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
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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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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