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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
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Italian Superstar Repeats
Defending Tour de France champion Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) returned in great form. As in 1924, Bottecchia started very well, winning the first stage to Le Harve in a long solo breakaway. One new and talented rider lined up to challenge the Italian champion. The new challengers was Belgian Adelin Benoit, who took the overall lead from Bottecchia by 8 seconds after stage 3. Bottecchia and Benoit battled as the overall lead swapped back and forth until the Tour reached the Pyrenees Mountains on stage 8. Over the climbs of the Col d'Aspin, Col d'Aubisque, Col du Tourmalet and Col de Peyresourde, Benoit attacked, breaking away from the leaders on the final climb and won the stage by 10 minutes. The win took back the overall lead by almost 7 minutes ahead of Bottecchia.
The second day in the Pyrenees was equally as hard. The talented Italian, Bottecchia fought back winning all four climbs and gained 45 minutes on a struggling Benoit. After a superb ride Bottecchia took back the overall lead.
Wearing the Maillot Jaune again, Bottecchia controlled the remainder on the race. He sprinted into the Parc des Princes velodrome for the stage win and his second TdF championship in a row.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 PARIS-LE HAVRE, 340 km |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 2 LE HAVRE-CHERBOURG, 371 km |
Romain Bellenger (Fra) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 3 CHERBOURG-BREST, 405 km |
Louis Mottiat (Bel) |
Adelin Benoit (Bel) |
Stage 4 BREST-VANNES, 208 km |
Nicolas Frantz (Lux) |
Adelin Benoit (Bel) |
Stage 5 VANNES- SABLES D'OLONNE, 204 km |
Nicolas Frantz (Lux) |
Adelin Benoit (Bel) |
Stage 6 SABLES D'OLONNE-BORDEAUX, 293 km |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Adelin Benoit (Bel) |
Stage 7 BORDEAUX-BAYONNE, 189 km |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 8 BAYONNE-LUCHON, 326 km |
Adelin Benoit (Bel) |
Adelin Benoit (Bel) |
Stage 9 LUCHON-PERPIGNAN, 323 km |
Nicolas Frantz (Lux) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 10 PERPIGNAN-NIMES, 215 km |
Theophile Beeckman (Bel) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 11 NIMES-TOULON, 215 km |
Lucien Buysse (Bel) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 12 TOULON-NICE, 280 km |
Lucien Buysse (Bel) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 13 NICE-BRIANCON, 275 km |
Bartolomeo Aymo (Ita) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 14 BRIANCON-EVIAN, 303 km |
Hector Martin (Bel) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 15 EVIAN-MULHOUSE, 373 km |
Nicolas Frantz (Lux) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 16 MULHOUSE-METZ, 334 km |
Hector Martin (Bel) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 17 METZ-DUNKERQUE, 433 km |
Hector Martin (Bel) |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
Stage 18 DUNKERQUE-PARIS/Parc des Princes, 343 km |
Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita) |
 Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita)
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| TdF June 21-July 19, 1925 |
| 5,440 Km |
1. Ottavio BOTTECCHIA (Ita) 219h10'18" |
2. Lucien Buysse (Bel) +54'20" |
3. Bartolomeo Aymo (Ita) +56'37" |
| Starters: 130 |
| Finishers: 49 |
| Average Speed: 24.775 km/h |
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