Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogačar is headed back to the Tour de France as the favorite to claim the coveted yellow jersey, and another win at the sport’s premier race would add one more layer to his growing legacy as part of cycling’s upper echelon.
If Pogačar is wearing yellow when the Tour de France 2026 concludes in Paris on July 26, he’d become the fifth rider in history to win the TDF five times.
However, he’ll be chased be some talented rivals, including two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, who is looking to complete the elusive Giro d’Italia-TDF double, which has only been achieved once this century. That was by Pogačar in 2024.
The 3,333-kilometer Tour de France 2026 journey will begin in Barcelona, Spain, on July 4 and challenge the riders over 21 intense stages.
- Subscribe To FloBikes To Catch All The Best Cycling, News And Highlights
- 5 Riders Who Could Challenge Tadej Pogačar At The TDF 2026
- Comment regarder le Tour de France 2026 au Canada
- Tour de France 2026 Entries: Who's Competing?
For the first time since 1971, the Tour de France will begin with a team time trial, and that will come as a 19.6-kilometer trek around Barcelona.
The first three stages of this year’s race will take place in Spain, before the action crosses the border into France. The 113th edition of the TDF then will visit 29 departments across seven French regions.
The multi-day Grand Départ will kick off July 2 with the formal introduction of the 23 teams that will be taking part in this year’s race.
Saturday’s opening stage will mark the 27th foreign start for the Tour de France, and it will be the third time the event has started in Spain. The other two were San Sebastian in 1992 and Bilbao in 2023.
Barcelona previously hosted stages of the Tour de France in 1957, 1965 and 2009 and is known for successfully welcoming the Summer Olympics in 1992. The main Olympic stadium from that year will have a noteworthy presence in the first two days of this year’s TDF.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France from July 4-26 will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and the team time trial in Stage 1.
The diverse terrain again will test versatility and endurance, but the challenge also will require mental strength and the ability to manage fatigue and adrenaline.
The only reprieve will come over a pair of rest days on July 13 and July 20.
Pogačar won the Tour de France in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025, while Vingegaard claimed the crystal trophy in 2022 and 2023.
FloBikes and the FloSports app will be the exclusive home of the Tour de France 2026 for viewers in Canada and also will have replays, highlights, interviews, recaps, results, previews and more throughout the 21 days of competition.
A Look At The Route Map For The Tour de France 2026
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.
Details about the entire route can be found 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.
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)
Why Subscribe To FloBikes?
A FloBikes subscription provides access to the Tour de France for Canadian fans, and so much more throughout the year.
In addition to live races, FloBikes subscribers can check out replays, highlights, breaking news, interviews, schedules and other exclusive content.
The calendar includes the Flanders Classics, the UCI World Championships, USA Cycling events and everything from road races to mountain biking to BMX action.
How To Watch The Tour de France 2026
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.
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.
This Tour de France 2026 Has Everything
The Tour de France 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting editions in years.
Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock, Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas are all set to battle across three weeks of racing from Barcelona to Paris.
With Grand Tour champions, Monument winners and cycling’s brightest young stars all lining up, the storylines are endless.
We break down why this year's Tour could be a classic and why Canadian fans can watch every stage live and on demand on FloBikes with both the world feed and French feed available throughout the race.
Catch All The Best Races, Highlights, Insight, News And More On FloBikes
FloBikes is the streaming home to some of the best cycling from across the globe. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more of your favorites in action.
FloBikes Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloBikes subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.