“Without Remco Evenepoel, I’ll probably get more opportunities” – Mont Ventoux winner looks to add Alpe d’Huez to palmares at Tour de France 2026

Valentin Paret-Peintre has welcomed the 2026 Tour de France route with excitement and ambition, confident that the mountainous profile — and the departure of Remco Evenepoel from Soudal - Quick-Step — could open the door to greater personal freedom next July.

Speaking to Cyclism’Actu after the route reveal, the 24-year-old French climber said the race design plays perfectly to his strengths, particularly the final week in the Alps. “I really like the route, especially that last week when we’ll be close to home, with a lot of elevation gain and long climbs — exactly the kind of terrain I enjoy,” he explained with an almost tangible excitement.

Paret-Peintre, who already has a victory on Mont Ventoux to his name, now dreams of adding Alpe d’Huez to his growing palmarès. “If I had to pick one stage, I’d say Alpe d’Huez — though we actually get it twice,” he smiled. “It’s a big deal to have a win both on Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez, so of course I’ll try. When you talk about mythical mountains in France, there’s Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez — they’re really the two most famous. It also means a lot to me because Alpe d’Huez is closer to where I grew up.”

With Evenepoel heading to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe for 2026, Paret-Peintre expects a new dynamic within Soudal - Quick-Step, especially at the Tour. “Remco’s departure will surely open up more opportunities for me, but also bring more responsibilities across the season,” he said. “For the Tour de France, I don’t think we’ll really have a general classification leader. The focus will probably be on stage wins — with Tim Merlier, and also in the mountains with our climbers.”

He added that the 2026 edition looks demanding from start to finish: “There aren’t many easy days. The first two weeks have a lot of medium-mountain stages with 20-minute climbs, and then a really tough final week with longer ascents.”

Despite his climbing pedigree, Paret-Peintre is keeping his ambitions realistic. “I’m not really thinking about the GC right now,” he admitted. “Maybe I’ll surprise myself and be capable of fighting for it one day, but at the moment I prefer to focus on stages — at least until I’m able to compete for a top five overall.”

He also praised promising French teammate Paul Seixas, who impressed late in 2025 and could be in line for a Tour debut at Paret-Peintre's former team. “He’s already shown his talent at the end of the season. Physically, he’s ready for the Tour,” the Frenchman said, before acknowledging that “whatever the route, Pogacar will remain the big favourite — maybe the only thing that changes is by how many minutes he wins.”

As the peloton digests the 2026 Tour de France route, few riders appear more motivated than Valentin Paret-Peintre — a home-grown climber dreaming of conquering another of cycling’s most mythical summits.