Tour de France 2026 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days

Tadej Pogacar’s quest to write yet more cycling history begins on Saturday 4 July as he aims to equal the record of five Tour de France victories.

The two-time world champion currently sits level on four titles with the now-retired Chris Froome, and will face competition from double Tour winner and recent Giro d’Italia champion Jonas Vingegaard, as well as former Vuelta champion Remco Evenepoel and young starlet Paul Seixas, who carries the weight of the home nation’s expectations on his shoulders at his debut Grand Tour.

Pogacar, Vingegaard and co. face a tricky first week as the Tour heads from its Grand Depart in Barcelona - including the first opening-day team time trial since 1971 - via the Pyrenees.

There are five summit finishes in total along with seven flat stages, four ‘hilly’ outings and one individual time trial as well as the TTT.

But as in previous Tours the destiny of the yellow jersey - if it isn’t already sewn up by that point - will be decided on the penultimate weekend, as the peloton summits Alpe d’Huez not once but twice on gruelling back-to-back days.

After that it’s time for the traditional final stage in Paris, which is no longer the sprinters’ procession it once was, including three laps of the new Montmartre loop after its successful introduction last year.

Stage 1: Barcelona > Barcelona, 19.6km (TTT)

The race begins with a team time trial through Barcelona, predominantly flat-ish but featuring two sharp ramps - the Côte de Montjuïc (1.1km at 5.1%) and the Côte du Stade Olympique (800m at 7%) - atop which the stage finishes.

In a twist on the usual Grand Tour format, each rider will receive their own individual time, so teams are likely to shelter their leader for as long as possible before doing an extended lead-out to deliver him to the winning time. The team with the quickest rider across the line wins the stage.

Stage 2: Tarragona > Barcelona, 168.5km (hilly)

Tarragona makes its Tour de France debut with a hair-raising stage for the puncheurs. A gentle first half is followed by the category two Cote de Begues, the first categorised climb of the race, and then three circuits of a Classics-style finishing loop in the final 30km, which includes three ascents of the Cote du Chateau de Montjuic, a 1.6km stretch at 9.3%.

Stage 3: Granollers > Les Angles, 195.9km (mountains)

Far from a relaxed start to this year’s race, we’re into the Pyrenees by day three, crossing the Spanish border into France with about a quarter of the stage to go. There are four categorised climbs on the menu, including the category one Col de Toses, which runs for 9.3km at an average of 6.5%, before another ramp up to the finish line at Les Angles. A good stage for a breakaway, if whoever in yellow lets them get away.

Stage 4: Carcassonne > Foix, 181.9km (hilly)

Another day for an enterprising breakaway as the race dials down the elevation gain from the mountains to the Pyrenean foothills, with four categorised climbs on the menu and plenty more unofficial bumps in the road as well. It could equally come down to a sprint, with a gradual descent into Foix and the final climb coming with 35km to go, plenty of time for the sprint trains to get themselves organised.

Stage 5: Lannemezan > Pau, 158.3km (flat)

If stage four doesn’t come down to a sprint, stage five will. The first out-and-out pan-flat stage of the race, there is only one categorised climb on the agenda, with 26km of flat to go after that’s out the way. At only 1km long it shouldn’t trouble any of the sprinters too much, and it’s likely to be a fast and furious finish in the town of Pau, a frequent host of the Tour.

Stage 6: Pau > Gavarnie-Gedre, 186.2km (mountains)

After a nice flat day it’s straight back into the Pyrenees, and the Tour’s final visit to this mountain range is an absolute cracker. The tried-and-tested combo of the Col d’Aspin and infamous Col du Tourmalet (at 7.3% for 17.1km, one of the hardest climbs in the Tour and the toughest yet) are to be surmounted before the race makes its maiden voyage to Gavarnie-Gedre, a modest summit finish on a category two climb. This is a huge day for the general classification contenders and not one to be missed.

Stage 7: Hagetmau > Bordeaux, 175.1km (flat)

Back on the flat after yesterday’s mountainous outing. The small town of Hagetmau makes its Tour debut as the race winds through Landes and into Gironde, with one small category four bump, the Cote de Beguey, en route to the classic sprint-finish town of Bordeaux. The finale is flat, fast and straight, with the final corner with less than 4km to go.

Stage 8: Perigueux > Bergerac, 180.4km (flat)

Into the Dordogne for another chance for the sprinters, a reverse-C shape jaunt east, south and then west. Marcel Kittel won on a near-identical parcours back in 2017. There are two categorised climbs either side of the warm-up intermediate sprint, and a technical run-in to the finish, with four corners inside the final 4km and a major one at the 500m to go mark, so it could be a nervy one.

Stage 9: Malemort > Ussel, 185.5km (hilly)

With the Pyrenees done, it’s into the Massif Central for a hilly conclusion to the opening week. It’s a great day out for the puncheurs and will likely tempt many into the breakaway, particularly after a couple of flat stages, with some serious climbing all day, and a bumpy but uncategorised run-in to the finish which could see some late action.

Rest day - Cantal

Stage 10: Aurillac > Le Lioran, 166.6km (mountains)

Back into the hills of the Massif Central after the first rest day, and as befitting Bastille Day, it should be a dramatic day out. There’s almost 4,000m of elevation gain across seven categorised climbs, including two category ones, and a lot more unofficial climbing too. Jonas Vingegaard will have fond memories of Le Lioran, where he claimed a surprise sprint win over a fading Tadej Pogacar back in the 2024 Tour; Pogacar made his break on the category one Puy Mary but was caught by the Dane on the Col de Pertus, both of which feature again. Will we see a rematch of that duel?

Stage 11: Vichy > Nevers, 161.3km (flat)

A transitional stage and a flat one for the sprinters, with two straightforward category four climbs and not a whole lot else. The second climb is nearly 40km from the finish, so shouldn’t bother any of the fast men unless something has really gone wrong. There are two roundabouts in the last kilometre, so it could be a tricky run-in.

Stage 12: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours > Chalon-sur-Saone, 179.1km (flat)

Something of a novelty for the Tour de France, stage 12 begins with a lap of the Magny-Cours racing circuit before embarking on another bumpy, transitional stage. This is likely to be another outing for the sprinters as the hills aren’t unduly taxing.

Stage 13: Dole > Belfort, 205.8km (hilly)

The longest stage of this year’s Tour, and the only one over 200km. We’re into the third mountain range of this year’s Tour, the Vosges, and ASO have slightly misleadingly labelled this ‘hilly’ despite the presence of the category one, 8.9km long Ballon d’Alsace, which averages out at 6.9%. The climb comes with 40km to go and it’s a descent to the line from there; this could either be a fine day for the breakaway or one for the GC contenders to flex their muscles and try to stay away on the descent.

Stage 14: Mulhouse > Le Markstein Fellering, 155.3km (mountains)

Stage 13 is the hors-d’oeuvre, stage 14 is the big one. Four classified climbs on the menu, three of which are cat-one, before a descent to the finish at Le Markstein, where Pogacar won in 2023 but not by enough to derail Vingegaard’s overall victory. The other climbs are the Grand Ballon, the Col du Page, and the Ballon d’Alsace, approached from the other side to yesterday, and the Col du Haag, before the 6km ride down the mountain to the finish line.

Stage 15: Champagnole > Plateau de Solaison, 183.9km (mountains)

Even though this is the 113th edition of the Tour there are still mountains to include for the first time, and today marks the Tour debut for the Plateau de Solaison, the second hors-categorie climb of the race. It’s 11.3km averaging at 9%, with the first 4km in double digits, and the stage finishes atop its summit. There are three categorised climbs to surmount first, before the GC battle is likely to ignite on the final ascent.

Rest day - Haute-Savoie

Stage 16: Evian-les-Bains > Thonon-les-Bains, 26.1km (ITT)

The race resumes with the only individual time trial of this year’s race, which could catch out any GC contenders who took the rest day a bit too easily. The stage begins on the shores of Lake Geneva and traverses the category two Cote de Larringes (9.7km at 4.3%), but it’s flat enough to be a stage for a proper TT set-up rather than any funny business with switching bikes. Expect the likes of Remco Evenepoel to shine.

Stage 17: Chambery > Voiron, 174.7km (flat)

A stage of two halves, and not really flat at all, but flat by ASO’s standards. There are four categorised climbs inside the first 65km before an undulating run all the way to the finish in Voiron, which is likely to be the pure sprinters’ last real chance due to the tinkering with stage 21. This could also be a day for the breakaway, if they can hold off the sprinters’ trains.

Stage 18: Voiron > Orcieres-Merlette, 185.2km (mountains)

Into the Alps for a huge final weekend. There are five climbs on the menu and the stage is bookended by category-ones, with the summit finish at Orcieres-Merlette (7.1km at 6.7%). Think of this as the warm-up act for stages 19 and 20. The last time the Tour finished here was in 2020, when all the GC favourites recorded the same time, so it could be a similar story this year as the yellow jersey contenders keep their powder dry for Alpe d’Huez.

Stage 19: Gap > Alpe d’Huez, 127.9km (mountains)

Speaking of Alpe d’Huez. This is the shorter and less dramatic of the two stages featuring the Tour’s most iconic ascent, with a lot of valley road between the first two climbs and the final two. The climbing begins straight out of the gate from Gap, with the Col Bayard and Col du Noyer first up, then the Col d’Ornon and a descent before the 13.8km, 8.1%, hors-categorie Alpe. The first of two summit finishes.

Stage 20: Le Bourg d’Oisans > Alpe d’Huez, 170.9km (mountains)

Is France so lacking in iconic mountains that the Tour needs to visit Alpe d’Huez twice in the same year, and in the same weekend? You’d think not, but that’s not what the route organisers have decided. This is the big one, the queen stage, with 5,600m of climbing on the agenda and altitude to contend with as well.

It’s a who’s who of iconic climbs: first up is the Col de la Croix de Fer, then the Col de Telegraphe, the Col du Galibier, then the Col de Sarenne, and back up Alpe d’Huez for one more lung-busting time. The Col de Sarenne has never been summited before - although it’s been used as a descent - which only adds to the intrigue. Clear your diaries for this one.

Stage 21: Thoiry > Paris Champs-Elysees, 133km (flat)

With the GC decided, it’s back to Paris for the final stage, although not as we know it. Last year’s loops of Montmartre were such a runaway success that they’re back, promising an enthralling second half of the stage, with three ascents of the 1km, 6.5% climb before the finish on the iconic Champs-Elysees. It’s unlikely to be a sprint procession, but the Classics-like terrain will make for a fascinating finale to this year’s race.