- Stage 1: Barcelona - Barcelona
- Date: July 4, 2026
- Distance: 19.6km
- Start time: 17:05 CET
- Finish time: 19:26 CET
For the 27th time, and the third in Spain, the Tour de France heads abroad, to Barcelona, for the Grand Départ. GC contenders will face an early test on day one, with a team time trial that returns for the first time since 2019.
This year, however, the team time trial is run under a notably different set of rules: times are recorded on the first rider to cross the line, a format that Paris-Nice has used since 2023.
The 19.6km route sets off from the Mediterranean waterfront, opening with a scenic 5km out-and-back along the seafront before going inland along wide city avenues.
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Teams pass the iconic Sagrada Família at the 10.5km timecheck, then a right turn at Parc Joan Miró marks the end of the flat, and the start of the day’s main challenges: the Côte de Montjuïc, followed by a final push to the line up the Côte du Stade Olympique.
Time checks
- Carrer de Llull, km. 5.1
- Sagrada Familia, km. 10.5
- Passeig de Santa Madrona, km. 15.9
