OFFICIAL: 2026 Tour de France features uphill Montjuic finale for both TTT and stage 2
Cycling
At the time being, the full details of the 2025 Tour de France are not yet known however the race organizers have put in a lot of work to design the Grand Depart of the 2026 edition. This will take place in Barcelona, Spain, and today the profiles of the first two stages have been revealed - with quite a lot of spectacle to be expected!
Stage 1
The race will start off with a 19.7-kilometer in the Catalunyan city and it will be a team time-trial to kick things off. In recent years the Vuelta a España also started off with a similar challenge in the same city, but in night time conditions there was heavy criticism. This time around, it should be different, but it won't be simple by any means.
It is a rare occasion, but the Tour de France have created a TTT that has a hilltop finish. There is a slow rise and the riders will climb the Alto de Montjuic, through an easy side... However the final 800 meters will be at 7% up to the Olympic stadium and it will make for quite an exciting challenge for the opening day.
Stage 2
The second stage starts in Tarragona and finishes again in Barcelona, with a tough hilly circuit finish around the Montjuic, as is usual in the Volta a Catalunya's final day. 2500 meters of climbing, most in the final third of the day.
The final circuit will include three tight laps on the explosive circuit, with the toughest side of the Montjuic to be climbed on all occasions, and with a hilltop finish once again by the Olympic stadium. An explosive finale for the puncheurs - or the climbers, if the current generation and the likes of Tadej Pogacar continue to dominate.
The third stage will start in Granollers, but the stage format is not yet known - although certainly, the sprinters will finally get their chance in there.
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💛 #TDF2026, it all starts in Barcelona!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) February 25, 2025
💛 #TDF2026, tout commence à Barcelone ! pic.twitter.com/o43i3hJHmp
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Barney10-04-2025 - It is pretty cool that a Grand Tour rider is even riding Paris-Roubaix, much less in the discussion for a podium. This is a throwback across many generations of cyclists to the pillars of Hinault and Merckx. Enjoy it while it lasts.Barney10-04-2025
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ScottG09-04-2025 - At least they rectified their mistake. Better to be fair than to be absolute.ScottG09-04-2025
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