Tour de France could return to L'Alpe d'Huez in 2026 after stages in the Massif Central and the Vosges mountains

The dust has only just started to settle on the men's 2025 Tour de France, and already the first reports have emerged about the 2026 race route.

Among the rumours is a return to the Massif Central and the possibility of a stage finish on L'Alpe d'Huez and a mountain time trial on the Plateau de Solaison in the Haute-Savoie region.

The 2026 Tour de France will be held between Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 26, and is again expected to see Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) clash with Jonas Vingegaard (Visma–Lease a Bike) for a sixth consecutive time, as the Slovenian targets a fifth victory.

Race organiser ASO recently confirmed that the full route of the 2026 Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes will be presented in Paris on Thursday, October 23.

Technical director Thierry Gouvenou revealed that he had received dozens of emails with suggestions on new roads and climbs for future editions of the Grand Boucle. However, the 2026 route has largely been decided.

The 2026 Tour de France will start in Barcelona, Spain, with the 2027 confirmed to start in Scotland, with other stages in the United Kingdom.

The 2026 race will start with a team time trial, with riders facing a 19.7-kilometre course that will end in the shadow of the 1992 Olympic Games Montjuïc stadium. The second day starts in Tarragona and finishes in Barcelona with a 12-kilometre final circuit including the Montjuïc Castle climb. The third stage will depart from Granollers with the destination in France still to be confirmed.

A stage finish in Andorra is unlikely, but an early visit to the Pyrenees is possible. Local French media expect the route to head into the Massif Central during week one before then going east to the Vosges before turning south and into the Alps.

The success of the Montremarte circuit on this year's final stage is expected to mean the iconic climb and cobbled streets will return in 2026, and probably remain for years to come unless another city makes a huge offer to tempt the Tour away from the finish in Paris.

According to the La Montagne website, the first week is likely to end on Sunday, July 12 in Ussel in the Massif Central, after a hilly stage from Bergerac in the Dordogne. A mountain stage much like this year's is expected on July 14 from Aurillac and Le Lioran, followed by a long-awaited stage start in Vichy.

The Dauphiné Libéré region newspaper believes the 2026 Tour will visit the Haute-Savoie region to preview the course of the 2027 Super World Championship that will include road racing, track, BMX, mountain bike and para-cycling events. Sallanches will host the road races, while the time trial will be near Lake Annecy.

Dauphiné Libéré also suggested a time trial could be held on the Plateau de Solaison is underway, and hinted that L'Alpe d'Huez will return in 2026 after a four-year absence, just as Mont Ventoux returned this year after a similar absence.