Tour de France 2026: Route and stages

Tour de France 2026

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The Grand Départ of the 2026 Tour de France is going to take place in Barcelona. The 1st stage will be a TTT and the 2nd stage a hilly race rom Tarragona back to Barcelona. After Bilbao in 2023, it will be the second Big Start in Spain for La Grande Boucle in three years’ time. The race will stay on Catalan soil for a total of three days before crossing back into France.

The team time trial features a finale on Barcelona’s iconic Montjuïc hill. An interesting twist is that each rider’s time is recorded individually, a concept that has been used in Paris-Nice for a few years now. Strong climbers may consider dropping their teammates in the final stretch to set the fastest possible time.

Stage 2 covers 178.4 kilometres from Tarragona to Barcelona. Once again, Montjuïc plays a key role in the finale. In the last 30 kilometres, the riders tackle three hilly laps, featuring a total of six climbs. The finish line is positioned atop a 600-metre climb at 7%.

Another interesting read: records & winners Tour de France.