Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) bids to win the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time this year and his quest begins in less than a week. His journey, as well as the work at hand for 183 other riders across 23 teams, will be shaped by a difficult first week visit to the Pyrenees and a difficult double ascent of Alpe d'Huez on back-to-back stages in the final weekend.
It all starts on July 4 with the race's first opening team time trial since 1971 with a new format that decides the team stage rankings based only on the first rider to finish. The GC is determined by each rider's individual time.
The composition of this year's Tour includes seven flat stages, four hilly stages, one team time trial, one individual time trial and eight mountain stages.
There are five summit finishes: Gavarnie-Gèdre (stage 6), Le Markstein (stage 14), Plateau de Solaison (stage 15), Orcières-Merlette (stage 18) in the Alps, and two finishes atop Alpe d’Huez from different sides: the traditional route on stage 19 and via the Col de Sarenne on stage 20.
Key stages of the 2026 Tour de France
- Stage 1 team time trial
- Stage 14 to Le Markstein
- Stage 16 individual time trial
- Double Alpe d'Huez stages
- Paris finale using Olympic Games climb
However, it's the double ascent of the Alpe d'Huez on stages 19 and 20 for the first time since 1979 that form the most striking feature of next year's race.
Tackled first is a short, punchy stage from Gap on the Friday via its traditional 21 hairpin-ascent. The Saturday stage is a much shorter-than-usual version of the Alpe d'Huez ascent, which will be preceded by the daunting Croix de Fer and Galibier, and the little-known Col de Sarenne - a combination that all but ensures the Alpe will play a pivotal role over two days in the outcome of the 2026 Tour.
The final stage in Paris again includes three ascents of the Montmartre climb used in the 2024 Olympic Games. Unlike previous years when the final stage was a sprinters' parade, the inclusion makes the final day far more exciting like when Pogačar escaped with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) while in the yellow jersey.
Tour de France 2026 – Stage by stage guide
Click the link to each stage preview for more detailed information along with profiles and maps.
Stage | Date (Stage preview link) | Start/Finish | Distance | Start-Finish Time (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
July 4 | Barcelona to Barcelona | 19.6km | 17:05 - 19:26 | |
July 5 | Tarragona to Barcelona | 168.5km | 13:45 - 17:36 | |
July 6 | Granollers to Les Angles | 195.9km | 12:10 - 17:08 | |
July 7 | Carcassonne to Foix | 181.9km | 13:10 - 17:34 | |
July 8 | Lannemezan to Pau | 158.3km | 14:05 - 17:46 | |
July 9 | Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre | 186km | 12:25 - 17:46 | |
July 10 | Hagetmau to Bordeaux | 175km | 13:15 - 17:24 | |
July 11 | Périgueux to Bergerac | 182km | 13:15 - 17:31 | |
July 12 | Malemort to Ussel | 185km | 13:35 - 17:58 | |
July 13 | Rest Day 1 | Cantal | Row 9 - Cell 3 | Row 9 - Cell 4 |
July 14 | Aurillac to Le Lioran | 166.6km | 13:10 - 17:24 | |
July 15 | Vichy to Nevers | 161.3km | 13:50 - 17:40 | |
July 16 | Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saône | 179.1km | 13:30 - 17:49 | |
July 17 | Dole to Belfort | 205.8km | 13:00 - 17:59 | |
July 18 | Mulhouse to Le Markstein | 155.3km | 13:10 - 17:38 | |
July 19 | Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison | 183.9km | 13:10 - 17:55 | |
July 20 | Rest Day 2 | Haute-Savoie | Row 16 - Cell 3 | Row 16 - Cell 4 |
July 21 | Évian Les-Bains to Thonon Les-Bains | 26.1km | 13:00 - 17:50 | |
July 22 | Chambéry to Voiron | 174.7km | 13:20 - 17:28 | |
July 23 | Voiron to Orcières Merlette | 185.2km | 12:35 - 17:25 | |
July 24 | Gap to Alpe d'Huez | 127.9km | 14:00 - 17:34 | |
July 25 | Le Bourg d'Oisans to Alpe d'Huez | 170.9km | 11:20 - 16:29 | |
July 26 | Thoiry to Paris | 133km | 16:15 - 19:40 |
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6
Stage 7
Stage 8
Stage 9
Stage 10
Stage 11
Stage 12
Stage 13
Stage 14
Stage 15
Stage 16
Stage 17
Stage 18
Stage 19
Stage 20
Stage 21
The world’s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.
-
Tour de France stage 6 LIVE: Pedersen and Campanaerts up the road on big day of climbing in the Pyrenees
The last and most demanding of the Pyrenean stages combines the Col d'Aspin and the iconic Col du Tourmalet with a brand-new finish climb within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Cirque de Gavarnie, a vast natural amphitheatre. -
Best lightweight electric bikes: Power your rides with a low-weight e-bike boost
Our pick of the best lightweight electric bikes for road, gravel and commuting -
Why was Jonas Vingegaard given the same time as Tadej Pogačar despite finishing 12 seconds down on Tour de France stage 5? The three-second rule explained
Dane finished well down on Tadej Pogačar in Pau after late chase, but was credited with the same time -
'I don’t understand why I was alone, we have an amazing chance to race the Tour de France' – A pat on the back from Pogačar as Baptiste Veistroffer saves the day
'If I hadn’t done it, the day could have been very very long for the fans' says lone breakaway rider on stage 5
