As it happened: World champion triumphs in Tour de France stage 16 time trial as fifth place crashes out

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 16 of the 2026 Tour de France!

Today's stage is the only individual time trial of this year's Tour taking place on a 26.1km route between Evian-les-Bains and Thonon-les Bains.

Check out the map of today's stage.

Today's stage gets underway at 13:00 local time, so that's in an hour and 20 minutes.

Here's a look at the day's profile.

The first rider down the start ramp to start the stage will be Kamil Gradek (Bahrain Victorious) at 13:00 local time.

Tadej Pogačar gets his effort underway at 17:15.

Here's the full list of the stage 16 time trial start times

Here's our preview of the 'technical and tricky' stage 16 time trial which could see someone other than Tadej Pogačar actually win a GC stage today!

World time trial champion Remco Evenepoel will be the top favourite for success today but could Mathieu van der Poel spring a surprise?

Is Mathieu van der Poel a time trial sleeping giant?

Under half an hour to go until the stage start now.

Here's a look back at Sunday's stage 15 which saw Tadej Pogačar extend his lead as Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of second overall.

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And a look at the results and GC,

13 minutes to go until the start of the stage.

Here we go!

Kamil Gradek has set off to start the stage.

Several more riders on course now, including Cees Bol and Olav Kooij.

Josh Tarling is the first top time trial rider to start. He'll head down the start ramp in 18 minutes.

There are three checkpoints today, including at the top of the day's climb, the Côte de Larringes, after 9.7km of racing.

More sprinters, including Davide Ballerini, Phil Bauhaus, Milan Fretin are out.

Seven riders through the first checkpoint after 4.8km currently and Julius van den Berg is the quickest with a time of 10:18

Josh Tarling has just set off to start his ride. The British racer should be comfortably quickest of these early runners.

8km to go for Gradek, who will finish first today.

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Van den Berg quickest over the climb with a time of 19:36.

Tarling is top of the standings at the moment.

His time of 34:21 is top of the standings so far.

His Netcompany Ineos teammate Filippo Ganna is coming to the line now though!

But the Italian time trial champion falls just short of going quickest.

34:25 for Ganna at the finish to go second quickest.

Tarling on his ride earlier.

Only three riders under the 35-minutes barrier so far. Tarling and Ganna, as well as Huub Artz, who lies in third place with a time of 34:49.

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Thibault Guernalec has gone quickest at the second checkpoint! The French rider has set a time of 17:43 there, 10 seconds quicker than Tarling.

Tarling is only fifth-quickest at the top of the climb.

Ganna, below, was second, just tenth of a second down on Guernalec.

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Guerlanec has fallen to fourth place at the third checkpoint. His time of 25:50 is 22 seconds off Tarling.

Other big names to have finished so far include Biniam Girmay, Julian Alaphilippe, and Michał Kwiatkowski.

Green jersey Mads Pedersen will be heading off in 10 minutes.

It looks as though it will be tough for anyone to beat Tarling's time before Remco Evenepoel heads out on course at 17:13 local time.

Mikel Azparren and Benjamin Thomas have both put in top-10 times at the first two checkpoints, but nothing challenging Tarling.

Now Guernalec races to the line.

Guernalec crosses the line in fifth place with a time of 35:05.

44 seconds slower than Tarling after he was quickest on top of the climb.

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Azparren finishes as seventh quickest with a time of 35:56.

Benjamin Thomas will finish soon. He was seventh at the third checkpoint.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG manger Mauro Gianetti confirmed that his rider Brandon McNulty crashed during recon earlier today.

He collided with a member of the public, who overtook him, Gianetti said. The American is unhurt and will race the stage, though, luckily.

Mads Pedersen is off. He's favourite to win the green jersey, should he reach Paris unharmed.

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Eighth for Thomas at the finish with a time of 35:58, while Simone Velasco sets a time of 36:47 to go 10th.

55 riders have finished now.

Thomas in eighth is the last rider within two minutes of Tarling's quickest time.

Kasper Asgreen and Luke Plapp among those starting out in recent minutes.

Nobody troubling the top of the leaderboards currently.

Damien Howson's 10th place at the top of the climb is the best of those out on course at the moment.

Former triple French time trial champion Bruno Armirail is just setting off.

Mads Pedersen 28th through the first checkpoint.

Mathieu van der Poel and Victor Campenaerts will start their rides soon.

German time trial champion Nils Politt has just started.

Third place for Bruno Armiral at the first checkpoint. His time of 9:01 is nine seconds off Tarling's time there.

Felix Engelhardt is ninth at the finish line with a time of 36:22, 2:01 down on Tarling.

The Briton has been in the hot seat as leader for two hours now.

Van der Poel and Campenaerts have just set off.

Pedersen 20th at the top of the climb.

A great ride for Armirail at the top of the climb. He beats Guernalec's time into second place there to go top with a time of 17:24.

Armirail flying down the descent at over 90kph.

Here's a look at Armirail.

Into the final 10km for the Frenchman.

He's top at the third checkpoint, too, 14 seconds up on Tarling.

Can he beat Tarling at the line?

To date in his career, Armirail has three national title to his name plus a time trial at the 2023 Tour Poitou-Charentes.

He's racing into the final 3km now.

He has a six-second lead heading into the final 2km.

Into the final kilometre...

And he does it! Bruno Armirail goes quickest with a time of 34:14, seven seconds up on Tarling.

Now it's Armirail, Tarling, Ganna at the top of the standings.

Bruno Armirail during his leaderboard-topping ride.

88 riders have finished their rides now with Nils Politt crossing the line in 17th.

Van der Poel and Campenaerts are closing in on the finish but neither are troubling the top of the standings.

Ewen Costiou is having a good ride. He's sixth, sixth, and seventh at the three checkpoints.

Costiou and Damiano Caruso (10th at the third checkpoint) both going well at the moment.

Valentin Paret-Peintre is eighth at the first checkpoint.

Seventh with a time of 35:08 for Costiou at the finish.

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Ben Healy is the 100th rider to finish.

Aurélien Paret-Peintre is fifth at the top of the climb.

Mattia Cattaneo has started out fast with a third place at the first checkpoint.

Now Cattaneo goes quickest at the top of the climb, 10 seconds quicker than Armirail.

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Aurélien Paret-Peintre fifth at the third checkpoint.

And he crosses the line in eighth place as Kévin Vauquelin sets off.

KOM leader Valentin Paret-Peintre during his ride.

Cattaneo still top at the third checkpoint, eight seconds up on Armirail.

Thymen Arensman sets off to start his ride later than scheduled.

Cattaneo coming towards the final 3km now.

The Italian has won time trials at the Tour de Pologne and Tour of Luxembourg before.

He flies past Mathias Vacek into the final 1.5km.

Mattia Cattaneo beats Bruno Armirail's time at the line!

Cattaneo goes 13 seconds quicker at the finish with a time of 34:01.

Now we're into the GC top 30 out on course.

Felix Großschartner top at the first two checkpoints. He's a second up on Cattaneo at the top of the climb.

Arensman fourth at the first checkpoint, Pablo Castrillo second there.

Brandon McNulty starts his ride all OK after his earlier crash.

Latest riders at the top of the climb: Pablo Castillo first, Thymen Arensman third, Derek Gee-West fourth

17:06 for Castrillo at the top, seven seconds up on Großschartner and 13 up on Arensman.

Spanish time trial champion Pablo Castrillo is flying so far.

Großschartner four seconds down on Cattaneo at the third checkpoint.

Matteo Jorgenson fifth at the third checkpoint as Adam Yates sets off.

Arenman second there, a second behind Cattaneo.

Castrillo fifth at the third checkpoint, a further 10 seconds adrift.

Arensman out on course.

Großschartner crosses the line in fifth, 25 seconds down and only a second behind Ganna.

Jorgenson sixth, half a second behind Großschartner.

Tom Pidcock is about to start.

Jordan Jegat in 10th overall just set off.

Thymen Arensman misses out on the top spot at the line by five seconds. He would've been quickest if he made the start on time.

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Castrillo comes to the line in fourth place, 17 seconds down on Cattaneo.

After Pidcock, Lenny Martinez starts his ride.

McNulty seventh at the top of the climb.

Juan Ayuso the next to start.

Florian Lipowitz next.

Tom Pidcock goes quickest at the first checkpoint. That's surprising. 8:45 for him, a second quicker than Großschartner.

Paul Seixas has started.

Just three riders left to start.

Isaac del Toro goes. He's defending the white jersey.

Mattias Skjelmose beats Pidcock by 15 seconds at the first checkpoint!

World time trial champion Remco Evenepoel is off.

The Belgian has 25 time trial wins in his career.

Ayuso seventh, 26 seconds down at the first checkpoint.

And now Tadej Pogačar starts with a five-minute cushion over Evenepoel.

Lipowitz second at the first checkpoint, three seconds behind Skjelmose.

And Pidcock is second at the top of the climb, a second slower than Castrillo.

Seixas third at the first checkpoint, three seconds off Skjelmose.

Del Toro quickest at the first checkpoint, equal with Skjelmose.

Skjelmose quickest, 27 seconds quicker than Castrillo, at the top of the climb.

8:08 for Evenepoel at the first checkpoint, 22 seconds quicker than anyone else.

Ayuso a minute down on Skjelmose at the top of the climb.

Meanwhile, Pogačar is second at the first checkpoint, seven seconds behind Evenepoel.

Paul Seixas out on course.

Lipowitz second, five seconds behind Skjelmose, at the top of the climb.

Seixas is third, 10 seconds down on Skjelmose, at the top of the climb.

Pidcock fourth at the third checkpoint.

Del Toro reaches the top of the climb matching Seixas' time, 10 seconds down.

Evenepoel by far the quickest at the top of the climb.

A time of 15:42 puts him 56 seconds up on Skjelmose.

Skjelmose quickest at the third checkpoint, too, 39 seconds up on Cattaneo.

Ayuso a minute down there, still.

Pogačar at the top of the climb, 14 seconds down on Evenepoel in second place.

A look at Pogačar during today's ride.

Lipowitz second at the third check, three seconds behind Skjelmose.

Florian Lipowitz has crashed. He slide out on corner and collided with a kerb.

Seixas third at the third checkpoint, nine seconds down on Skjelmose.

Pogačar racing through the crowds on the climb.

Lipowitz is still down. It might be race over for him as Seixas passes by.

33:23 and top of the leaderboard for Skjelmose at the finish. He's 37 seconds quicker than Cattaneo.

It looks like game over for Lipowitz as he's helped across the road.

Evenepoel quickest at the third checkpoint, 57 seconds up on Skjelmose.

Pogačar 16 seconds down on Evenepoel at the third checkpoint.

Seixas was three seconds up on Del Toro there.

A poor ride for Ayuso, who finishes 1:18 down on Skjelmose.

Ayuso 11th at the finish.

No Lipowitz so Seixas is next to the line.

Seixas races across the line in second place behind Skjelmose. He's 12 seconds down.

Del Toro next to finish.

He's into the final kilometre and defending a 25-second white jersey lead over Seixas.

Del Toro finishes in third, losing five seconds to Seixas.

Just Evenepoel and Pogačar left.

The Belgian storms across the line by far the quickest.

He takes his 26th career TT victory with a time of 32:19, 1:04 up on Skjelmose.

Pogačar heads into the final 2km.

The yellow jersey takes second place as Pogačar finishes 28 seconds down.

Evenepoel speeding to victory in Thonon-les-Bains

He takes the win on Belgium's national day and closes Pogačar's GC lead to 4:32.

Evenepoel called the win "a bittersweet pill to swallow" as teammate Lipowitz crashes out of the race.

Florian Lipowitz abandons the Tour de France after a heavy crash during the stage 16 time trial

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Evenepoel now has a 2:19 cushion over third-placed Isaac del Toro. Paul Seixas is fourth, a further 20 seconds down. Juan Ayuso is the new fifth place, 2:11 behind Seixas.

No real change in the GC today, barring Lipowitz crashing out. The top four remain the same and everyone else moves up a spot, meaning Yanis Voisard is a new face in the top 10.

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Remco Evenepoel celebrates victory on the podium.

And Tadej Pogačar remains in yellow as race leader.

That's all from me today on our live coverage of the stage 16 time trial!

Be sure to check the site throughout the evening for more news coming in from the Tour and come back tomorrow for more live coverage of stage 17.