As it happened: UAE Team Emirates-XRG show their muscle on Montjuïc circuit on Tour de France stage 2

Rider presentations are well underway in Taragona before today's start with the neutralised start coming in around 45 minutes time. The day starts simply enough but turns into a nasty finale with three more times up the Montjuïc climb in Barcelona with over 2500m of elevation. See our in-depth preview below for a deeper dive into what the riders will face today...

Tour de France 2026 stage 2: A chance for Pogačar or a puncheur with three Montjuïc climbs - preview

Bonjour and welcome to Cyclingnews' live updates of stage 2 at the Tour de France 2026!

We remain in Catalunya for stage 2 of the race after a rapid and hot TTT in Barcelona yesterday. Relive the action with our post race report below...

Tour de France: Visma-Lease a Bike sweep to stage 1 team time trial victory in Barcelona

There are absolutely huge crowds in Tarragona for the rider presentation and neutral start today.

There was a lot of new tech and interesting cooling techniques on show in yesterday's TTT from new helmets to ice boxes to plunge arms into, it was all there in Barcelona...

Cooling hacks, prototype bikes and new TT groupset parts: Tour de France TTT tech gallery

Make sure to do our prediction game and vote for who you think will take the stage today. Will it be a win for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech)? Maybe the world champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) will show his strength? Perhaps some British success with Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5)? Or someone else? Vote above this update! And comment your pick at the bottom of the page.

We do have one non-starter to tell you about, Clement Berthet (Groupama-FDJ United) is the first man to leave the race after crashing in yesterday's TTT.

Other riders to come down were about half of the XDS-Astana team. Fortunately, none of them have left the race due to this, but a calamitous start to the race.

'Not the way we wanted to start the Tour de France' - XDS Astana suffer spectacular crash in team time trial

The temperature is already above 30°c in Tarragona and will get hotter as the day goes on. It is going to be a tough day in the saddle for the riders who will need to manage the amount of liquid and food they take on throughout the day very carefully.

Just 10 minutes until the neutralised start.

Lets take a look at who's in what jersey today!

Yellow - Jonas Vingegaard (TVL)
Green - Egan Bernal (NCI)
Polka dots - Tadej Pogačar (UAX)
White - Juan Ayuso (LTK)

Best team - Netcompany-Ineos

Vingegaard went to the presentation today with a familiar sight of the covid mask as he aims to avoid illness.

Neutral start

The riders have started the neutral zone with a couple of issues for riders including Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla).

Just over 5km left of the neutral in Tarragona.

Multiple issues for riders including Seb Berwick (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) who has a front wheel puncture.

Just 1km to the official start.

168.5km to go

Racing begins and it is the breakaway star Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché) leading the first move of the day.

Six riders get a gap with another couple coming across as UAE Team Emirates-XRG chasing it down.

The peloton is stretched right out in one long line as the first attack is caught. Veistroffer isn't giving up, though.

Attack

Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla)

The new German champion goes clear and is joined by a Picnic-PostNL rider with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA launching two riders across.

Interesting to see Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) right near the back of the peloton already. The German struggled in the TTT yesterday and looks to be hurting early on here.

Engelhardt is joined by Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Frank van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL). They have 17" on the peloton so far.

Crash!

Aaron Gate (XAT)
Silvan Dillier (APT)
Biniam Girmay (NSN)
Robbe Dhondt (TPP)
Kelland O'Brien (JAY)
Anton Charmig (UXM)
Maxim Van Gils (RBH)
Dorian Godon (NCI)

All seem to be getting back up and setting off again.

After that crash the peloton eases with the leading trio taking their chance to pull away.

More riders launch counter attacks in the peloton as the pace kicks up again to get into the early breakaway.

160km to go

Into the final 100 miles and the leaders have just 22" on the peloton as the fun and games continue behind.

Puncture

Kevin Vauquelin (NCI)

The Frenchman can't buy any luck at the moment.

The three leaders are pushing hard but they only have 12" on the peloton now.

Counter attacks continue to kick off out of the peloton but they don't get very far off the front.

Gate is back at the doctors car after his crash.

Yet another puncture, this time for Damien Howson (PQT).

The peloton are trying to calm things down but they can see the break just 17" up the road and want to bridge as Lotto-Intermarché manage to get a solo rider out of front with the peloton looking happy with that move.

Veistroffer is now in the gap and the peloton looks to have finally eased up.

And that is that, the peloton sits up with the leaders getting over a minute. Veistroffer is in the gap at 30" and will be hoping to join the trio out front.

Yet another puncture. It is John Degenkolb (TPP) now.

Some of the big teams now swinging to the side to take comfort breaks as the peloton goes clear.

No team has come to the front to control things just yet as the gap continues to grow.

With Lipowitz being close to the rear of the peloton early on today, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe may be a bit worried as he struggled in the TTT, leaving Remco Evenepoel to kick on alone...

'I don't know what happened to Florian' - Remco Evenepoel takes charge in Tour de France team time trial as Lipowitz loses contact on final climb

The gap yawns open to over three and a half minutes to the three leaders with Veistroffer just under a minute behind them.

Second bike change for Girmay after crashing.

Veistroffer now at +2'35" on the leaders. He won't be joining them.

Jenthe Biermans (COF) back at the doctors car. The medics have had a very busy start to the stage today.

The temperature is now up to 35°c with Pinarello-Q36.5 deciding that they will take control of the stage as Tom Pidcock looks to take the win today.

Veistroffer sits up and has now been caught by the bunch.

Pogačar was the fastest of the riders from the bottom to the top of the Montjuïc climb in yesterday's TTT giving him the KOM jersey. However, Pidcock was faster in the final 700 metres, which is the steepest part of the climb, averaging over 40kph on the slopes that kick up to around 10%.

125km to go

The break of Engelhardt, Molenaar and Van den Broek have 3'40" on the peloton.

115km to go

The break has 3'28" on the peloton.

30km until the riders get to the intermediate sprint in Viledecans.

Pinarello-Q36.5 have sent their entire team to the front of the peloton with no-one else helping. British champion Fred Wright was chatting to Nico Denz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to maybe start helping, but the answer is no for now.

Here is that crash which happened earlier on today...

It is a big day for Ayuso as he races in the white best young riders jersey, something that has now been relinquished by the likes of Pogačar, Evenepoel and Vingegaard. He does go up against the likes of Seixas and Del Toro, though. But can he find the form he showed on the climbs in the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes as well as the early point of Paris-Nice and the Volta ao Algarve?

95km to go

The peloton led by Pinarello-Q36.5 has closed the gap to the breakaway to 2'44" with just over 10km to go until the intermediate sprint.

Vingegaard told TNT Sports that he was wearing the face mask this morning because he has got sick the last two Tours and has already heard their is sickness in the peloton.

Just 5km to the intermediate sprint in Viladecans with 25, 20, 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points available. The first three spots will be taken by the leaders of Engelhardt, Van den Broek and Molenaar. But what will the action in the peloton be like behind?

Multiple teams moving up to the front of the peloton with Lidl-Trek working for Mads Pedersen, NSN for Binian Girmay and Soudal-QuickStep for Tim Merlier.

Decathlon-CMA CGM have Olav Kooij, Jasper Philipsen for Alpecin-Premier Tech, even the likes of Dorian Godon for Netcompany-Ineos could be involved in the fight.

Seixas following Pogačar everywhere, even back from a comfort break...

Molenaar shows he has the pace and wins the intermediate sprint ahead of Engelhardt and Van den Broek. The latter opening up too early and from the front. 25 points go to the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA man who is registered Dutch and was born in Rotterdam but he was raised in Catalunya, so is a local lad.

Girmay leads in the peloton and takes 14 points ahead of Pedersen. The pure sprinters or Merlier and Philipsen seemed to get a bit stuck in their gears.

Intermediate sprint (Vialdecans)

1. Molenaar (CJR) 25pts
2. Engelhardt (JAY) 20pts
3. Van den Broek (TPP) 16pts
4. Girmay (NSN) 14pts
5. Pedersen (LTK) 12pts
6. Philipsen (APT) 10pts
7. Turgis (TEN) 9pts
8. Merlier (SOQ) 8pts
9. Kanter (XAT) 7pts
10. Matthews (JAY) 6pts
11. Wærenskjold (UXM) 5pts
12. Ballerini (XAT) 4pts
13. Vermeersch (UAD) 3pts
14. Stuyven (SOQ) 2pts
15. Wellens (UAX) 1pt

Onto the 6.1km Côte de Begues, the category 2 climb with the average gradient at 6.5%.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG suddenly come to the front en masse. The pace has rocketed with the gap to the break shrinking all the time on the first climb of the day.

Mechanical for Pablo Castrillo (MOV).

The temperature is apparently up to 38°c on the road.

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) is off the back of the peloton and he is having a very bad day yet again as he continues to have stomach issues. He has been plagued with health issues in the last couple of years with Lyme's disease and other issues with a bacterial illness taking him out of the Giro.

Girmay now losing touch with the peloton as well as the sprinters suffer after going all in at the intermediate sprint.

Florian Vermeersch leads the way for Tadej Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG on the front of the peloton with 75km to go. Inside a minute to the break.

Molenaar goes over the top of the climb and takes the 5 points.

KOM (Côte de Begues)

1. Molenaar (CJR) 5pts
2. Engelhardt (JAY) 3pts
3. Van den Broek (TPP) 2pts

After the climb Van der Broek sat up and has now been caught by the peloton.

Arnaud De Lie is 1'38" back on the peloton but isn't in trouble with the time limit just yet. Here is an explainer on how it all works...

How do time limits work in the Tour de France?

The race putting out the call for fans to NOT run alongside the riders after someone dressed as a banana did just that on the previous climb...

Multiple GC teams come to the front of the peloton with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Decathlon-CMA CGM, Visma-Lease a Bike and Uno-X Mobility all fighting to lead the way in the peloton.

Nils Politt (UAX) has done his job for Pogačar for now and is out of the back, but he may get back in again.

These two are still riding hard with 45" on the peloton as we are not far away from the finishing circuit.

Bike change

Isaac Del Toro (UAX)

The Mexican champion goes onto the same style of Colnago as Pogačar with the stripped paint on the frame.

50km to go

The peloton has calmed down a bit now but the GC teams still look very interested at the front with 48" up to the break now.

Mechanicals for Michal Kwiatkowski (NCI) and Quinn Simmons (LTK).

The leaders have actually expanded their gap to almost a minute again with 45km to go.

The riders are about to head into Barcelona again and join the circuit.

Mechanical for Olav Kooij (DCT) as Tarling, Abrahamsen and Campenaerts hit the front for their teams.

Bike change

Paul Seixas (DCT)

He takes Aurelian Paret-Peintre's bike but he isn't comfortable on it at all. He won't want to stay on that bike but it is very bad timing as there is a lot of stress in the peloton and in the convoy.

Engelhardt and Molenaar are very close to being caught as Seixas is getting his way back in. He may struggle to get his bike back now we're heading onto the circuit.

Seixas now with his team car just off the back of the peloton taking the opportunity to get bottles.

Bike change for Seixas and Paret-Peintre and the teammates have each other to ride back into the bunch. They should get back in before the Montjuïc circuit.

The leading duo shook hands and looked to be getting caught but now they have continued on and now have almost 20" again.

Puncture for Alexandre Delettre (TEN) and the team car stopping almost caused a massive crash in the convoy.

Because of that car incident, Seixas is now off the back of the peloton with no cars around him and no teammates with him. He now gets to his team car again.

And the breakaway has finally been caught by the peloton with 32km to go.

Onto the circuit go the riders with several teams hammering the pace on the front.

UAE and EF come to the front with Netcompany-Ineos also joining them. All the biggest names are up to the front onto the Montjuïc climb for the first time of three.

Pogačar in 2nd wheel with Evenepoel, Vingegaard, Gregoire, Van der Poel, Pidcock, Carapaz and the rest all moving up as all the sprinters are going backwards.

Brandon McNulty is setting this up with Pogačar looking like he might go this time around.

Del Toro nowhere near the front, he seems to not be on a good day.

Adam Yates is bringing Del Toro up after he was poorly positioned rather than lacking the leg.

KOM (Montjuïc 1)

1. McNulty (UAX) 2pts
2. Pogačar (UAX) 1pt

25km to go

Only about 30, maybe less, riders left in the front group as McNulty continues to lead the group. A few riders rejoin.

Two laps to go

The riders comes across the finish line for the first time as Vauquelin and Mauro Schmid try to get back on.

Yates comes to the front ahead of McNulty as Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) is one of the riders out of the back.

McNulty returns to the front to continue this high pace on the flat.

Quinten Pacher (GFC) gets a Colombian flag caught in rear mech and jams it. That sees him lose contact with the back of the lead group.

20km to go

Del Toro finally moves up onto Pogačar's wheel.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG has just sat up and are no longer pacing. Pogačar on the radio, perhaps a mechanical issue but McNulty starts up the pacing again.

Del Toro stays up in third wheel as Pogačar slips back to sit with Vingegaard and the other Visma riders.

Away from Barcelona, the race tomorrow and the day after may be cancelled due to wildfires and heat...

Tour de France stages 3 and 4 at risk of cancellation due to wildfires, heat

Onto the Montjuïc for the second time as McNulty still leads. Pidcock moves up again and is well placed with Pogačar on his wheel. Vingegaard a little further back on Evenepoel's wheel.

Visma muscle their way through and Vingegaard comes into fourth wheel with teammates if Armirail and Jorgenson just behind the leader of McNulty for UAE.

Armirail is done after actually doing nothing for his teammate Vingegaard.

Onto the 14% slopes they go and Yates moves back up once more for his leader. But it is still McNulty who is flying today.

KOM (Montjuïc 2)

1. McNulty (UAX) 2pts
2. Jorgenson (TVL) 1pt

Vingegaard has recent experience on these roads after he won the Volta a Catalunya. Evenepoel and Lipowitz were also involved in the battle that day.

Final lap

Into the last lap they go with McNulty still pushing the pace at the front of what is left of the peloton.

McNulty still pushing. Pogačar ad Del Toro having an in-depth chat before the final climb.

10km to go

They're about to start the Montjuïc climb for the final time with McNulty looking likely to lead onto it yet again.

McNulty leads ahead of Jorgenson, Vingegaard, Piganzoli, POgacar, Yates, Lipowitz, Evenepoel, Pidcock, Johannessen, Vacek, Skjelmose, Ayuso and the rest with no sign of Seixas near the front. Van der Poel, Gregoire, Aranburu all there too with a fast finish.

5km to go

Onto the Montjuïc climb for the final time as multiple teams now swell around McNulty to try and take over with Uno-X Mobility taking over.

Mathias Vacek moves up with Ayuso in his wheel. Visma, Netcompany-Ineos, Movistar and Uno-X battle Lidl-Trek and Decathlon-CMA CGM who has Benoot working for Seixas.

Benoot leads onto the climb for the final time but Seixas wasn't on his wheel.

Pogačar in 2nd wheel with Yates looking after him. Vingegaard just missing from the wheel and has had to move up. Benoot still leads with 1km to go to the top.

Yates takes over as they head onto the steepest slopes with 800 metres to the top and Van der Poel is dropped with Aranburu.

Pidcock moving up around the outside but is still a few wheels back.

Egan Bernal (NCI) starting to struggle as well as Cian Uijtdebroeks (MOV) and Florian Lipowitz (RBH) are also swinging on the bike.

Attack

Tobias Johannessen (UXM)

He is followed by Carapaz, Pogačar, Vingegaard, Seixas, Evenepoel and the rest as they go over the top.

KOM (Montjuïc 3)

1. T. Johannessen (UXM) 2pts
2. Carapaz (EFE) 1pt

Attack

Mattias Skjelmose (LTK)

Del Toro doing the chasing for Pogačar.

Alex Molenaar will wear polka dots tomorrow.

Flamme Rouge

Del Toro attacks with Vingegaard and Pogačar

500 metres to go.

Isaac Del Toro wins stage 2 of the Tour de France 2026 with Tadej Pogačar in 2nd place after letting his teammate take the win.

Mexico get the win! Del Toro is only the 2nd ever Mexican stage winner at the Tour in his first ever road stage at the race.

Vingegaard didn't have the power to stay with the electric accelerations of Del Toro and Pogačar with Evenepoel coming fast at the end to take third.

Pure joy from the whole UAE Team Emirates-XRG team, but especially Del Toro and Pogačar.

As usual, very respectful between two great rivals of Vingegaard and Pogačar.

Stage 2 top 10

1. Del Toro (UAX) 3:40'01"
2. Pogačar (UAX)
3. Evenepoel (RBH)
4. Vingegaard (TVL) all S.T.
5. Skjelmose (LTK) +3"
6. T. Johannessen (UXM)
7. Gregoire (GFC)
8. Martinez (TBV)
9. Seixas (DCT)
10. Pidcock (PQT) all same time.

GC after stage 2

1. Vingegaard (TVL) 4:01'48"
2. Pogačar (UAX) +6"
3. Evenepoel (RBH) +15"
4. Del Toro (UAX) +16"
5. Ayuso (LTK) +19"
6. Seixas (DCT) +42"
7. Gregoire (GFC) +44"
8. Lipowitz (RBH) +45"
9. Martinez (TBV) +53"
10. Pidcock (PQT) +1'00"

A dream moment for Isaac Del Toro as he takes his first Tour de France stage win adding to his wins at the Giro d'Italia. He just has La Vuelta to go to complete the set.

Another day in yellow for Vingegaard. But his advantage is halved by Pogačar to 6".

Del Toro also goes into the green jersey.

The Mexican also takes over the white jersey from Ayuso.

German champion Engelhardt was awarded the combativity prize.

And finally, Alex Molenaar takes the mountains jersey for Caja Rural-Seguros RGA after winning the early climb of the day, handing him enough points to take it to tomorrow, thanks to fortuitous riding out front on the laps in Barcelona.

ICYMI: Tomorrow and the day after the the Tour are in danger of being cancelled with extreme heat and wildfires in the areas of both stages. Make sure to keep an eye on our homepage for all the updates on that plus all the reactions from riders, teams, the race and all the other stats and analysis from the Cyclingnews team...

Tour de France stages 3 and 4 at risk of cancellation due to wildfires, heat

After the stage an emotional Del Toro said: "It means really everything. I said before I'm a very privileged guy. You cannot believe how much we work as team to be here. Plenty of confidence by the whole team – this is the work of everybody, my family, my friends where I grew up. I cannot believe I just did in this attempt, it's just insane," Del Toro said after the stage.

"Also, to appreciate, Tadej – being the same team as him, the best team in the world is just really like full emotions. You cannot believe how it feels now for me, especially for my country, and everything that's going on is just insane, really. This thanks to my teammates.

"We were going super fast in the final]. We predicted this can happen. At the top of the climb. I was not able to be in the top position, so then I was able to almost try to bring back Mathias Skjelmose. We make a plan for today, and I did it, but at the end the gap was bigger, so I just went with the flow to the finish line.

"This kind of opportunities don't come almost ever. I'm super proud to be able to have the level to manage these kind of situations."

A perfect start to the day for Mexico. From an English point of view, let's hope it stops there. But that brings our coverage of the Tour de France 2026 stage 2 to a close. Thank you very much for following along, there's plenty more where that came from!