Girmay and Norway's Soren Waerenskjold after crosswinds had caused chaos in the final 15 kilometres. Jonas Vingegaard and Visma Lease-a-Bike were right to the fore, forcing a split by pushing the pace, with fellow general classification contenders Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic on the wrong side and losing 39 seconds come the finish. Tadej Pogacar, however, remained right on his rival's wheel.
Come the finish, though, there seemed little doubt that victory would be Philipsen's with the Belgian comfortably the fastest finisher in the front group and with several teammates for company. He will wear yellow on Stage Two, with plenty more opportunities to come for the sprinters later in the tour.
Tour de France stage 2 preview
And here's a closer look at what tomorrow brings:
Tour de France stage 2 preview: Jasper Philipsen faces fight to keep yellow jersey
The yellow jersey is likely to change hands after just one day's action thanks to some punchy late climbs
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 21:26
Philipsen emerges from the choas to win stage 1
Report from a wild day in Lille:
Jasper Philipsen emerges from the choas to win stage 1 of Tour de France in Lille
The Belgian collected the 10th Tour de France stage of his career as Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic lost valuable time after splits in the crosswinds
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 19:00
Stage 2 map and profile
And here's what that lumpy route looks like tomorrow:
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 18:37
A look ahead to stage 2
Jasper Philipsen may have the yellow jersey on the start line tomorrow, but it will be expected to change shoulders given the lumpy finish to 209km stage two from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 18:19
Filippo Ganna abandons Tour de France after crash
Another rider to go down was former world time trial champion Filippo Ganna, and the Italian later abandoned the race, a huge blow for the Ineos Grenadiers.
In summing up the stage Geraint Thomas, riding his final Tour de France, said: "I should have stopped last year, to be honest. It was very stressful.
"It's a big, big shame to lose Pippo. I saw the crash and it didn't look too bad but he gave his head a bit of a knock, so there's a concussion call which is the right thing, but it's a big, big shame to lose him."
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 18:02
Benjamin Thomas assumes King of the Mountains jersey
Philipsen became the first pure sprinter to pull on yellow since Alexander Kristoff won the opening stage in Nice in 2020, but it was far from a straightforward bunch finish as strong crosswinds in northern France added to the stress of the opening day of the Tour, producing chaos.
Benjamin Thomas, the Olympic Madison champion, ended the day in the king of the mountains jersey but only after crashing into Matteo Vercher as they crossed the line battling for the point at the top of the cobbled climb of Mont Cassel.
Thomas had been part of an original five-man breakaway reeled in before the mid-point of the stage as teams fought for position.
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 17:43
Philipsen: 'I have dreamt about the yellow jersey'
"It's really amazing," the Belgian said. "My 10th victory is something I will never forget. The team performance was incredible. I think we were there all day. It was very nervous but we knew today could be our day and we have to be in the front and we were there in the split.
"The team did amazing and in the end we could just use our strength and finish it off...
"I have dreamt about (the yellow jersey). Already I had the green jersey from two years ago but to have the yellow jersey hanging somewhere in my house in the next years is going to be amazing."
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 17:28
Stage summary: Philipsen grabs yellow jersey in chaotic opening
Jasper Philipsen won a chaotic opening stage of the Tour de France to take the first yellow jersey of the race.
Philipsen took his 10th career Tour stage but the first to put him into yellow as he beat Biniam Girmay in a much-reduced bunch sprint after crosswinds split the peloton to pieces.
Overall hopefuls Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic were both caught out, conceding 39 seconds to the main favourites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, with the Dane having done much to instigate the splits inside the last 20 kilometres of the 185km stage that started and finished in Lille.
Fewer than 40 riders made it into the front group but Philipsen's Alpecin-Deceuninck team had four of them and they made it count, putting together an ideal lead-out for Philipsen to comfortably beat Girmay and Soren Waerenshjold to the line.
Lawrence Ostlere5 July 2025 17:13
Favourites lose time on opening stage
Yes, that's confirmed - already nearly 40 seconds lost to Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar for the other two members of the so-called 'Big Four'. That's a lot to claw back before the lumpier stuff is even close to starting.
Here's the finish:
Harry Latham-Coyle5 July 2025 16:46
Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic lose time
We're awaiting the official results, but it looks like it might be as much as 39 seconds lost by Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic - brutal on the opening day.
Harry Latham-Coyle5 July 2025 16:42