Skiing gatecrashes the Tour de France and aims to stay

The connection between the Tour de France and skiing is not new. One only needs to review the stage finishes in mountain resorts each year, roads carved into the Alpine rock, or ascents that, in winter, only know the crunch of skis on snow. This year, that relationship went a step further.

In the Pyrenees, the peloton crossed peaks with winter names: Hautacam, Peyragudes, Luchon-Superbagnères, and Tourmalet. In the Alps, the arrival at Courchevel or La Plagne solidified this historical connection with ski resorts.

Cyclists, Skiing, and Cereal in Parallel

During the stage to Hautacam, an impromptu skier, pulled by a motorcycle, glided through a cereal field just meters from the riders. An unexpected image, almost surreal, that went viral in a matter of hours.

Trainé par une moto, un homme a suivi le peloton du Tour de France sur des dizaines de mètres … en ski ! #TDF25 pic.twitter.com/OXkPAMeCKw

— NEWS TV RÉAL (@NewsTVReal) July 17, 2025

Days later, on the final day of the Tour, the scene repeated itself. This time in the heart of Paris.

Before the final stage began on the Champs-Élysées, a French sports influencer descended the Côte de la Butte Montmartre on skis. He did so with the help of two assistants who pushed him over the cobblestones of the iconic hill, while the public, still waiting for the cyclists, cheered him as if he were already part of the spectacle.

The author of the feat, along with his content partner on Instagram, has followed the Tour to offer technical analyses of the stages, especially the first, which ended near Courchevel. This performance in Montmartre seems to mark the beginning of a new intersection between cycling and the visual culture of skiing.

Evolving Traditions

It’s not the first time someone has tried to "crash" the Tour. Since 2002, when Canadian Dave Watson attempted to jump over the peloton on a bicycle during the ascent of the Galibier, it has become common to see riders flying above cyclists, risking life and fine.

This year, the spotlight seems to have shifted from two wheels to skis.

Beyond the anecdote, the strategy works. The Tour gains visibility among young audiences who consume sports on their mobile phones. And skiing, actively seeking new promotion channels, finds an unexpected platform in these types of gestures.