Tour de France Femmes 2025 - Stage 2: Brest - Quimper | 110.4 kilometres | 2030 vertical metres
The second stage is also short and is likely to be similar to day one due to its similar structure. Again, there are two final laps to ride, and again there is a short climb in the way, the Côte du Chemin de Trohéir.
There are 70 metres of ascent to master at 1200 metres, 4.7 kilometres before the finish. On the one hand, that's not a lot, but the climb has a 100 metre long section with 14% at the start, followed by 100 metres with 11%. This is where strong classic riders can make a difference, open up a gap and carry their lead over the crest.
What does a 14% gradient mean for acceleration? Which wheel pushes forwards here? Our simulation provides the answer.
The number of the day: one tenth of a second
Our calculation shows that a kilo of excess weight does not make as much of a difference as you might intuitively think when starting off on a steep section. However, this is also due to the initial conditions: the riders will enter the mountain with momentum, which reduces the influence of extra weight.
Over the first hundred metres, the heaviest bike is only a good tenth of a second behind. Unsurprisingly, the S5 is again in front - because it is almost as light as permitted and aerodynamic. It doesn't get any better than this.
The (almost) complete field at a glance
The table shows the ranking after a hundred metres on the steep section. Light and aerodynamic bikes lead the way.
Our expert
Robert Kühnen studied mechanical engineering, writes about technical and training topics for TOUR and develops test methods. Robert has been refining the simulation calculations for years and they are also used by professional teams.
Robert Kühnen
Editor
