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After months of preparation, speculation and discussion, it's time for any questions to be answered at the Tour de France 2026.
Tadej Pogačar once again is the easy favorite, but his main rival, Jonas Vingegaard, might be the best version of him we've seen in recent years.
When the Grand Depart takes place July 4 in Barcelona, Spain, there won't be attacks in the mountains or a mad bunch sprint for the win, but Stage 1 of the race will be historic and memorable in its own way, as it will be the first time since 1971 the TDF has kicked off with a team time trial.
The opening challenge of the Tour de France 2026 will be a 19.6-kilometer jaunt around Barcelona, one of three stages within Spain's borders, before the action heads into its home country of France.
This year marks the 27th foreign start and third in Spain. The others were San Sebastian (1992) and Bilbao (2023).
Many of the teams and riders got a preview of the TTT concept in Stage 3 of the recent Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes, where Team Visma | Lease a Bike picked up the win and should only be stronger at the Tour de France with Vingegaard in the saddle.
As the premier event on the cycling calendar, the Tour de France will be loaded with superstars, drama, storylines and endless possibilities.
Can Vingegaard best Pogačar in France for the first time since 2023? Will Pogačar make history with a TDF three-peat and a record-tying fifth victory overall? Or perhaps a new star will emerge on the sport's biggest stage and begin a new legacy?
The best way to find out the answers to these questions is to follow our coverage from start to finish - July 4 through July 26.
Fans in Canada can watch it all unfold live on FloBikes and the FloSports app and then check out all the highlights, interviews, recaps, previews and more on both platforms.
After leaving Spain, the race will visit seven French regions and 29 departments, giving competitors, fans and viewers a chance to take in the amazing, and diverse, French landscapes and learn about centuries of history along the way.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and the team time trial to kick things off.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes coverage of Stage 1 will begin at 10:55 a.m. Eastern and is expected to conclude around 1:45 p.m. EDT.
Here’s what to know about Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2026, a 19.6-kilometer ride around Barcelona and the first Stage 1 team time trial since 1971:
The team time trial is not a new concept, but the format has changed. We'll explain, and you determine if it's more exciting now.
Previously, the team would race together, and the finishing time of a pre-determined rider in the finishing order would be the time used for that group. As an example, the fourth or fifth rider to cross the line would be the team's official time.
Over the last few years, a new structure has been tested, and the team's time now is when the first rider crosses the line. This has changed the strategy a bit, because it's not longer as imperative for the team to ride as a pack. They'll still work together and help each other, but it's possible for the stronger riders to break free and get done as fast as possible solo.
All riders now get individual finishing times, and that could mean a lot toward success in the General Classification.
This will be the first time trial at the TDF since 2019, the first in Stage 1 since 1971 and the first using the new format, which was introduced in 2023. This every-man-for-himself setup was used recently at the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes in June.
The stage itself, 19.6 kilometers (in two laps) around metropolitan Barcelona will only reach 200 meters of elevation, so the day will be more about speed than anything. The climbing the riders will do features the Côte de Montjuïc, a hill overlooking the host city. The length of this first test is less than 900 meters and tops out at 7% gradient.
The ride showcases historic Barcelona, the seafront and the Olympic complex that welcomed the 1992 Summer Olympics and now will have the finish of Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2026 in its shadows.
Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2026 is 19.6 kilometers, or approximately 12.17 miles long.
Here is what the route looks like for Stage 1:
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2025 featured a start most would've found more familiar. It was in France, and the day belonged to the sprinters, specifically, Jasper Philipsen, whose Alpecin team used an old-school sprint train and teamwork to get the job done.
Philipsen took the first yellow jersey in the frantic sprint finish, edging Biniam Girmay, the African star who won three stages of the Tour de France 2024. It was the 10th TDF stage win of Philipsen's career.
Philipsen emerged from a group of about 40 riders ready to challenge in the sprint, but one of the day's many falls left quite a few riders out of contention.
A high-speed fall of his own two days later in Stage 3 brought Philipsen's Tour de France 2026 to a premature ending.
Watch the Tour de France 2025 Stage 1 Highlights.
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
The Tour de France 2026 begins with one of the most important opening stages in years: a team time trial in Barcelona.
We break down the history of the format, how the innovative rules work and why organizers first tested the concept before bringing it to the Tour de France.
Learn how times are calculated, how riders can gain or lose crucial seconds and why this opening stage could immediately impact the battle between Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and the other GC contenders when the race begins on July 4.
FloBikes is the streaming home to some of the best cycling from across the globe. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more of your favorites in action.
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
Continue reading...
Tadej Pogačar once again is the easy favorite, but his main rival, Jonas Vingegaard, might be the best version of him we've seen in recent years.
When the Grand Depart takes place July 4 in Barcelona, Spain, there won't be attacks in the mountains or a mad bunch sprint for the win, but Stage 1 of the race will be historic and memorable in its own way, as it will be the first time since 1971 the TDF has kicked off with a team time trial.
- 5 Riders Who Could Challenge Tadej Pogačar At The TDF 2026
- Comment regarder le Tour de France 2026 au Canada
- Tour de France 2026 Entries: Who's Competing?
The opening challenge of the Tour de France 2026 will be a 19.6-kilometer jaunt around Barcelona, one of three stages within Spain's borders, before the action heads into its home country of France.
This year marks the 27th foreign start and third in Spain. The others were San Sebastian (1992) and Bilbao (2023).
Many of the teams and riders got a preview of the TTT concept in Stage 3 of the recent Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes, where Team Visma | Lease a Bike picked up the win and should only be stronger at the Tour de France with Vingegaard in the saddle.
As the premier event on the cycling calendar, the Tour de France will be loaded with superstars, drama, storylines and endless possibilities.
Can Vingegaard best Pogačar in France for the first time since 2023? Will Pogačar make history with a TDF three-peat and a record-tying fifth victory overall? Or perhaps a new star will emerge on the sport's biggest stage and begin a new legacy?
The best way to find out the answers to these questions is to follow our coverage from start to finish - July 4 through July 26.
Fans in Canada can watch it all unfold live on FloBikes and the FloSports app and then check out all the highlights, interviews, recaps, previews and more on both platforms.
After leaving Spain, the race will visit seven French regions and 29 departments, giving competitors, fans and viewers a chance to take in the amazing, and diverse, French landscapes and learn about centuries of history along the way.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and the team time trial to kick things off.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes coverage of Stage 1 will begin at 10:55 a.m. Eastern and is expected to conclude around 1:45 p.m. EDT.
Here’s what to know about Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2026, a 19.6-kilometer ride around Barcelona and the first Stage 1 team time trial since 1971:
Stage 1: Tour de France 2026
The team time trial is not a new concept, but the format has changed. We'll explain, and you determine if it's more exciting now.
Previously, the team would race together, and the finishing time of a pre-determined rider in the finishing order would be the time used for that group. As an example, the fourth or fifth rider to cross the line would be the team's official time.
Over the last few years, a new structure has been tested, and the team's time now is when the first rider crosses the line. This has changed the strategy a bit, because it's not longer as imperative for the team to ride as a pack. They'll still work together and help each other, but it's possible for the stronger riders to break free and get done as fast as possible solo.
All riders now get individual finishing times, and that could mean a lot toward success in the General Classification.
This will be the first time trial at the TDF since 2019, the first in Stage 1 since 1971 and the first using the new format, which was introduced in 2023. This every-man-for-himself setup was used recently at the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes in June.
The stage itself, 19.6 kilometers (in two laps) around metropolitan Barcelona will only reach 200 meters of elevation, so the day will be more about speed than anything. The climbing the riders will do features the Côte de Montjuïc, a hill overlooking the host city. The length of this first test is less than 900 meters and tops out at 7% gradient.
The ride showcases historic Barcelona, the seafront and the Olympic complex that welcomed the 1992 Summer Olympics and now will have the finish of Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2026 in its shadows.
Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 1 Of The Tour de France 2026?
Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2026 is 19.6 kilometers, or approximately 12.17 miles long.
Tour de France 2026 Stage 1 Profile
Here is what the route looks like for Stage 1:
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How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Stage 1
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
Who Won Stage 1 Of The Tour de France In 2025?
Stage 1 of the Tour de France 2025 featured a start most would've found more familiar. It was in France, and the day belonged to the sprinters, specifically, Jasper Philipsen, whose Alpecin team used an old-school sprint train and teamwork to get the job done.
Philipsen took the first yellow jersey in the frantic sprint finish, edging Biniam Girmay, the African star who won three stages of the Tour de France 2024. It was the 10th TDF stage win of Philipsen's career.
Philipsen emerged from a group of about 40 riders ready to challenge in the sprint, but one of the day's many falls left quite a few riders out of contention.
A high-speed fall of his own two days later in Stage 3 brought Philipsen's Tour de France 2026 to a premature ending.
Watch the Tour de France 2025 Stage 1 Highlights.
When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?
- Stage 1 (TTT) - July 4: Barcelone - Barcelone (19.6km)
- Stage 2 - July 5: Tarragone - Barcelone (168.5km)
- Stage 3 - July 6: Granollers - Les Angles (195.9km)
- Stage 4 - July 7: Carcassonne - Foix (181.9km)
- Stage 5 - July 8: Lannemezan - Pau (158.3km)
- Stage 6 - July 9: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
- Stage 7 - July 10: Hagetmau - Bordeaux (175.1km)
- Stage 8 - July 11: Périgueux - Bergerac (180.4km)
- Stage 9 - July 12: Malemort - Ussel (185.5km)
- Rest Day - July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 - July 14: Aurillac - Le Lioran (166.6km)
- Stage 11 - July 15: Vichy - Nevers (161.3km)
- Stage 12 - July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
- Stage 13 - July 17: Dole - Belfort (205.8km)
- Stage 14 - July 18: Mulhouse - Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
- Stage 15 - July 19: Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
- Rest Day - July 20: Haute-Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) - July 21: Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
- Stage 17 - July 22: Chambery - Voiron (174.7km)
- Stage 18 - July 23: Voiron - Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
- Stage 19 - July 24: Gap - Alpe d'Huez (127.9km)
- Stage 20 - July 25: Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez (170.9km)
- Stage 21 - July 26: Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin - Premier Tech
- Bahrain - Victorious
- Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
- Cofidis
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama - FDJ United
- Netcompany INEOS
- Lidl - Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic PostNL
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates - XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who Won The Tour de France In 2025?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
Tour de France 2026 Starts With A Massive Twist: Team Time Trial
The Tour de France 2026 begins with one of the most important opening stages in years: a team time trial in Barcelona.
We break down the history of the format, how the innovative rules work and why organizers first tested the concept before bringing it to the Tour de France.
Learn how times are calculated, how riders can gain or lose crucial seconds and why this opening stage could immediately impact the battle between Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and the other GC contenders when the race begins on July 4.
Catch All The Best Races, Highlights, Insight, News And More On FloBikes
FloBikes is the streaming home to some of the best cycling from across the globe. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more of your favorites in action.
FloBikes Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
Join The Conversation On FloBikes Social
- Follow us on Twitter @FloBikes
- Follow us on Instagram @flobikes
- Follow us on TikTok @flobikes
- Watch us on YouTube
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