This is what the first 3 stages of the 2026 Tour de France will look like: Grand Depart & Stage 1 ITT in Barcelona!
Cycling
The most prestigious race in the world is the Tour de France. The impact that the Grande Boucle generates is unparalleled. For that reason, rumours about future routes are always circulating and creating interest.
Although there is still half a year to go before the 2025 edition, part of the route of the 2026 Tour is already beginning to leak out. And the news coming in is very positive for Spanish fans of cycling. According to El Periódico, the first three stages will take place in Catalonia, including a Grand Départ converted into a time trial in Barcelona.
The official announcement is scheduled for February 25. The city council will hold an official ceremony to unveil the detailed route of these 3 initial stages of the Tour de France 2026.
So far, what can be known about the first 3 stages of the 2026 Tour is as follows:
- Stage 1: time trial and, therefore, Grand Départ in Barcelona.
- Stage 2: start in Tarragona and finish in Barcelona. This means that the stage victory will be disputed in a bunch sprint.
- Stage 3: start in Catalonia (the exact place is still unknown) and finish in France, in the city of Perpinyà.
Will the time trial be up to the task?
In recent days there has been much debate about the loss of relevance of time trials in grand tours, compared to the 80s and 90s. The time trials are now very short, and hardly make any difference between the favorites for the overall.
As the Grand Départ of the 2026 Tour de France, Barcelona is expected to have a time trial to match. It's too early to tell, but all things being equal, Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic will most likely repeat regardless of what happens in 2025.
😱 Glandon - Madeleine - Loze et un D+ total de 5.500m!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) January 16, 2025
Jetons un œil au calvaire que promet d’être la 18ème étape du #TDF2025 ! pic.twitter.com/lTDc550M8n
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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