What's ahead at the Tour de France 2026 has affectionately been called the Alpine Trilogy - three intense days of climbing to likely determine this year's TDF winner.
It all begins in Stage 18 with the longest of the three rides, a 185.2-kilometer journey from Voiron to Orcières-Merlette that is the fourth-longest stage in the 113th edition of the event.
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- Who Won Stage 17 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
If the math doesn't seem correct, that's because there will be one additional day after the three mountain stages, but Stage 21 of the Tour de France traditionally is about reflection and celebration, with the winner already decided. Though the finale will have a winner of it's own, the majority of the stage is ceremonial.
That doesn't mean something crazy can't happen. It's just the tradition.
But, before anyone can celebrate, there's a lot of hard riding to do, and the tough mountain passages certainly have the ability to crack even the best riders.
Stage 18 features five categorized climbs, concluding with the Category 1 Orcières-Merlette climb, a final 7-kilometer trek to the finish at 1,825 meters above sea level.
Ahead of the race going vertical, Stage 17 offered another chance for the sprinters to show their stuff.
By the time the day was 100 kilometers into the 174.7-kilometer ride from Chambery to Voiron, a group of six riders was out front pacing the race.
From that group, Mads Pedersen was able to secure some much-needed points in the intermediate sprint, but shortly after, Jasper Styuven attacked rode away from the group. He was caught in the final 4 kilometers of the stage, and that gave the top sprinters the chance to get into position.
With a masterful lead-out from Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen finally was able to break through for his first win at the Tour de France 2026 after multiple top-5 finishes. It was his 11th TDF stage victory overall.
The win also brought Philipsen to within seven points of Pedersen in the fight for the green points jersey.
In the GC battle, two-time defending champion Tadej Pogačar still leads Remco Evenepoel by four and a half minutes.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes coverage of Stage 18 will begin at 6:25 a.m. Eastern and is expected to conclude around noon EDT.
Here’s what to know about Stage 18 of the Tour de France 2026, a 185.2-kilometer ride from Voiron to Orcières-Merlette with 3,900 meters of altitude gain:
Stage 18: Tour de France 2026
It's the final few days of the Tour de France 2026. The winner might not yet be finalized, but there are many riders well out of contention for the final podium.
However, that doesn't mean they can't shake things up and contend for a stage win or two, especially the climbing specialists.
Since the legendary finale has featured in the Tour de France for decades, it's one the top climbers will want to win. At worst, while it might not have much affect on the General Classification, there is sure to be an unforgettable battle for the stage itself.
At the same time, as much as the contenders might want to go full-gas on Stage 18, they'll have to be cautious enough to remain in top form for the two mountains days ahead. Stage 19 is much shorter, but it features the infamous Alpe d’Huez climb.
Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 18 Of The Tour de France 2026?
Stage 18 of the Tour de France 2026 is 185.2 kilometers, or approximately 115 miles long.
Tour de France 2026 Stage 18 Profile
Here is what the route looks like for Stage 18:
How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Stage 18
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
Who Won Stage 18 Of The Tour de France In 2025?
Stage 18 of the Tour de France 2025 also was a major mountain stage.
Ben O'Connor won the stage with a world-class climb over three Alpine mountains, and defending champion Tadej Pogačar tightened his grip on what would be the fourth yellow jersey/GC title of his career.
O'Connor went solo for 15 kilometers and finished almost two minutes ahead of Pogačar, who was second on the day. Through 18 stages, Pogačar led Jonas Vingegaard by almost four and a half minutes.
The two superstars did keep a close eye on each other, but it would've taken a catastrophe for Vingegaard to deny the reigning champion another overall victory.
Tour de France 2026 Results: Here’s Who Has Won Each Stage So Far
- Stage 1: Who Won Stage 1 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 2: Who Won Stage 2 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 3: Who Won Stage 3 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 4: Who Won Stage 4 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 5: Who Won Stage 5 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 6: Who Won Stage 6 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 7: Who Won Stage 7 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 8: Who Won Stage 8 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 9: Who Won Stage 9 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 10: Who Won Stage 10 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 11: Who Won Stage 11 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 12: Who Won Stage 12 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 13: Who Won Stage 13 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 14: Who Won Stage 14 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 15: Who Won Stage 15 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 16: Who Won Stage 16 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
- Stage 17: Who Won Stage 17 Of The Tour de France 2026? See The Full TDF Results Here
When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?
- Stage 1 (TTT) - July 4: Barcelone - Barcelone (19.6km)
- Stage 2 - July 5: Tarragone - Barcelone (168.5km)
- Stage 3 - July 6: Granollers - Les Angles (195.9km)
- Stage 4 - July 7: Carcassonne - Foix (181.9km)
- Stage 5 - July 8: Lannemezan - Pau (158.3km)
- Stage 6 - July 9: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
- Stage 7 - July 10: Hagetmau - Bordeaux (175.1km)
- Stage 8 - July 11: Périgueux - Bergerac (180.4km)
- Stage 9 - July 12: Malemort - Ussel (185.5km)
- Rest Day - July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 - July 14: Aurillac - Le Lioran (166.6km)
- Stage 11 - July 15: Vichy - Nevers (161.3km)
- Stage 12 - July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
- Stage 13 - July 17: Dole - Belfort (205.8km)
- Stage 14 - July 18: Mulhouse - Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
- Stage 15 - July 19: Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
- Rest Day - July 20: Haute-Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) - July 21: Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
- Stage 17 - July 22: Chambery - Voiron (174.7km)
- Stage 18 - July 23: Voiron - Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
- Stage 19 - July 24: Gap - Alpe d'Huez (127.9km)
- Stage 20 - July 25: Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez (170.9km)
- Stage 21 - July 26: Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin - Premier Tech
- Bahrain - Victorious
- Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
- Cofidis
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama - FDJ United
- Netcompany INEOS
- Lidl - Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic PostNL
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates - XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who Won The Tour de France In 2025?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
How Jasper Philipsen Turned Chaos Into Victory In Tour de France 2026 Stage 17
Jasper Philipsen won Stage 17 of the 2026 Tour de France in Voiron after a chaotic day that came down to a sprint finish.
In this finish-line interview package, Philipsen explains how the stage unfolded, why the sprint became possible and how Mathieu van der Poel delivered excellent lead-out work to put him in position for the victory.
We also hear from Mads Pedersen, who finished eighth on the stage and described the day as "shit."
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