Overview
- The 2026 Tour starts this weekend in Barcelona with Tadej Pogačar widely viewed as the clear favorite after winning 13 races in 16 days so far this season.
- Jonas Vingegaard arrives as the chief challenger fresh from victories in Paris‑Nice, the Tour of Catalunya and the Giro d’Italia, giving him confidence but raising questions about fatigue.
- Nineteen‑year‑old Paul Seixas will make his Tour debut as France’s top home hope after a crash in a warm‑up race from which he says he has largely recovered.
- The route sends the peloton into the Pyrenees on day three, includes eight mountain stages and a lone time trial on Stage 16, with back‑to‑back summit finishes at Alpe d’Huez that are likely to decide the overall race.
- Team strength matters: UAE Team Emirates‑XRG brings a deep support group for Pogačar while Visma lost Wout van Aert to an elbow injury, a change that reduces sprint and support options for Vingegaard.