La Route d'Occitanie - CIC 2025 Stage 1

June 18, 2025 La Route d'Occitanie may have a lesser reputation than the Baloise Belgium Tour going on at the same time but it still plays an important role in giving riders one last chance to showcase their fitness before their teams make the Tour de France selections. Stage 1 opens the four days of racing with a 10.5KM ITT from Saint-Affrique to Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the heart of the Aveyron Department in South Central France. The first 5KM are up the Côte de Tiergues which averages just under 5%. After the intermediate time check at the top, the road tips down for 1.5KM before the final 4KM drag up to the finish on wide D roads. It was a hot Summer's day and from the early runs, some riders seemed to struggle getting in the zone with the climb and the heat. Dorian Godon of Decathlon AG2R was the first rider to go under 16 minutes with a time 15 minutes 46 seconds. Cristián Rodríguez of Arkéa-B&B Hotels held on to his good form from the Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes about one month ago and beat Godon's time by 14 seconds but it wouldn't last long. The final rider off was Rodríguez's teammate Raúl García Pierna who managed to go 4 seconds quicker. With it being the first stage, the GC follows the stage results with García Pierna leading, Rodríguez in second, and Sander de Pestel of Decathlon AG2R, who snuck in front of his teammate, Godon, is in third at 8 seconds.