Departure from Barcelona, arrival in Paris. And 21 stages for the 113th edition. But what will be the route of the 2026 men’s Tour de France? The presentation takes place on Thursday October 23, from 11 a.m., at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. The route is revealed by Christian Prud'homme, race director. Follow the presentation live on franceinfo.fr.
Departure from Switzerland for women. The Women's Tour will leave from Lausanne for its 5th edition, on August 1st. The next day, the race will continue its journey in Switzerland, between Aigle and Geneva. The arrival will take place in Nice on August 9, after an ascent of Mont Ventoux in particular. “It will be the hardest in history” commented Marion Rousse, director of the event.
The return of the individual time trial for women. Absent from the 2025 edition, the time trial will make its return to the women's Tour de France, during the 4th stage. After the start in Switzerland, the first 100% French stage will take the form of an individual time trial of 21 kilometers in Burgundy, between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon, with a bump and the Marsannay bends (1.8 km at 6.9%). A first opportunity for exercise specialists, like the Swiss Marlen Reusser, but also the favorites for final victory, like Demi Vollering, winner of the last time trial on the women's Tour de France in 2024, to explain themselves.
Spanish getaway for men. The 113th edition of the Men's Tour will leave Barcelona on July 4. Its route crosses the Pyrenees, then the Massif Central, before reaching the Alps to end in Paris on July 26. The 15th stage will arrive at the Solaison plateau (Haute-Savoie), for an unprecedented finish.
Alpe d’Huez to finish. The men's Tour will end with a huge piece before the arrival in Paris. After 18 days of fighting, the peloton will tackle a pair of stages at Alpe d'Huez, a legendary finish in the history of the Tour. The first day, during the 19th stage, will see the runners tackle the 21 bends to the station, after 128 kilometers of racing. The second, the next day, will be the queen stage of the edition, with 5,600 meters of positive altitude difference and the sequence of the Croix de Fer, Télégraphe and Galibier passes, before an ascent via the Sarenne pass. “So much elevation gain on the eve of the Champs-Elysées is unheard of”assures Christian Prudhomme.
