This Saturday 5th of July, Intermarché-Wanty returns to the Tour de France after leaving its mark on the last edition, securing three stage victories and a historic green jersey thanks to Eritrean sprinter Biniam Girmay. At the Grand Départ in Lille, not far from the Belgian border and the service course of the World Team in Tournai, the team of Jean-François Bourlart begins its eighth participation with the ambition of continuing the momentum from 2024.
The Route
The 2025 Tour de France kicks off from the European metropolis with a stage favorable to sprinters. To reach Paris and its Champs-Élysées three weeks later, riders will need to conquer twenty-one stages, including seven categorized as flat, six hilly, six in the mountains (with five summit finishes), and two individual time trials.
Among the main attractions of this 2025 Tour are Mont Ventoux, returning for the first time since its double ascent in the 2021 edition, explosive finishes at Mûr-de-Bretagne, and high-altitude arrivals at Superbagnères, Hautacam, and Col de La Loze. The first timed effort, a completely flat 33-kilometer individual time trial, takes place in Caen on day five, while the second tackles the slopes of Peyragudes over 11 kilometers on day thirteen.
The 3320-kilometer route unfolds entirely within French territory, a first in five years. As a conclusion on Sunday 27th of July, the selection led by Aike Visbeek, Dimitri Claeys, and Pieter Vanspeybrouck will have to reach the Avenue des Champs-Élysées via a renewed route, which includes the Butte Montmartre, featured in the recent Olympic Games.
The Selection
The reigning points classification winner, Biniam Girmay Hailu, the first African cyclist to claim a distinctive jersey, is set to compete in his third consecutive Tour de France, having already secured five podium finishes since the start of the season. Alongside him are two loyal stalwarts: Hugo Page and Laurenz Rex, who played a key role in his historic hat-trick last year. Both men have shown ascending form as they approach their second Tour. Page, wearer of the white jersey at the Dauphiné, recently clinched sixth place in the new World Tour classic in Copenhagen, while Rex has consistently landed in the top 10 at Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem, and Bruges-De Panne.
The sprint train built around Girmay is bolstered by Belgian Vito Braet and Dutchman Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, the first talent from development structure Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz to discover the Tour de France. The squad can also count on the tireless Jonas Rutsch, who has made a strong impression since joining the team this season with several breakaways, notably securing sixth place at Paris-Roubaix.
A fresh face in the Tour, just like Braet and Van Sintmaartensdijk, Louis Barré embodies the revelation of the spring. The 25-year-old Frenchman is continuously pushing his limits since joining the Walloon team, achieving a remarkable sixth place at the Amstel Gold Race and wearing the white jersey thanks to his first World Tour podium at the Dauphiné.
Finally, Georg Zimmermann makes his fifth Tour de France selection with Intermarché-Wanty. The 27-year-old German climber, who contributed to Girmay’s success last summer, has regularly distinguished himself in attacks in his previous participations, even coming close to victory in 2023 with a second-place finish in Issoire. Last April, he reached a new milestone in his career by winning his first stage race, the Giro d’Abruzzo.
"To build on our success from the 2024 Tour de France, we started working back in August to assemble a team squarely focused on stage victories for the 2025 edition. Biniam Girmay is naturally our spearhead for sprint finishes and stages with tricky finals. We've strengthened the core around him by integrating Jonas Rutsch into our team, alongside Laurenz Rex and Hugo Page, and by regularly having talents like Vito Braet and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk race with Biniam." "Roel's selection marks an important moment for our structure. In 2023, he was the first young talent to raise his arms with our U23 Continental Team. Now, he's the first from our development structure to make his debut in the Tour de France, which speaks volumes about the progress made and the hard work of our staff. Vito is a quiet but powerful force, capable of performing well in the sprint stage with tough profiles. Both are invaluable assets for Biniam's lead-out train. Jonas highlighted his potential at Paris-Roubaix; he's one of our options for stage hunting through agressive racing." "We also have two other serious contenders for stage wins with Georg Zimmermann, who's riding his fifth Tour with us, and Louis Barré, the revelation of the first season half. Both are ready to animate the stages. Louis is making his Tour debut, and we're eager to see what he can achieve, especially after what he recently demonstrated at the Dauphiné."
"Winning three stages and the green jersey gave me a lot of confidence. I obviously would've liked to raise my arms this season before the Tour started, but I've shown my improving form with several podium finishes and I had excellent altitude training at home. So, I arrive in Lille in similar shape to last year and with the same preparation. My priority will be to win. By winning, I'll be in contention for the green jersey. I've shown in the past that I can be consistent and be in the fight until the very end." "There are great opportunities for me right from the first few days. It would be a dream to win in Lille and wear the yellow jersey. I have the ability to recover well and be competitive until the third week, so I'm also thinking about the final stage in Paris, and the addition of Butte Montmartre, which I had the chance to discover at the 2024 Olympic Games."
"I'm proud to experience my first Tour de France. I see several opportunities in the first week with stages for punchers. In the second week, the days in the Pyrenees and the Massif Central suit me. For the first ten days, I'll try to stick with the best and see where I stand. I've made a lot of progression since joining Intermarché-Wanty, and I've also learned a lot. In the Dauphiné, I went all out for the week, secured my first World Tour podium, and pushed my limits in the high mountains. I can't wait to experience the Tour and the enthusiasm of the spectators."
"Conquering the German title was one of my dreams, and I want to honor my new jersey every day in the biggest race of the world. I'm still driven by two major goals: winning a stage in the Tour de France and participating in the Olympic Games. I'll have the opportunity to make that happen the next three weeks. With Intermarché-Wanty we are determined to win in this Tour de France, with Biniam like last year, and also with other riders on different stage profiles. I'm keen to contribute to the teamwork, and I'll also have my own chance. We're eager to fight for the honours here in the Hauts-de-France region, not far from our service course in Tournai, but we also fully intend to shine over the entire three weeks."
"Our sprint train has improved compared to last year because Biniam, Hugo Page, and I learned a lot from Mike Teunissen, who was the lead-out man. From now on, I'll be the last man to drop Biniam in the best possible position. We continued building on our automatisms this season, and we can rely on extra powerful support with Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, Jonas Rutsch and Vito Braet. This year, there will be an extra team at the start, so we should expect chaotic sprints and we need to be well-placed from the last 50 kilometers, otherwise we risk not being able to compete for the win."
"I'm proud to participate in my first Tour de France. I also have the honor of being the first rider from our Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz Continental Development team to climb the ranks and start the Tour de France. This is a source of pride for me, and I thank the management for their support since I joined the organization in 2023. My progress demonstrates the quality of the development program put in place with Kévin Van Melsen and the entire performance team. In this Tour, my role will be to be as useful as possible to my teammates, guide the sprint train, keep them out of danger, and help them conserve their energy as much as possible."
