Race director Christian Prudhomme has admitted the 2026 Tour de France route has an “in crescendo” design, with the toughest levels to L’Alpe d’Huez arriving on the finish, to make sure the race stays undecided and so with out Tadej Pogačar dominating for 3 weeks.
“The phrase that finest sums it up is a Tour in crescendo,” Prudhomme advised France Information after revealing the route of the lads’s 2026 race alongside Marion Rousse, who offered the route of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes.
“We’ll begin robust in Barcelona, then cross the 5 main French mountain ranges, and finish with an unprecedented finale. Earlier than the double Alpe d’Huez, no rider will have the ability to say they’ve gained the Tour, even when they’ve an enormous lead.
“On this version, there shall be 5 summit finishes, together with three within the three days earlier than the end in Paris. Even when the yellow jersey has a five-minute lead, they will not have the ability to say they’ve gained. Pogačar has already confirmed he can achieve time on all terrains, however the course is designed in such a approach that the stress shall be in crescendo.”
Prudhomme isn’t attempting to restrict Pogačar’s possibilities of victory. Certainly, he has supplied him an opportunity to make historical past with a fifth victory and recall a historic second of the 1986 Tour de France, when Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault completed collectively at L’Alpe d’Huez, the American successful his third Tour, which means Hinault was unable to win for a sixth time.
“I think about that when Pogačar sees there’s L’Alpe d’Huez twice, he’ll wish to win up there, like the best. It’s going to be 40 years after Hinault-LeMond, that is one thing particular.”
Stage 20 from Bourg-d’Oisans, on the foot of L’Alpe d’Huez, is arguably the Queen stage of the 2026 Tour. It covers 171km and climbs the Croix de Fer, the Télégraphe and the Galibier earlier than the quick method to the 12.8km Col de Sarenne, after which an additional twist of the ultimate hairpins as much as the L’Alpe d’Huez end.
Little recognized steep climbs and a brand new highway to Montmartre
The Tour de France will begin in Barcelona, and so the Pyrenees will supply early mountaineering however have a lesser influence on the GC battle. Stage 6 climbs the Tourmalet, however the 2026 Tour additionally visits a number of of France’s mountain ranges and climbs some little-known however very testing uphill roads.
The Col du Haag on stage 16 is on a not too long ago asphalted bike path within the forest beneath the Grand Ballon within the Vosges mountains. It’s 11.2km lengthy at 7.3% and comes only a few kilometres from the Le Markstein end.
“The Haag is a part of our seek for climbs with excessive percentages within the different mountain ranges. It is a climb for the long run, within the forest, the place spectators keep safely all day, even when it is scorching,” Prudhomme defined.
“The Plateau de Solaison on stage 15 can be a really steep climb, magnificent surroundings, with a relaxation day the following day, so it is going to be powerful. Then there’s the stage 18 end to Orcières Merlette, well-known for when Ocaña dropped Merckx in 1971.”
Regardless of the Barcelona Grand Départ, Prudhomme isn’t overly involved about additional pro-Palestinian protests like those who disrupted the Vuelta a España in September. The Israel-Premier Tech workforce have not too long ago mentioned they’ll rename and rebrand to safe its future, with Israeli workforce proprietor Sylvan Adams stepping again from his day-to-day involvement within the workforce.
“The worldwide scenario isn’t in our management, however it has modified. It has advanced in the best path in current weeks,” Prudhomme mentioned.
“Moreover, the statements made by the workforce involved have calmed issues down. Barcelona has all the time advised us that it desires to make its Grand Départ the most important in historical past.”
Prudhomme defined why ASO made adjustments to the ultimate stage in Paris, so the climb to Butte Montmartre might keep within the race.
Some sprinters should still have an opportunity of victory in 2026 regardless of the 130km stage climbing as much as the Sacré-Cœur 3 times as a result of the ultimate summit is 15km away from the end on the Champs Élysées.
“The police chief mentioned sure to repeating the Montmartre last circuit, however on one situation: we might not undergo Rue Royale to return to Place de la Concorde. He wished us to return through Avenue Wagram and subsequently the highest of the Champs-Élysées,” Prudhomme defined.
“This strikes the end line additional away from the highest of Rue Lepic. I do not suppose we’ll have a bunch dash however a sprinter able to overcoming the hills, like Mads Pedersen, can have each probability.”
