Spanish climber Juan Ayuso said Friday he is happy to shun the limelight as he begins his quest for a Tour de France podium finish in 2026, which would come with his new team, Lidl - Trek.
Most attention at the TDF 2026 will be on two-time defensing champion Tadej Pogačar, his main rival Jonas Vingegaard and French teenage prodigy Paul Seixas, as well as Olympic champion Remco Remco Evenepoel.
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Only four years ago, Ayuso was himself a teenage sensation, finishing third at the Vuelta a España 2022, matching Pogačar's Grand Tour debut in Spain as a 20-year-old in 2019.
Since then, Ayuso's star has not shone as brightly as many expected.
His results have been inconsistent - which is hardly surprising for a young rider.
Still only 23, he has won prestigious week-long stage races, such as the Tour of the Basque Country in 2024 and Tirreno-Adriatico last year.
But after backing up his Vuelta debut with a fourth-placed finish the following year in Spain, he has failed to deliver in Grand Tours.
The Lidl-Trek team leader was notable by his absence during the press conference for Tour favourites held by organisers on Thursday.
"I do like that they have more exposure, more pressure than me, and then I can do a bit more of my own thing," Ayuso told reporters on Friday. "But I don't really think about it. I just try to focus on myself."
Juan Ayuso Says He's In Good Shape For Return To Tour de France In 2026
He will be riding the Tour de France for the second time, having been forced out early in 2024 after testing positive for COVID-19.
He started this season in fine form, edging Seixas to win the Tour of the Algarve, but illness and injury hampered him until he bounced back last month with a third-placed finish at the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes.
"It's been a bit trickier than what I would have hoped for at the beginning of the year, but I think with all things considered, I'm coming here in good shape," Ayuso added.
With Pogačar and Vingegaard expected to continue hogging the top two steps of the Tour podium - as they have done for the last five years - Ayuso hopes to battle the likes of Seixas, Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro and Florian Lipowitz for a top-3 finish.
Ayuso is expecting Seixas to light up the race.
"I think he's a true racer," Ayuso said of the French 19-year-old. "He's not scared to go on to attack. I don't think he's going to wait and see; if he has legs, he's going to try it, and we have to be there."
But the Spaniard's own objective is clear.
"I think both the team and I dream of being on the podium in Paris," he added.
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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.
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.
Derek Gee Could Surprise Everyone At The Tour de France 2026
Canadian star Derek Gee is officially heading back to the Tour de France after being named to Lidl-Trek's squad for the 2026 edition.
We look at why he could be one of Lidl-Trek's most important riders in the mountains, and whether the Canadian can challenge for another top-10 finish or even a stage victory.
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