In 1903, Maurice Garin won the first ever Tour de France in 94.5 hours, riding the 2,428km course at an average 25.7km/h on a steel bike with one speed and no freewheel.Since then, things have got a lot faster. Tadej Pogaar won the 2025 race, covering the 3,301.9 km at an average speed of 42.85km/h, the fastest ever winning time.Average speeds in the Tour de France have been increasing steadily, with averages across the entire race of around 40km/h being typical around 10 years ago. There was an upward bump in 2005, when Lance Armstrong recorded the then-fastest winning speed of 41.7km/h but we all now know why that was. Average race speeds dropped after Armstrong retired. Graham Watson/Getty Images After Armstrong, average speeds decreased again, with motorbike riders supporting the Tour remarking that speeds through the valleys on the approach to big climbs were noticeably slower than in the Armstrong era.Average speeds such as those are underpinned by super-fast ascents of cyclings iconic climbs and breakneck descents that motorbikes following the race often have difficulty matching. Tom Pidcock clocked over 100km/h descending the Col du Galibier in 2022. Tim de Waele/Getty Images One of the most notable recent downhill runs was Tom Pidcocks 2022 descent of the Col du Galibier, when his maximum speed exceeded 100km/h on his way to winning Stage 12 atop Alpe dHuez.Pidcock was leaving other pros in the dust on the way down, although its not unusual for descending speeds to exceed 80km/h. Sprint finishes typically top 50km/h on the flat and, despite their reputation for being left behind once the road turns uphill, sprinters are among the fastest descenders too, to ensure they arrive at the finish within the stage time limit on mountain stages.General classification riders go uphill fast as well as descending at speed. Winning speeds on the 13.8km climb of Alpe dHuez, with its famous 21 hairpins, average over 20km/h, despite the huge crowds spilling onto the road and 1,120m of elevation gain. More on the 2026 Tour de France Custom paint and boutique parts: Remco Evenepoels golden Specialized Tarmac SL9 for the Tour de France Who is Isaac del Toro? 4 things you need to know about the Mexican who could be a future Tour de France winner Why are Pogaar and Del Toro riding different bikes? Fans told to avoid Tour de France stage 3 due to major wildfires A Tour de France breakaway only has a 2% chance of winning, so why join one? Every team bike at the 2026 Tour de France What is the Tour de France caravan, and why does everyone love it so much?