⏰ Key Information

Start Date	July 4, 2026 (Saturday)
Finish Date	July 26, 2026 (Sunday)
Stages	21
Total Distance	Approximately 3,334 km
Grand Départ	Barcelona, Spain
Final Stage	Paris, France (Champs-Élysées)

Rest Days

• July 13 (after Stage 9)
• July 20 (after Stage 15)

What's Special About the 2026 Route?

If there is one word to describe the 2026 Tour de France route, it is spectacular.

The race begins with one of the most anticipated Grand Départs in recent years—Barcelona. Stage 1 features a Team Time Trial (TTT) through the city's streets, meaning the general classification battle begins immediately. Team strength will already create meaningful gaps on the very first day.

From Spain, the peloton heads north into the Pyrenees, tackling legendary climbs including the iconic Col du Tourmalet, before moving east into the Alps.

The Alpine finale is particularly historic. Riders will finish atop the legendary Alpe d'Huez on two consecutive days—Stages 19 and 20—a remarkably rare occurrence in Tour history.

The race concludes in Paris, but with a twist. Before reaching the traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées, riders must tackle three ascents of Montmartre. This year's final stage won't simply be a ceremonial sprint—it has real bite.

📅 Complete Stage Guide

Stage	Date	Route	Distance	Type
S1	July 4	Barcelona → Barcelona	19.7 km	🟡 Team Time Trial
S2	July 5	Tarragona → Barcelona	182 km	🔴 Montjuïc Hilly Stage
S3	July 6	Granollers → Les Angles	196 km	⛰️ Pyrenees Summit Finish
S4	July 7	Carcassonne → Foix	182 km	⛰️ Mountain Stage
S5	July 8	Lannemezan → Pau	158 km	🟢 Sprint Stage
S6	July 9	Pau → Gavarnie	186 km	⛰️ Col du Tourmalet
S7	July 10	Agen → Bordeaux	175 km	🟢 Sprint Stage
S8	July 11	Périgueux → Bergerac	182 km	🟢 Sprint Stage
S9	July 12	Mallemort → Ussel	185.5 km	🟠 Rolling Stage
Rest Day	July 13	—	—	—
S10	July 14	Aurillac → Le Lioran	166.6 km	⛰️ Bastille Day Mountain Stage
S11	July 15	Vichy → Nevers	161.3 km	🟢 Sprint Stage
S12	July 16	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours → Chalon	181 km	🟢 Sprint Stage
S13	July 17	Dole → Belfort	205.8 km	🟠 Longest Stage
S14	July 18	Mulhouse → Le Markstein	184 km	⛰️ Vosges Summit Finish
S15	July 19	Champagnole → Plateau de Solaison	169 km	⛰️ Alpine Summit Finish
Rest Day	July 20	—	—	—
S16	July 21	Évian-les-Bains → Thonon-les-Bains	26.1 km	🕐 Individual Time Trial
S17	July 22	Chambéry → Voiron	169 km	🟢 Transitional Stage
S18	July 23	Voiron → Orcières-Merlette	171 km	⛰️ Alpine Summit Finish
S19	July 24	Gap → Alpe d'Huez	130 km	⛰️🔥 Alpe d'Huez
S20	July 25	Le Bourg-d'Oisans → Alpe d'Huez	110 km	⛰️👑 Queen Stage (5,600 m of climbing)
S21	July 26	Torcy → Paris (Champs-Élysées)	133 km	🏁 Montmartre + Paris Finale

🏅 The Four Jerseys Explained

The Tour de France features four separate competitions, each represented by an iconic leader's jersey.

🟡 Yellow Jersey — General Classification (GC)

Awarded to the rider with the lowest cumulative race time across all stages.

Time bonuses are available on selected stages, allowing riders to reduce their overall time.

🟢 Green Jersey — Points Classification

Awarded to the rider who earns the most points from stage finishes and intermediate sprints.

Although primarily designed for sprinters, versatile riders can also score valuable points on selective stages.

🔴⚪ Polka Dot Jersey — King of the Mountains

Awarded to the rider who collects the most King of the Mountains (KOM) points by cresting categorized climbs first.

Harder climbs offer more points, making the biggest mountain stages decisive in this competition.

⚪ White Jersey — Best Young Rider

Awarded to the highest-ranked rider in the General Classification who is 25 years old or younger on January 1, 2026.

Tour de France Champions (Past 15 Editions)

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Third Place
2025	Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia)	Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark)	Florian Lipowitz (Germany)
2024	Tadej Pogačar	Jonas Vingegaard	Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)
2023	Jonas Vingegaard	Tadej Pogačar	Adam Yates
2022	Jonas Vingegaard	Tadej Pogačar	Geraint Thomas
2021	Tadej Pogačar	Jonas Vingegaard	Richard Carapaz
2020	Tadej Pogačar	Primož Roglič	Richie Porte
2019	Egan Bernal	Geraint Thomas	Steven Kruijswijk
2018	Geraint Thomas	Tom Dumoulin	Chris Froome
2017	Chris Froome	Rigoberto Urán	Romain Bardet
2016	Chris Froome	Romain Bardet	Nairo Quintana
2015	Chris Froome	Nairo Quintana	Alejandro Valverde
2014	Vincenzo Nibali	Jean-Christophe Péraud	Thibaut Pinot
2013	Chris Froome	Nairo Quintana	Joaquim Rodríguez
2012	Bradley Wiggins	Chris Froome	Vincenzo Nibali
2011	Cadel Evans	Andy Schleck	Fränk Schleck

Over the past six editions, the Tour de France podium has been dominated by Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard—a rivalry whose sustained excellence is virtually unmatched in modern Tour history.

On July 4, every rider rolls away from the start line in Barcelona with the same dream.

Three weeks later, Paris will reveal who earned the right to wear yellow.