Tour de France 2026 kicks off on the Spanish costa; organizers announce spectacular opening weekend
Cycling
Even though the 2025 Tour de France is still months away, the organization officially announced the Grand Départ and the first two stages of the 2026 Tour de France on Tuesday evening via X. The race will begin in Spain, where sunshine is almost guaranteed.
We still have to wait about 500 days, but cycling fans now know that they should head to Barcelona next year to witness the start of the Tour de France. The Catalan capital will host the opening stage entirely within the city, featuring a team time trial on day one. This marks a historic first—never before has the Tour de France started with a team time trial.
The 19.7-kilometer course won’t be completely flat, as riders will have to tackle two climbs: Côte de Montjuïc (1.1 km at 5.1%) and Côte du Stade Olympique (800m at 7%). These hills appear in the latter part of the time trial, with the finish line set atop the climb to the Olympic Stadium. The first 16 kilometers of the route will be almost entirely flat.
Read more below the photo!
Stage two of the 2026 Tour de France promises a great spectacle in the streets of Barcelona
On day two, riders will immediately face a challenging hilly stage. The second stage will start in Tarragona, with the first 80 kilometers being relatively flat. However, from that point onward, the final 100 kilometers will be anything but easy, featuring eight climbs. The peloton will complete three local laps through the streets of Barcelona, adding to the excitement.
These laps include the same climbs as stage one, but this time, the riders will tackle Montjuïc from its steeper side (1.6 km at 9.3%). The climb to the Olympic Stadium also returns, with the finish line once again placed at the top.
Tour de France 2026 - stage 1 (July 4, 2026)
Tour de France 2026 - stage 2 (July 5, 2026)
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Latest Comments
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024