The route of the 2026 Tour de France was revealed at a large presentation event in Palais des Congres de Paris in Paris on October 23, 2025. Race organizer A.S.O. had orchestrated an impressive event, which featured stunning presentations of the routes of the men’s and women’s Tour de France races and included special guests such as Valentin Paret-Peintre, Michael Storer, Matteo Trentin, Jonas Abrahamsen, and Adrien Petit.

After introducing the special guests to much applause from the large audience, the event proceeded with a highlight presentation from the 2025 Tour de France, which recapped the remarkable stage wins, breakaways and other memorable moments from this year’s Tour. 

Jean-Etienne Amaury, president of the Amaury Sport Organisation, which organizes the Tour de France, discussed the 2025 edition of the legendary Grand Tour that was won by Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates ahead of Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma-Lease a Bike. The 2025 Tour de France Femmes was astoundingly won by Pauline Ferrand-Prevot in her first Tour participation.

Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France for A.S.O., then took to the stage to present the much-anticipated route of next year’s Tour de France.

The 2026 Tour de France will commence in Barcelona, Spain on July 4, 2026, and feature 21 stages. The total distance of the race will be 3333 kilometers. It will be the 113th edition of the legendary and renowned Grand Tour.

Tour de France start city Barcelona is known as the capital of Catalonia and is known for its vibrant Catalan culture, food and nightlife - and not least for the Sagrada Familia church, designed by Catalan Architect Antoni Gaudi. The team presentation will take place in front of the Sagrada Familia church, which is expected to be completed ten days before the start of the 2026 Tour.

The 2026 Tour will start with a 19-kilometer team time trial in the streets of Barcelona, which will conclude with a climb up Montjuic, where the winner will be found and the first yellow jersey of the 2026 race awarded.

Tour de France 2026 will travel to Tarragona for the start of stage 2, and the stage will take the riders back to Barcelona, where the stage will also conclude on the legendary Montjuic climb after 182 kilometers of fast racing. The Montjuic will have to be climbed three times.

Stage 3 of Tour de France 2026 will start in Granollers and transport the riders in the Tour de France peloton towards the French border. 196 kilometers will take the riders into the Pyrenees and conclude in Les Angles.

Stage 4 will start in Carcassonne and conclude in Foix. The stage will be 182-kilometers long and be contested in hilly terrain.

The 2026 Tour de France will continue in the Pyrenees with stage 5. The stage will conclude in Pau, which is known for its sprint finishes.

Stage 6 will take the riders from Pau, across Col d’Aspin, and conclude on the Gavarnie-Gedre climb.

Stage 7 will take the riders though flat terrain on a route from Hagetmau to Bordeaux, where a mass sprint finish is expected.

Stage 8 on July 11 will from Perigeux to Bergerac. The scenic terrain will be hilly, and the route is expected to appeal to breakaway optimists.

Stage 9 will be 185 kilometers long and take the riders from Malemort to Ussel.

The first rest day of the race will take place in Cantal on July 13.

Stage 10 will be contested on Bastille Day. The French riders are expected to honor their nation and the race on July 14 on the 167-kilometer route from Aurillac to Le Lioran. The stage will be contested in mountainous terrain and feature twelve categorized climbs.

Stage 11 from Vichy to Nevers in flat terrain on a 161-kilometer route.

Stage 12 will take the riders from the Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saone. The stage route will be 181 kilometers long.

Stage 13 will include more than 2500 climbing meters on a 205-kilometer route from Dole to Belfort.

The Tour de France will continue on July 18 with stage 14 – a 155-kilometer ride through mountainous terrain on a route from Mulhouse to Le Markstein. The route will feature Grand Ballon.

Stage 15 from Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison will again expose the remaining riders in the Tour de France peloton to mountain challenges. The 184 kilometers will be contested close to Mont Blanc and the route will include Le Saleve Col de la Croisette.

July 20 will be the second rest day of the 2026 Tour.

The 2026 Tour de France will continue with a stage 16 individual time trial on July 21. The 26 kilometers will be contested on a route from Evian-les-Bains to Thonon-les-Bains in the region which is known for the green chartreuse liquor. The time trial route is flat.

Stage 17 will be 175 kilometers long and will take the riders from Chambery to Voiron in flat terrain, where the sprinters in the Tour peloton will be eager to shine.

Stage 18 will take the riders into mountain terrain on a 185-kilometer route from Voiron to Orcieres Merlette. The route will feature two categorized climbs early in the stage before concluding on the Orcieres Merlette climb.

The 2026 Tour de France will continue with stage 19 – a short, but intensive, 128-kilometer mountain stage from Gap to Alpe d’Huez. The stage will include the Col Bayard, Col du Noyer, and Col d’Ornon.

As if it wasn’t sufficient for the riders to climb Alpe d’Huez one time, Tour de France organizer A.S.O. has chosen to include the legendary climb again in stage 20.

Stage 20 will take the riders though the final mountain terrain of the 2026 Tour. The stage will commence in Le Bourg d’Oisans and conclude on Alpe d’Huez after 171 kilometers of fierce mountain battles, where the riders in the Tour de France peloton will fight for a stage win and final advancements in the general classification. The stage will include the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Telegraphe – and even the Col du Galibier.

The riders will be transported by TGV train to Paris for the concluding stage 21 in the streets of Paris. The stage will include the Montmartre climb and take the riders past the Sacre Coeur church and the cancan Doriss girls of the Moulin Rouge will lift their skirts to honor the riders who have fought their way through the complete 2026 Tour de France.

The 2026 Tour de France Femmes will be 1175 kilometers long. It will start with stages in Lausanne, Aigle and Geneve. The women’s race will feature nine stages and visit Sisteron, Mont Ventoux, Gevrey-Chambertin, Macon, Dijon, and conclude in Nice. The Tour de France Femmes will visit three regions and twelve departments.

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