With riders arriving in Barcelona, the countdown to the 2026 Tour de France has officially begun. Tadej Pogačar is chasing his third consecutive Tour victory and a fifth yellow jersey overall, but this year's field may be the strongest in recent memory.
From a resurgent Jonas Vingegaard to teenage sensation Paul Seixas, alongside Remco Evenepoel, Florian Lipowitz, and several emerging contenders, the battle for the Maillot Jaune looks more unpredictable than ever.
Pogačar: Still the Man to Beat, But Preparation Takes an Unexpected Turn
There is no denying that Pogačar enters the Tour as the overwhelming favorite.
His 2026 campaign has been extraordinary. He claimed victories at Milano-Sanremo, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, before dominating the Tour de Suisse by more than six minutes while also winning three stages.
However, his final preparation has been disrupted.
Just two weeks before the Tour, Pogačar returned to Monaco to be with his fiancée, Urška Žigart, after she suffered a fractured jaw in a crash during the Women's Tour de Suisse. The unexpected trip interrupted his planned altitude training camp.
Last year's Tour saw Pogačar show signs of fatigue during the final week. Whether missing valuable altitude adaptation this time becomes a weakness remains one of the biggest questions heading into Barcelona.
2026 Highlights
| Race | Result |
|---|---|
| Tour de Suisse | Overall Winner, 3 Stage Wins |
| Tour de Romandie | Overall Winner, 4 Stage Wins |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | Winner |
| Milano-Sanremo | Winner |
| Dwars door Vlaanderen | Winner |
| Paris-Roubaix | 2nd Overall |
Vingegaard: Chasing the Giro–Tour Double
Vingegaard has taken a bold approach this season by targeting both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
The gamble paid off spectacularly.
He dominated the Giro, winning five stages and securing the overall title while rarely appearing under pressure. Earlier in the spring, he also won both Paris–Nice and the Volta a Catalunya, making it one of the strongest seasons of his career.
With elite climbing support from Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson, and Davide Piganzoli, this could be the best-prepared version of Vingegaard we've seen in years.
Evenepoel: The Mystery After Two Months Away
Among all the Tour favorites, Remco Evenepoel remains the biggest unknown.
He has not raced for over two months, instead opting for a highly secretive preparation featuring altitude camps in Teide and the Sierra Nevada, combined with multiple reconnaissance rides in the Alps.
According to Evenepoel, his current Functional Threshold Power (FTP) has reached approximately 425 watts, putting him in the same territory as Pogačar and Vingegaard.
He also admitted that last season's aggressive weight loss negatively affected his performance. This year, he says he has reached his target weight of around 63 kg through a healthier approach, hoping to improve his climbing without sacrificing strength.
Lipowitz: Quietly Becoming a Serious Podium Threat
Florian Lipowitz continues to build on the consistency that earned him a Tour podium last season.
In 2026, he finished third overall at the Volta a Catalunya, second at the Itzulia Basque Country and Tour de Romandie, before breaking through with overall victory and two stage wins at the Tour of Slovenia.
With Evenepoel attracting most of the attention inside Red Bull–BORA–Hansgrohe, Lipowitz may once again benefit from flying under the radar. Still, competition for the final podium places is significantly stronger than a year ago.
Seixas: A 19-Year-Old Having a Miracle Season
French prodigy Paul Seixas has delivered one of the most remarkable breakthrough seasons in recent memory.
He captured the overall title and three stage victories at Itzulia Basque Country, won La Flèche Wallonne, finished runner-up at Strade Bianche, and was one of the very few riders capable of matching Pogačar deep into Liège–Bastogne–Liège, staying with him until the decisive acceleration on Côte de la Redoute.
Yet questions remain.
A heavy crash on Stage 7 of the Critérium du Dauphiné left him covered in road rash and forced him to abandon the following day.
The Tour de France will be his first Grand Tour, and surviving the notoriously chaotic opening week may prove just as difficult as matching the best climbers.
Del Toro: UAE Team Emirates' Hidden Weapon
Few domestiques enter the Tour with a résumé as impressive as Isaac Del Toro.
The young Mexican has won overall titles at the UAE Tour, Tirreno–Adriatico, and the Critérium du Dauphiné, collecting five stage victories along the way.
His climbing has clearly taken another step forward.
The question is whether he will dedicate himself entirely to supporting Pogačar or eventually be given the freedom to chase a high overall placing of his own.
Ayuso: Looking to Bounce Back After Injury
Following his move to Lidl–Trek, Juan Ayuso started the season brilliantly by winning the Volta ao Algarve.
Unfortunately, a crash at Paris–Nice while leading the race was followed by illness at the Itzulia Basque Country, leaving him largely absent from competition for nearly two months.
His return at the Critérium du Dauphiné showed encouraging signs, especially during the Alpine stages where he launched several aggressive attacks and finished second only to Del Toro.
Whether he can contend in July may largely depend on how well he survives the explosive opening week.
Pidcock: A Surprise GC Contender?
Most fans still view Tom Pidcock primarily as a Classics specialist.
His preparation, however, suggests something different.
Since May, he has raced only twice, devoting almost all of his attention to training before winning the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica.
If Pidcock truly targets the general classification instead of stage hunting, he could become one of the biggest surprises of the race.
The Wait Is Almost Over
The answers will begin to unfold when the first team rolls down the start ramp in Barcelona on July 4.
Can anyone finally dethrone Pogačar? Will Vingegaard reclaim the yellow jersey? Can the fearless Seixas announce himself on cycling's biggest stage?
The 2026 Tour de France is about to provide the answers.
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