Key information on Stage 16 of the 2026 Tour de France
- Tuesday, 21 July: Évian-les-Baines – Thonon-les-Baines
- 26.1 kilometres, 500 metres of elevation gain (individual time trial)
- Mountain sections: KM 9.7 (Category 2)
- First rider starts: 1.00 pm, last rider finishes: approx. 5.50 pm
- Live updates and results
The route of the 16th stage of the Tour de France
Following the rest day, which the Tour peloton will spend in the Haute-Savoie department, it will remain in the Alps for the 16th stage. The only individual time trial of this race is scheduled to take place on the shores of Lake Geneva. The course covers 26.1 kilometres. The route, which curves through the hinterland from Évian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains, involves a 500-metre climb. This means that the stage between the spa towns is not a true mountain time trial, but it is by no means flat either.
Straight from the start in Évian, the route climbs towards the mountain classification on the Côte de Larringes (2nd category). This is a 9.7-kilometre climb with a gentle and steady gradient of 4.3 per cent. Technically, this section is not overly demanding, but at three or four bends the professionals – for whom the time trial is little more than a second rest day – will have to switch out of their time trial aero position.
The climb is followed by a short plateau, before the route heads downhill for around seven kilometres. There aren’t too many bends here either. The few that are marked on the map aren’t particularly dangerous, but they certainly can’t be negotiated without keeping a finger on the brakes. Hairpin bends and even a hairpin curve await in the final third of the day’s ride, which is largely flat.
Times are recorded three times along the route. The first time is halfway up the climb, then at the top of the mountain classification, and finally at the end of the descent.
A sporting analysis of Stage 16 of the 2026 Tour de France
The time trial could prove to be the deciding factor in the battle for the podium and the white jersey. That’s because, on the climbs, Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl – Trek) have so far been neck and neck. Whoever makes up ground here could gain a decisive advantage and perhaps even challenge Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) once again. Ultimately, the same applies to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe’s leading duo of Florian Lipowitz and Remco Evenepoel.
The Belgian time trial world champion, in particular, is considered the hot favourite to win the stage, ahead of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) – particularly following his unexpected success on the Plateau de Solaison. The slight incline works in his favour and could also tip the balance in his favour against other strong time trialists such as Filippo Ganna (Netcompany INEOS).
