2026 Tour de France: Stages 1 to 5

2026 Tour de France Stage 1: Visma Wins Team Time Trial, Vingegaard Takes Yellow

The opening stage of the 2026 Tour de France featured a 19 km team time trial in Barcelona, with 22 teams competing for the first yellow jersey. Unlike traditional team time trials, the team's finishing time was determined by the first rider across the line, encouraging teams to sacrifice domestiques to maximize their leader's performance in the final kilometers.

Groupama–FDJ set the early benchmark before Alpecin–Deceuninck briefly moved into the lead. INEOS Grenadiers then delivered a superb ride, with Filippo Ganna powering to the fastest time of 21:55 and taking over the hot seat.

Several favorites, including Lidl–Trek and Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, challenged INEOS but were unable to match their pace. The decisive moment came when Team Visma | Lease a Bike executed a near-perfect finale. Edoardo Piganzoli led Jonas Vingegaard into the final climb before peeling off, allowing the Dane to launch his decisive acceleration and beat INEOS by eight seconds.

Last to start, UAE Team Emirates–XRG attempted a comeback. Tadej Pogačar attacked in the final kilometer, but despite his effort, UAE could only finish third.

After Stage 1, Jonas Vingegaard claimed the first yellow jersey of the 2026 Tour de France. Egan Bernal wore the green jersey, Tadej Pogačar took the polka-dot jersey, and Juan Ayuso earned the white jersey.

Stage 2 will take the peloton from Tarragona to Barcelona over 182 km, where the general classification contenders are expected to face their first road test.

2026 Tour de France Stage 2: Del Toro Wins Uphill Finish as Vingegaard Keeps Yellow

Stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de France took the riders 168.5 km from Tarragona to Barcelona. An early three-man breakaway was allowed to clear before the peloton reeled them in ahead of the final circuits through Barcelona.

The decisive action came on the short, steep climbs in the closing kilometers. UAE Team Emirates–XRG controlled the pace with a powerful climbing train, gradually reducing the lead group to around 40 riders. After repeated attacks from his teammates, Tadej Pogačar accelerated on the final climb, drawing the attention of all the general classification contenders.

With the favorites focused on Pogačar, Juan Ayuso's teammate Isaac del Toro launched the winning move. Shielded by Pogačar's attack, Del Toro held off the chasing group to claim the stage victory, while Pogačar finished alongside the leading riders after playing a perfect tactical role.

The stage also featured several incidents, including crashes, mechanical problems, and intense heat. Del Toro briefly lost contact with the peloton after a mechanical issue but fought his way back before the decisive finale. Visma–Lease a Bike successfully defended Jonas Vingegaard's overall lead by closely marking Pogačar throughout the final climbs.

After Stage 2, Jonas Vingegaard retained the yellow jersey. Isaac del Toro moved into the green and white jerseys, while Mathis Le Berre claimed the polka-dot jersey.

Stage 3 will cover 182 km from Granollers to Les Angles, where another demanding route is expected to test the general classification contenders.

2026 Tour de France Stage 3: Pogačar Claims Stage Victory and Takes the Yellow Jersey

Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France covered 195.9 km from Granollers to Les Angles, featuring four categorized climbs and a summit finish. An early crash on a gentle climb split the peloton, while a breakaway group of more than ten riders eventually formed and built a solid advantage.

As the race entered its decisive phase, UAE Team Emirates–XRG took full control of the chase, steadily reducing the gap before catching the final breakaway riders on the last climb. EF Education–EasyPost rider Alex Baudin held on the longest to collect valuable King of the Mountains points before being reeled in with 11 km remaining.

On the final ascent, UAE executed another perfectly timed climbing train. Isaac del Toro set a relentless pace before launching a powerful attack to reduce the lead group to just a handful of general classification contenders. With his rivals already under pressure, Tadej Pogačar accelerated inside the final kilometer and quickly opened a decisive gap.

Jonas Vingegaard was the only rider able to limit the damage, crossing the line two seconds behind Pogačar. Thanks to the stage victory and a tiebreak advantage from earlier results, Pogačar moved into the overall race lead and claimed both the yellow and green jerseys.

After Stage 3, Pogačar leads the general classification and points competition, Isaac del Toro continues to wear the white jersey as the best young rider, and Alex Baudin retains the polka-dot jersey.

Stage 4 will take the peloton 182 km from Carcassonne to Foix, where another challenging route is expected to provide opportunities for both puncheurs and the general classification contenders.

2026 Tour de France Stage 4: Pedersen Wins from the Break as Træen Takes Yellow

Stage 4 of the 2026 Tour de France covered 181.9 km from Carcassonne to Foix and proved to be a perfect day for the breakaway. More than 30 riders escaped early, while UAE Team Emirates–XRG, now leading the general classification with Tadej Pogačar, allowed the move to gain significant time and chose not to defend the yellow jersey.

With the peloton easing the pace, the breakaway's advantage grew to over eight minutes, putting several riders in contention for the overall lead. Among them were Uno-X Mobility's Torstein Træen and Lidl–Trek's Sean Quinn, while Mads Pedersen targeted both the stage victory and the green jersey.

As the race entered the final climbs, repeated attacks gradually reduced the breakaway to a select group. Lidl–Trek held the numerical advantage and controlled the finale despite aggressive moves from Movistar and several other teams.

Inside the final kilometer, Sean Quinn launched the decisive lead-out before Mads Pedersen opened his sprint with 300 meters to go. The Dane powered to the stage victory, with Quinn finishing second to complete a dominant day for Lidl–Trek. Pedersen also moved into the lead of the points classification and claimed the green jersey.

Another major winner was Torstein Træen. After finishing safely with the lead group, the Uno-X Mobility rider took over the yellow jersey, marking the team's first-ever overall lead in the Tour de France since joining the UCI WorldTour. Four years after overcoming testicular cancer, Træen reached one of the biggest milestones of his career.

After Stage 4, Torstein Træen wears the yellow jersey, Mads Pedersen leads the points classification in green, Mathias Vacek holds the white jersey, and Alex Baudin remains the King of the Mountains.

Stage 5 will take the peloton 182 km from Lannemezan to Pau, where the sprinters are expected to have another opportunity to fight for victory.

2026 Tour de France Stage 5: Kooij Outsprints Astana to Win in Pau

Stage 5 of the 2026 Tour de France covered 158.3 km from Lannemezan to Pau and delivered the race's first full bunch sprint. With only one categorized climb and one intermediate sprint, the route heavily favored the sprinters.

A lone rider from Lotto escaped early and spent more than 120 km off the front before being reeled in by the peloton. A brief late attack from three riders to contest the King of the Mountains points was also neutralized, setting up the expected mass sprint.

The finale was complicated by a crash just outside the final 5 km, forcing several teams to reorganize. Astana Qazaqstan Team emerged from the chaos with the strongest lead-out, controlling the front of the peloton and delivering Cees Bol into an ideal position for the sprint.

However, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale's Olav Kooij timed his acceleration perfectly. Launching his sprint from Bol's slipstream inside the final 500 meters, Kooij surged past the Astana rider to claim a dramatic stage victory in Pau, while Bol had to settle for second place.

The general classification remained unchanged after the sprint stage. Torstein Træen retained the yellow jersey, Mads Pedersen continued to lead the points classification in green, Mathias Vacek kept the white jersey, and Alex Baudin remained the King of the Mountains.

Stage 6 will take the riders from Pau to Hautacam over 186 km, where the first major mountain showdown is expected to reshape the general classification.