The 2026 Tour de France was the 113th edition of the Tour de France.
Classification standings
Legend Denotes the leader of the general classification Denotes the leader of the mountains classification Denotes the leader of the points classification Denotes the leader of the young rider classification Denotes the leader of the team classification Denotes the winner of the combativity award
Stage 1 4 July 2026 – Barcelona to Barcelona, (TTT)
The first stage of the race was a team time trial in Barcelona, Spain. The course started at the Fòrum and finished at the Estadi Olímpic Louis Companys on the Montjuïc hill above Barcelona. Two climbs were located in the last – Côte de Montjuïc (1.1 km at an average gradient of 5.1%) followed by the Côte du Stade Olympique (800 metres at an average gradient of 7%) to the finish line. The team time trial used a new format where the stage time for each team would be determined by the first rider across the finish line – each rider would receive their own time for the general classification.
initially looked fast through the first two intermediate checks, however Kévin Vauquelin then had a puncture and 2019 winner Egan Bernal was dropped. Two-time world time trial champion Filippo Ganna attacked the climbs instead of Vauquelin, with Ganna setting a time 31 seconds faster than . started faster, but Juan Ayuso slowed on the climb, eventually finishing 8 seconds slower than . had both Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz attempt the final climb, however Lipowitz was dropped and Evenepoel eventually set a time 11 seconds slower than .
was the penultimate team to tackle the course, with four riders attempting the climbs. Jonas Vingegaard attacked and crossed the finish line 8 seconds faster than . The final team to attempt the course was , but the team was slower throughout the course than . In the final climb to the finish, defending champion Tadej Pogačar attacked and reduced the deficit, eventually finishing 12 seconds behind .
therefore took the stage win, ahead of and . Vingegaard took his first yellow jersey since their victory at the 2023 race, and was "visibly pleased" following the stage, thanking his teammates for the effort and calling it "the perfect start". Bernal was awarded the green jersey of the points classification as he completed the first section of the course the fastest, and Pogačar was awarded the polka dot jersey of the mountains classification as he completed the final uphill section of the course the fastest. Ayuso took the lead in the young rider classification.
Stage 2 5 July 2026 – Tarragona to Barcelona,
The race remained in Spain for the second stage, with a course from Tarragona to Barcelona, culminating with three laps of a finishing circuit on the Montjuïc hill above Barcelona. The stage featured four categorised climbs, the second-category Côte de Begues and three ascents of the Côte du Château de Montjuïc (1.6 km at an average gradient of 9.3%). The finish was located at the top of an uncategorised climb in Montjuïc, 700 metres in length with an average gradient of 7%.
An breakaway of Frank van den Broek (), Felix Engelhardt (), and Alex Molenaar () formed in the first . At the intermediate sprint, Biniam Girmay () beat Mads Pedersen () and Jasper Philipsen (). On the Côte de Begues climb, van den Broek was dropped but Engelhardt and Molenaar stayed out front until the race had entered Barcelona, with about remaining.
Entering the Montjuïc finishing circuit, the peloton gradually reduced in size thanks to a fast pace set by . By the final climb, only 35 riders remained at the front, with Adam Yates () continuing the fast pace and dissuading attacks by contenders. The group stayed together, descending to the bottom on the final climb to the finish line. In the uphill sprint to the finish, Pogačar ensured that his teammate Isaac del Toro took the stage victory, with media calling the stage "a dominant ride by ". Evenepoel finished third ahead of Vingegaard, who maintained his lead in the albeit with his lead cut to 6 seconds. Del Toro took the green jersey and maintained his lead in the young rider classification. Molenaar took the lead in the mountains classification, by virtue of his day in the breakaway.
Stage 3 6 July 2026 – Granollers to Les Angles,
The third stage of the race took riders northwards into France and into the Pyrenees, on a mountainous course from Granollers to Les Angles. The stage featured four categorised climbs, including the first-category Col de Toses (9.3 km at an average gradient of 6.5%) and the third-category finish to Les Angles (1.7 km at an average gradient of 6.5%). Owing to wildfires in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, spectators were discouraged from attending the race in France, with no spectators at the finish.
On the stage, it took for a breakaway to be formed, after numerous attacks were chased down by and . 20 riders were in the breakaway included Pedersen and Alex Baudin (). Pedersen won the intermediate sprints, and Baudin took the points of the mountains classification at the Col de Toses. As increased the pace, the break reduced in size to 6 riders approaching the Col de la Calvaire. Baudin broke free, taking more mountain points at the top of the Col, but was swallowed by the peloton shortly after.
On the final climb to Les Angles, set a fast pace, with del Toro attacking with 300 metres remaining to set up an attack by Pogačar. Pogačar crossed the line 2 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, Richard Carapaz () and Paul Seixas () with Pogačar taking the yellow jersey off Vingegaard as a result. Baudin took the polka dot jersey of the mountains classification, and del Toro maintained their lead in the young rider classification. Pogačar called the hot weather a "logistical nightmare", owing to the constant need for water bottles from the team car.
Stage 4 7 July 2026 – Carcassonne to Foix,
The fourth stage of the race stayed in the Pyrenees, with a hilly course from Carcassonne to Foix, with four categorised climbs (two second-category, one third-category and one fourth-category). The stage was held in "boiling temperatures", with temperatures around . The Union Cycliste Internationale (cycling's governing body) relaxed rules to allow riders to receive water more frequently, and increase the number of motorbikes handing out water bottles.
A breakaway of around 35 riders formed early in the stage. At the intermediate sprint, Girmay beat Philipsen and Pedersen to take maximum points, with Philipsen and Girmay dropping back to the peloton soon after. With 10 minutes between the break and the peloton, it became clear that the peloton was happy to let the break take the stage victory, and therefore teams and riders in the break attacked each other in the final . chased down these attacks, setting a fast pace on behalf of Pedersen who took the stage win in a sprint finish ahead his teammate Quinn Simmons and Raúl García Pierna ().
The peloton finished the stage nearly 13 minutes behind Pedersen, and therefore Torstein Træen () – the highest placed rider in the breakaway – took the yellow jersey. Træen led the by 28 seconds over Sean Quinn (), with Mathias Vacek () 3rd overall nearly 4 minutes behind, taking the white jersey of the young rider classification. Pogačar was 4th overall, 7 minutes 53 seconds behind, and considered that Træen would hold the jersey for a number of stages, given the margin between him and other contenders.
Stage 5 8 July 2026 – Lannemezan to Pau,
The fifth stage of the race took riders from Lannemezan to Pau on a flat course, with one third-category climb on the route.
Owing to the heat and the expected sprint finish, Baptiste Veistroffer () was the lone breakaway rider for much of the day, with a maximum lead of 4 minutes. At the intermediate sprint, Max Kanter () beat Pedersen, Girmay and Philipsen. Veistroffer was caught with around remaining. Approaching the finish, a crash occurred with to go – no riders or contenders for the sprint finish were involved. A reduced group of 20 riders headed for a sprint finish, with Olav Kooij () beating Kanter and Tim Merlier () to take his first stage win at the Tour. Pedersen finished 7th in the green jersey, extending their lead in the points classification. Træen remained in the yellow jersey and Baudin remained in the polka dot jersey of the mountains classification after an uneventful day for the peloton.
Stage 6 9 July 2026 – Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre,
The sixth stage took the riders back into the Pyrenees, with a mountain stage from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre, with five categorised climbs including the first-category Col d'Aspin (12 km at an average gradient of 6.5%), the hors catégorie climb of Col du Tourmalet (17.1 km at an average gradient of 7.3%, with the summit at an elevation of ), before a summit finish at the second-category climb to Gavarnie-Gèdre (18.7 km at an average gradient of 3.7%).
The weather remained hot, with temperatures around for the first high mountain stage of the Tour. A three-man breakaway emerged early in the stage, with Pedersen successfully claiming maximum points in the intermediate sprint to extend his lead in the points classification. Other riders attempted to escape, as the peloton approached the large climbs of the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet.
On the Col du Tourmalet, set a fast pace, with the leading group soon less than 20 riders and Traeen in the yellow jersey losing contact from the top. With to the summit of the Tourmalet, del Toro attacked with Pogačar following. Vingegaard immediately began a solo chase, as the pace was too fast for Seixas, Evenepoel and Lipowitz. Pogačar then went solo with to the finish, summiting the Tourmalet alone, with a 31 second gap to Vingegaard and nearly 90 seconds to the Seixas, Lipowitz and del Toro group. Pogačar then descended at pace, more than doubling his advantage to Vingegaard before he began the climb to the finish at Gavarnie-Gèdre. Pogačar continued to push on the climb, taking the stage victory by 2 minutes 38 seconds ahead of Vingegaard – his largest margin of a stage win at the Tour. Six contenders (del Toro, Evenepoel, Seixas, Lipowitz, Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose ()) finished a further 19 seconds behind. Pogačar therefore took the yellow jersey, with a lead of 2 minutes 42 seconds over Vingegaard, with del Toro (the new leader of the young rider classification) a further 45 seconds behind. Pogačar also took the lead in the mountains classification. Media praised Pogačar's solo victory, calling his attack "assertive" and his lead "ominous", as well as noting that he set a new record time for the ascent of the Tourmalet by two minutes.
On the descent from the Tourmalet, Traeen had clipped the wheel of his teammate and crashed hard. After medical attention, he continued the stage – eventually finishing around 30 minutes behind Pogačar. later reported that Traeen had a "concussion and multiple rib fractures" and would not start the next day.
Stage 7 10 July 2026 – Hagetmau to Bordeaux,
Leaving the Pyrenees, the race headed north from Hagetmau to Bordeaux, on a flat course with one fourth-category climb. A sprint finish was expected.