Stage 7: Saint-Malo > Mûr-de-Bretagne (July 11)

2025 TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 7

Saint-Malo → Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan

The landscape of today’s stage. Photo by Romain Frerot

Up until this point the race has been, well, a bit boring. Not in terms of racing, but in terms of climbing (which as you know, is all we really care about here at PJAMM).  In fact, more feet will be climbed in stages 18 and 19 of this tour (32,400ft) than have been climbed until today (31,200ft)!

But today, we see the first “summit finish” on the Mûr-de-Bretagne, nestled in the heart of Brittany, France.  Surprisingly, this little hill has grown to be one of the most iconic short climbs in Tour de France history (see our TDF Legendary Climbs list). But why this climb? It’s… so small?

Officially known as the Côte de Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan, this modest yet brutally steep hill rises just over 2 kilometers with an average gradient around 6.9%, kicking up to over 10% in its steepest sections. What it lacks in altitude it makes up for in explosiveness, often serving as a decisive uphill finish that punishes the legs and showcases pure punchy power - that and the fact that it’s usually done 2 or 3 times in the same stage. The climb winds through the quiet countryside, but on race day it transforms into a roaring corridor of fans waving Breton flags and roaring for their favorites. Its location in Brittany - a region with a deep cycling tradition - only amplifies its emotional and cultural importance within the Tour.

First introduced to the Tour de France in 2011, the Mûr-de-Bretagne quickly earned a reputation as “the Alpe d’Huez of Brittany.” It played host to Cadel Evans’s nail-biting victory that year - a win by mere millimeters over Alberto Contador that proved crucial in his eventual Tour win. Since then, the climb has featured in multiple editions of the race, including 2015, 2018, and 2021. Each time, it delivers drama and reshuffles the general classification, if only slightly, by rewarding riders who can launch explosive uphill attacks.

The most emotional (and most recent) win came in 2021, when Mathieu van der Poel claimed victory atop the Mûr, dedicating the performance to his late grandfather, Tour legend Raymond Poulidor. The Mûr has become a modern symbol of the Tour’s balance between raw power and poetic narrative: a short, steep hill with a long and meaningful shadow.

See our 2025 Tour de France page for the best way to view, analyze and filter Tour de France stage routes and climbs.

COMMENTS FROM RACE DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN PRUDHOMME - STAGE 7:

“The peloton’s stay in Brittany will kick off with another contest between the puncheurs. After leaving Saint-Malo and heading for Saint-Brieuc, history buffs will recall the exploits of Bernard Hinault as the race passes through his home village of Yffiniac. But everyone’s attention will be focused very much on the present as the double ascent of the Côte de Mûr-de-Bretagne approaches. A warning to attackers who are a bit too eager: it’s a climb where tactical sense is almost as decisive as physical strength.” (Tour de France Stage 7).

KOM Corner

Official post-race summary for Stage 7 (from TDF)

An iconic venue such as Mûr-de-Bretagne called for a thrilling battle between the biggest names of cycling - and it delivered, as Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) asserted his iridescent dominance, claiming his second victory in this year’s Tour de France. On a day that celebrated Bernard Hinault's legacy, the Slovenian star mastered the final gradients to swap again his rainbow jersey for the Maillot Jaune and take his 19th stage win in the event. This is 42nd time Pogacar leads the overall standings. Jonas Vingegaard and Oscar Onley completed the stage top 3 while Mathieu Van der Poel, 22nd on his return to Mûr-de-Bretagne, dropped down to the 5th position overall (+1’29’’).

The peloton is back together in Saint-Malo with 179 riders. With another explosive finale in sight, many are eager to break away, after Ben Healy’s triumph in Vire Normandie on day 6.

G makes the break

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) immediately launches an attack with Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla), but the duo only manage to stay in the lead for 20 kilometres.

The tone is set in the peloton, with a blistering pace to prevent the formation of a large group. In the wake of these early attackers, numerous riders make repeated attempts to break away, including tireless attackers such as Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ).

After one hour, the peloton have already covered 53.7 kilometres. And it’s only at km 55 that a group breaks away with Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers), Marco Haller (Tudor), Ewen Costiou (Arkéa-B&B) and Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar).

Costiou enjoys his day in Brittany

Ore riders want to join them at the front but UAE Team Emirates-XRG control any further attempt to get away. Nils Politt then receives the support of Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to control the attackers. The gap never gets higher than 1’40’’, as the race passes through Yffiniac (km 120.5),

Onto the climbs of the day, packed inside the last 20 kilometres, the gap drops down to 1 minute and Visma-Lease a Bike take the reins of the bunch.

Costiou - one the seven Breton riders in the race - drops his breakaway companions on the first ascent of Mûr-de-Bretagne. On the line, he maintains a gap of 20’’ to the 35-man GC group. He is eventually caught with 12 kilometres to go.

Almeida goes down, Pogacar takes off

With Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the helm, the peloton fly towards the second ascent of Mûr-de-Bretagne. But a hard tumble with 6 kilometres to go takes Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) out of the equation.

Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) leads Pogacar at the bottom of the ascent (2km at 6.9% with gradients up to 15%). After a first acceleration from the Slovenian, nine riders face off in the final sprint… And nobody can match Pogacar’s pace when he sprints to the line ahead of Vingegaard and Picnic PostNL’s Oscar Onley (+2’’).

Pogacar regains the Maillot Jaune on the eve of a stage to Laval, where he had claimed the overall lead in the Tour 2021. He is now up to 42 Yellow Jerseys, as many as Jacques Anquetil, in fifth position of the all-time ranking.