Not just Finestre - The two climbs that broke Tadej Pogacar set to return to Tour de France route
CyclingFriday, 31 July 2026 at 17:21
The 2026 Tour de France has just come to an end, but the race organizers are deep in the making of the routes for the 2027 and 2028 editions. Amongst the climbs that are set to be ridden should be the Col du Granon and the Col de la Loze.
Three legendary climbs have been recently put on the table, the first of which being the Colle delle Finestre. With the iconic Giro d'Italia climb being tackled at the Tour de l'Avenir, it might have opened way for the Tour organizers.
Whilst there the end of the stage was atop the mythical Alpine pass, all stages in major races end in the nearby ski station of Sestriere.
In 2027, the Tour de France will begin in the United Kingdom with three stages in the roads of Scotland, England and Wales. Respectively, they start and finish in Edinburgh and Carlisle; Keswick and Liverpool; Welshpool and Cardiff. The route should be announced after the end of the 2026 season.
Col du Granon returns to the Tour after 2022
It could feature the Col du Granon. Acccording to Le Dauphiné, the mayor of Saint-Chaffrey - the town at the base of the climb - has said that there was a bid to host a stage finish in either 2027 or 2028. The same has been said of the Colle delle Finèstre, and the Col de la Loze.
In 2022, the Tour de France had a stage finish at the Col du Granon where Jonas Vingegaard took a key victory, and the time gap won over a Tadej Pogacar that struggled deeply was crucial for Vingegaard's first yellow jersey win. That stage had also ridden over the Col du Galibier via Valloire, as was the case only weeks ago.
Tadej Pogacar at the 2022 Tour de France on the Col du Granon
Tadej Pogacar should face Col de la Loze once again
The French newspaper also reported on the likelihood of the return of the mythical Col de la Loze to the Tour route. First used in 2020, it was then used once again in 2023 where once again Tadej Pogacar cracked completely and saw Jonas Vingegaard go up the road with a second yellow jersey.
Both climbs are marked by their high altitude and very steep gradients, whilst the latter can be tackled in two different directions; as well as being combined with a finale in Courchevel and its altiport as happened in 2023 when Felix Gall took the victory.
Both are climbs where Pogacar has struggled deeply in the past, and this can both be used as arguments for the Slovenian to return to the Grand Boucle to pursue vengeance as had happened at Le Lioran this year; as well as providing a route that would allow for more suspence against the recent dominance of the Slovenian at the Tour de France.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- ouch! Let's hope he recovers in time for a successful Vuelta, but I'm going to assume that he's not going to be at the level he wishes or needs to compete with, say, Pogačar (by now I assume he's going).RidesHills31-07-2026
- go wout!Crashjames31-07-2026
- Alec Segaert is present, so on stage 1 there is always a chance of a disruption of the sprint
Rafionain-Glas31-07-2026 - I'm a fan and hurts me to have to say - this is just plain stupid of both him and the team! “We may have misunderstood the Tour a bit this year,” Vingegaard said following his withdrawal. “We made me better on the longer climbs. But it could well be that we should have realised I needed to be a bit more explosive and look more closely at the route.''Cyclingsbestfan31-07-2026
- LOL passing men is no significant achievement for elite female cyclists unless they are actually prosRafionain-Glas31-07-2026
- Visma's Vuelta gifting was certainly complicated, with JV having almost wiped out Kuss's lead before a public outcry led to Visma's decision to hold back. But Jonas seemed fine with letting almost victory go.Hills3331-07-2026
- I can read, and am responding to another comment or, dumbdevilCrashjames31-07-2026
- imo the pogs gifting is way obvious... Visma riders obeyed team orders even though Kuss deserved his victory with Roglic having a sook.
Davide31-07-2026 - yup.OCexile31-07-2026
- I'm one of those who really hopes Pog is clean, as he has real (and entertaining) skills like attacking at just the right moment to beat Carapaz and Martinez on Alpe d'Huez, taking just the right line to pull away on the descent on Stage 6, crashing in such a way that he can carry on and win, or avoiding crashing over a bidon. For me, the real moment of temptation to boost performance in some way would surely be when a rider is feeling desperate (whether to win again or simply not crack); and we might not be aware of such an inner struggle.Hills3331-07-2026
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