Tour de France 2026: This is the route

Tour de France 2026: The most important facts in brief

• Date: 04.07. - 26.07.2026
• 3333 total kilometres
• 7 flat stages
• 4 hilly stages
• 8 mountain stages with 5 mountain finishes
• 1 individual time trial
• 1 team time trial
• This is the route of the Tour de France Femmes 2026
• What makes Alpe d'Huez a cycling myth

*Note: So far, the organiser A.S.O. has only published the detailed elevation profiles for stages 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 14, 16, 18, 19 and 20. We will add the other stage profiles here as soon as they have been published.

All stages of the Tour de France 2026 at a glance

Stage 1 | Saturday, 4 July 2026 | Barcelona - Barcelona | 19 kilometres (team time trial)

It starts with a team time trial. In 2026, however, for the first time in the new mode at the Tour de France, which has already been tested at Paris-Nice. The team time for the daily classification will be taken after the first rider in the team. For the overall classification, each rider will be timed individually. The time trial is a tough one with two climbs in the final kilometres.

Stage 2 | Sunday, 5 July 2026 | Tarragona - Barcelona | 182 kilometres

Although there was no official elevation profile for the stage when the route was presented, the at the presentation of the Grand Départ At the beginning of the year, there was talk of three crossings over Montjuïc, Barcelona's local mountain. It could therefore be a similar picture to the traditional final stage of the Tour of Catalonia, where the riders arrive individually or in small groups.

Stage 3 | Monday, 6 July 2026 | Granolers - Les Angles | 196 kilometres

The third stage of the 2026 Tour de France is already heading into the Pyrenees. Tour boss Christian Prudhomme speaks of almost 4,000 metres of elevation gain over the 200 kilometres. However, the stage is unlikely to create any big gaps.

Stage 4 | Tuesday, 7 July 2026 | Carcassone - Foix | 182 kilometres

The picture from the previous day is repeated: the Tour de France heads into the Pyrenees, but without making it so difficult that a serious battle between the classification riders can be expected. The 36 kilometres or so from the last summit to the finish are likely to put off the contenders for overall victory. It is more likely to be a day for breakaways.

Stage 5 | Wednesday, 8 July 2026 | Lannemezan - Pau | 158 kilometres

The first chance for the sprinters at the 2026 Tour de France, with a mass finish expected in Pau.

Stage 6 | Thursday, 9 July 2026 | Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre | 186 kilometres

The last and also the most difficult day in the Pyrenees. Aspin and the Tourmalet will ensure a pre-selection. With an average gradient of just under four per cent over 18.7 kilometres, the final climb is not particularly tough, but due to the pre-load, a small group of favourites is likely to arrive together at most.

Stage 7 | Friday, 10 July 2026 | Hagetmau - Bordeaux | 175 kilometres

Bordeaux is known as the city of sprinters at the Tour de France. This scenario is also planned for 2026: a bunch sprint.

Stage 8 | Saturday, 11 July 2026 | Périgueux - Bergerac | 182 kilometres

Another day on which the day's winner should be a sprinter. It could be the last chance for the fast men before the rest day.

Stage 9 | Sunday, 12 July 2026 | Malemort - Ussel | 185 kilometres

The 9th stage covers a good 3300 metres in altitude over 185 kilometres. If the riding is tough right from the start, it's a day for the breakaways.

Stage 10 | Tuesday, 14 July 2026 | Aurillac - Le Lioran | 167 kilometres

After the rest day, it's off to the Massif Central. The profile is very similar to that of the 11th stage of the Tour de France 2024, and the finale is almost identical. Back then, Tadej Pogačar pulled away on the Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol well before the finish, but was caught again by Jonas Vingegaard and beaten in a two-man sprint. Will there be a rematch in 2026?

Stage 11 | Wednesday, 15 July 2026 | Vichy - Nevers | 161 kilometres

The section is designated as a flat stage - and that's exactly how it should end: with another bunch sprint.

Stage 12 | Thursday, 16 July 2026 | Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalone-sur-Saône | 181 kilometres

On this stage there is at least some hope of catching one or two sprinters on the climb to Montagny-lès-Buxy (2.6 kilometres at an average of 4.3 per cent), but ultimately there is likely to be another bunch sprint.

Stage 13 | Friday, 17 July 2026 | Dole - Belfort | 205 kilometres

It is the longest stage of the 2026 Tour de France and it is likely to favour the breakaways. At least that's what Tour boss Christian Prudhomme says. A preliminary decision in the battle for the stage win could be made at the Ballon d'Alsace.

14th stage | Saturday, 18 July 2026 | Mulhouse - Le Markstein | 155 kilometres

It's off to the Vosges. The Col du Haag is being touted by the Tour organisation as one of the "discoveries" of the upcoming Tour de France. Its length and gradient percentages at least suggest that there will be a battle of the classification riders here.

Stage 15 | Sunday, 19 July 2026 | Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison | 184 kilometres

There is no elevation profile for this stage yet. However, it is a mountain finish on the Plateau de Solaison. 11.3 kilometres with an average gradient of 9.1 per cent are selective enough to ensure significant time gaps. Especially as the Col de la Croisette, another difficult climb, awaits beforehand.

Stage 16 | Tuesday, 21 July 2026 | Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains | 26 kilometres (individual time trial)

26 kilometres of racing against the clock await on the 16th stage. With the climb to the Côte de Larringes, it is a tough individual time trial and not for flatland specialists, but rather classification riders.

Stage 17 | Wednesday, 22 July 2026 | Chambery - Voiron | 175 kilometres

We may see the last bunch sprint of the 2026 Tour de France on stage 17, as it will be followed by three days in the mountains and the demanding Paris stage with Montmartre.

Stage 18 | Thursday 23 July 2026 | Voiron - Orcières-Merlette | 185 kilometres

The last time Orcières-Merlette was tackled was at the 2020 Tour de France, when Primož Roglič won the sprint ahead of Tadej Pogačar - 14 other riders finished at the same time as the two Slovenians. A similar scenario can be expected in 2026.

Stage 19 | Friday, 24 July 2026 | Gap - Alpe d'Huez | 128 kilometres

The first of two arrivals in Alpe d'Huez at the Tour de France 2026, where the first climb is the classic 21 hairpin bends. The three previous climbs are likely to be merely incidental, with the final climb being the deciding factor.

Stage 20 | Saturday, 25 July 2026 | Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez | 171 kilometres

Without a doubt, this is the queen stage of the Tour de France 2026. 5600 metres of altitude difference are listed on the A.S.O. for 176 kilometres. Three Alpine giants are on the menu: Croix de Fer, Télégraphe and Galibier. The finish in Alpe d'Huez will be approached via the Col de Sarenne this time. The climb was already on the Tour programme in 2013, but back then the peloton rode down it. This time it's up and then a little undulating with a final ramp of a good four kilometres to the finish.

21st stage | Sunday, 26 July 2026 | Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées | 130 kilometres

There is no elevation profile of the final day of the Tour de France 2026 yet. Nevertheless, it is likely to be difficult, if not impossible, for the sprinters to take victory on the Champs-Éylsées in 2026. The route crosses Montmartre three times. It is a good 15 kilometres from the Sacré-Cœur to the finish line.

Tour de France 2026: Big party in Alpe d'Huez as a highlight

The route of the Tour de France 2026 was unveiled on 23 October at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. From 4 to 26 July 2026, the world's most important cycling race will cover 21 stages and 3333 kilometres from Barcelona to Paris. The Tour of France will begin in the Catalan metropolis with a team time trial for the first time since 1971. In the first week, the riders will head into the Pyrenees. The highlight of the second week is likely to be the arrival in the Massif Central in Le Lioran, which was already on the Tour de France programme in 2024, along with two tough mountain stages at the weekend. The two really big highlights await just before the end of the Tour of France. The 19th and 20th stages both finish in Alpe d'Huez - albeit with different climbs. The Tour de France thus returns to one of its most legendary mountains - the 21 hairpin bends up to the ski resort were last seen in the Tour in 2022.

The first week - Barcelona and the Pyrenees

The opening stage of the 113th Tour de France promises to be spectacular. It starts with a team time trial over 19 kilometres in Barcelona, which is held in the same format as Paris-Nice. The time for the team, i.e. for the daily classification, stops after the first rider of each team. For the overall classification, each rider is timed individually. The parcours also has a lot to offer with the finale over Montjuïc and up to the Stade Olympique. It is also the 50th team time trial in the history of the Tour de France - the last one to date took place in 2019 as part of stage 2 in Brussels.

The favourites will not be able to hide on the second stage with Montjuïc, Barcelona's local mountain. The next day, the peloton will head into the Pyrenees to Les Angles. Despite almost 4,000 metres of climbing, there are unlikely to be any big gaps - only the final ramp, which is around two kilometres long, offers the chance for an attack by one of the favourites for the classification. The second day in the Pyrenees has its main difficulty in the Col de Montségur. From there, however, there are still 36 kilometres of mostly downhill terrain to the finish. On stage five, the sprinters are likely to come into their own for the first time in Pau, before the first clash between the favourites could take place on the following day via Aspin and Tourmalet and later up to the Cirque de Gavarnie. This will be followed by two more opportunities for the sprinters in Bordeaux and Bergerac, before around 3500 metres of climbing over 185 kilometres towards Ussel on Sunday, which favours the breakaway.

The second week - good memories for Vingegaard

After the first rest day, the 10th stage of the Tour de France 2026 leads to Le Lioran on the French bank holidays. Jonas Vingegaard has fond memories of the finish, having defeated Tadej Pogačar there in the Massif Central at the 2024 Tour de France. The finale is almost identical to that of the 2024 Tour, but the section back then was 211 kilometres long, whereas in 2026 it is only 167 kilometres.

Stages 11 and 12 are predestined for the sprinters. The breakaways are likely to produce the winner again on the hilly 13th stage on Friday. It is also the longest and only stage of more than 200 kilometres at the Tour de France 2026, which makes it difficult to control. Saturday is all about the Vosges mountains. On the way to Le Markstein, the peloton will take on the Grand Ballon, Col du Page and Ballon d'Alsace before the Col du Haag, which is around 11 kilometres long and seven per cent steep, a winding forest road that has been converted into a cycle route, invites the classification riders to attack. The 15th stage is no less difficult. Before the second rest day, the contenders for the yellow jersey are likely to dominate the action again. The arrival at the Plateau de Solaison is 11.3 kilometres long with an average gradient of 9.1 per cent.

The third week - grand finale in Alpe d'Huez

The final week of the Tour de France 2026 begins with the only individual time trial over 26 kilometres, 9.7 kilometres of which are uphill at an average of 4.3 per cent to the Côte de Larringes. Nothing for pure rollers, rather a time trial that suits Pogačar and Vingegaard. The 17th stage to Voiron is probably also the last chance for the sprinters in the 2026 Tour of France - after all, there are only mountain stages to come and in Paris, Montmartre stands in the way of the men with the strong thighs.

The grand finale of the Tour in the mountains kicks off on Thursday with the mountain finish in Orcières-Merlette. The stage has two longer climbs in the first half before the peloton rolls over undulating terrain for around 90 kilometres to the foot of the final climb. This is 7.1 kilometres long with an average gradient of 6.7 per cent. After this gallop, the first of two arrivals in Alpe d'Huez awaits on Friday. The first third of the stage takes in Col Bayard (5.1 kilometres at 7.2 per cent on average) and Col du Noyer (7.2 kilometres at 8.2 per cent on average), before around 70 predominantly flat or downhill kilometres await. The finale then consists of the Col d'Ornon (5.4 kilometres at 6.4 per cent on average) and the legendary 21 hairpin bends up to Alpe d'Huez (13.8 kilometres at 8.1 per cent on average). Who can be crowned Tom Pidcock's successor here? The Briton won the last Tour de France finish in Alpe d'Huez in 2022.

The second Alpe d'Huez stage on Saturday is significantly more demanding than the previous day's stage with 5600 metres of climbing and is likely to decide the Tour de France 2026. Every cycling fan knows the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier. These three climbs prepare the mise en place for the Col de Sarenne, which demands everything from the riders at 12.8 kilometres and 7.3 per cent. From the summit, the route is undulating with a short final ramp to the finish in Alpe d'Huez.

The final stage traditionally leads to Paris. The organisers have taken a liking to the finale over Montmartre, which was held for the first time in 2025. Next year, the peloton will have to cross it three times. As usual, the finish will be on the Champs-Élysées, around 15 kilometres from the Sacré-Cœur, which gives the sprinters at least a theoretical chance of claiming the final stage for themselves again this time.