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)