A wildcard entry to the Tour de France may be a dream come true, but Tudor Pro Cycling have made it clear they are heading into the race with aspirations fuelled, rather than sated, as new signings Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi look to the opportunities to add more stage victories at the French Grand Tour.
“I’m very happy for the team, proud and excited,” team owner Fabian Cancellara said in a statement after Tudor was revealed on Monday as among the three wildcard teams – the others being TotalEnergies and Uno-X Mobility.
“It’s our dream that becomes a reality now. We’re ready to show a daring racing spirit – in July, we’re heading to France to race and not only to participate!“
The signing of six-time stage winner Alaphilippe as part of the team for 2025 may have been an asset in helping the team secure the entry. And, given his history at the race, he's also an obvious candidate to lead the team’s victory chase.
Alaphilippe’s attacking racing style has delivered at the event in the past, starting with two stage wins and mountains classifications at the 2018 Tour de France and then another pair of victories in 2019 and one each the following two years.
The early stages of the Tour have been particularly fruitful hunting grounds for Alaphilippe in recent years, with the French rider claiming stage 3 in 2019, stage 2 in 2020. The last time he won a Tour stage was on the opening day in 2021.
“It’s super motivating to think about the Tour, and it’s a real personal challenge to come back to the Tour, but even more so to be there with my new team,” said Alaphilippe.
Since that last win in 2021, Alaphilippe has only raced his home Grand Tour once, in 2023, where for the first time since his 2018 participation at the race, his unrelenting approach did not yield a win.
The course this year, however, will quickly deliver several chances for the experienced rider to celebrate once again as he crosses the line in front of his home crowds.
“The Tour de France is looking very difficult, as it does every year, with plenty of opportunities for puncheurs. Every stage of the Tour requires a lot of concentration and motivation, but especially in the first week, I see some opportunities with several stages designed for puncheur profiles.“
There are four hilly stages in the opening seven days, starting with the 212km stage 2 to Boulogne-sur-Mer. On stage 4, the break chances once again surface as the riders tackle a final 40km that includes the Côte de Bonsecours, Côte de Grand’Mare, and Saint-Hilaire ascent before a 5km dive to the finish line in central Roeun.
After a time trial on stage 5, the 201km stage 6 to Vire Normandie may be labelled hilly but could prove a little more challenging than most in that grouping with its six categorised climbs and 3,500m of ascent.
Stage 7 in Brittany is another as organisers are expecting “will kick off with another contest between the puncheurs” with a double ascent of Côte de Mûr-de-Bretagne.
Alaphilippe, however, won’t be the only rider in the team with a winning history at the event, with 2020 stage 12 winner Marc Hirschi looking forward to making a return to the Tour de France, having last raced the event in 2022 as part of the GC-focussed UAE Team Emirates squad.
“I have such good memories from the Tour: back in 2020, being at the start of my first Tour de France was a dream,” said Hirschi. “For me, it is a dream to go back to the Tour. Going there and winning a stage would be the highlight of the year.”
