The Biggest Bike Races Of The Year Still To Come

Summer 2025 has arrived, and some of the biggest bike races of the year are still on the horizon. For fans of road cycling, mountain biking, track, gravel, and BMX, the coming months are stacked with action.

Tour de Suisse is running from June 15 to 22. While it doesn’t draw quite the same attention as the Grand Tours, it’s a critical warm-up for riders prepping for the Tour de France. With its mountainous Swiss terrain and uphill finishes, it’s often the last chance for contenders to show form before July’s showdown. And for those inclined to wager on cycling’s finest, this time of year is prime. According to the sports betting expert Toby Tustin-Durant, the best offshore sportsbooks from PokerStrategy.com give better value and flexibility than most state-regulated options, offering early lines, broader props, and typically more generous odds on everything from stage winners to GC standings across all US sports and beyond.

All eyes then turn to the 112th edition of the Tour de France, which begins July 5 in Lille and wraps up on July 27 in Paris. The 21 stages spanning about 3,320 kilometers include seven flat, six hilly, and six high mountain stages, plus two individual time trials. Reigning champion Tadej Pogačar returns in blistering form, aiming for a third straight yellow jersey, though Jonas Vingegaard, last year’s runner-up, is expected to push him hard. Climbs like Ventoux and Courchevel are back to test even the most hardened legs. Two days before the men wrap up in Paris, the women will begin their own nine-day challenge: the Tour de France Femmes. Starting July 26 in Vannes and ending August 3 in Châtel, the women’s peloton will tackle a mixed course of flat, punchy, and mountainous stages.

The Giro d’Italia Donne also deserves attention, especially for those who enjoy betting on women’s cycling. It runs from July 6 to 13 with three major mountain-top finishes (Aprica, Valdobbiadene, and Monte Nerone) sure to shake up the general classification. Demi Vollering is expected to return, joined by the top echelon of female climbers in what promises to be a thrilling edition.

The Vuelta a España begins August 23 and runs until September 14, covering just over 3,150 kilometers with ten summit finishes. The race starts in northern Italy (Turin, Alba, and Limone Piemonte) before heading into Andorra and finally into the brutal climbs of Spain. The total elevation gain? Around 50,000 meters. Primož Roglič is the name on everyone’s lips as he targets a historic fifth Vuelta win. Of course, the Spanish Grand Tour is notorious for upsets, punishing heat, and ambush attacks in the steepest terrain Europe has to offer.

September brings the UCI Road World Championships to Africa for the first time ever. Kigali, Rwanda hosts both the men’s and women’s races between September 21 and 28. The men’s route spans 267.5 kilometers with an eye-watering 5,500 meters of climbing, while the women’s race follows a similarly punishing course. The repeated laps on Kigali’s steep hills, including the cobbled climb to the finish, will be a test of endurance and tactics.

Beyond road racing, the mountain bike crowd will have their eyes on Valais, Switzerland, from August 30 to September 14. That’s where the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will be staged, offering rainbow jerseys in cross-country, downhill, and electric MTB. The high altitude and sharp climbs in Crans-Montana promise chaos and spectacle. And if the World Cup rounds leading up to it, like those in Leogang, Val di Sole, and Lake Placid, are any indication, the sport’s new stars are ready to shine.

Gravel fans will get their fix October 11–12 in Zuid-Limburg, Netherlands, with the UCI Gravel World Championships. Expect fast, technical races across rolling gravel roads and punchy climbs, with distances ranging from 75 to 175 kilometers. BMX Racing Worlds take place earlier in Copenhagen from July 24 to August 3, while the freestyle specialists head to Riyadh in November. Track cycling wraps up the season October 15–19 in Santiago, Chile, where the Velódromo de Peñalolén will crown this year’s fastest men and women in the velodrome.

And finally, autumn closes with the great Italian classic, Il Lombardia, on October 11. Known as the “Race of the Falling Leaves,” it’s a 250-kilometer one-day monument through northern Italy’s lakes and hills. Featuring legendary climbs like the Madonna del Ghisallo and the Muro di Sormano, it’s often the last big clash of the year among climbers and classics riders, and a beautiful, brutal way to bid farewell to another thrilling season.

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