"If Wout van Aert participates, he will win that stage. I can tell you that already" - Jan Hermsen predicts early Maillot Jaune for Visma at 2025 Tour de France

After the reveal of the 2025 Tour de France parcours earlier this week, one of the main things to note was the very sprinter / puncheur friendly opening week, giving some different names a chance to wear the iconic Maillot Jaune.

Evaluating and breaking down the route and profiles of next summer's Tour de France, Eurosport's 'Kop over Kop' podcast can foresee some early Belgian success. "Jasper Philipsen was in the venue (for the Tour presentation ed.), if he starts the Tour better than last year, then he is the favourite to win the opening stage," predicts Eurosport expert Jan Hermsen.

It's not just Philipsen that Hermsen can see taking early glory at the 2025 Tour though, the pundit also predicts some success for Team Visma | Lease a Bike superstar Wout van Aert, who previously wore the Maillot Jaune for 4 days back in 2022. "The first three days are actually a kind of Flemish semi-Classic," Hermsen notes. "The second stage of the Tour is also a really tough stage, perhaps the toughest of the Tour. The wind always blows there. If Wout van Aert participates, he will win that stage. I can tell you that already."

Probably the toughest stage of the opening week comes on stage 6. "3700 meters of elevation over 200 kilometres. That is really a hilly stage, a tough ride," Hermsen's colleague Bobbie Traksel previews. "They rode the French championship there last year. Well, that is one of them. The day before is a flat time trial that is really reserved for the time trialists. Remco Evenepoel will be very happy with this time trial."