The story of the 2026 Tour de France in 21 pictures

The Tour de France is a motorbike race, however it is usually a celebration of the nation’s landscapes and the drama it hosts as the very best cyclists on the planet battle one another for 3 weeks.

Tadej Pogačar gained the race for the fifth time however there have been myriad different tales as excessive warmth, crashes, pleasure and exhaustion mixed to create one other unforgettable version of the La Grande Boucle.

Here, then, is the story of the 2026 race in 21 photos.

Stage 1 – Saturday, July 4: Barcelona to Barcelona TTT. Winner: Visma-Lease a Bike

(Gongora/NurPhoto by way of Getty Images)

Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike gained the opening workforce time trial up Montjuic. It was the primary time since 2019 that the self-discipline has featured within the Tour — and likewise noticed the introduction of ‘Paris-Nice rules’ the place every rider’s time individually counts. Vingegaard had not worn yellow since final successful the Tour in 2023 — or since his life-threatening crash on the following 12 months’s Basque Itzulia — and later mentioned this maillot jaune felt like closing that chapter of his profession.

Stage 2 – Sunday, July 5: Tarragone to Barcelona. Winner: Isaac del Toro

(Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

Isaac del Toro nearly gained final 12 months’s Giro d’Italia — however his podium end at this 12 months’s Tour felt like one other step up once more. He was gifted victory by Pogačar on stage two, however had already dropped Vingegaard on the climb of Montjuic. Pogačar would later name this the spotlight of his Tour de France — higher even than his 5 stage wins — draping himself within the Mexican flag again at his workforce bus.

Stage 3 – Monday, July 6: Granollers to Les Angles. Winner: Tadej Pogacar

(POUJOULAT / AFP by way of Getty Images)

Calm with horses. Due to wildfires on the French-Spanish border, followers had been inspired to not attend the ultimate 40km of stage three in order that emergency providers might make the most of a key entry street impacted by the race. The ascent to Les Angles was eerie and ethereal, Pogačar outkicking Vingegaard to take yellow and his first of 5 phases on this version.

Stage 4 – Tuesday, July 7: Carcassonne to Foix. Winner: Mads Pedersen

(Loic VENANCE / AFP by way of Getty Images)

The hottest day of racing on the Tour de France since information started. Oppressive, dry, and suffocating. British rider Tom Pidcock estimated he made it by “10,000 water bottles.”

Stage 5 – Wednesday, July 8: Lannemezan to Pau. Winner: Olav Kooij

(Jeff PACHOUD / AFP by way of Getty Images)

Stage 6 – Thursday, July 9: Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre. Winner: Tadej Pogacar

(Jeff PACHOUD / AFP by way of Getty Images)

The stage that determined the Tour. Pogačar dropped Vingegaard on the ascent of the fearsome Tourmalet — however really took extra time on the descent. At its summit, Pogačar would describe himself as “a little bit scared”. “It’s a s*** downhill,” he mentioned later. “Really dangerous if you miss a corner.”

Stage 7 – Friday, July 10: Hagetmau to Bordeaux. Winner: Tim Merlier

(Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP by way of Getty Images)

In search of La France profonde. For many the Tour de France is about household custom as a lot as bike racing; it’s the recollections of sitting in your grandfather’s knee, awed and open-mouthed, watching the peloton flash previous in a blur of colour.

Stage 8 – Saturday, July 11 – Périgueux to Bergerac. Winner: Tim Merlier

(TOMAS SISK POOL / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP by way of Getty Images)

Tim Merlier delivered one of the vital exceptional sprints in Tour reminiscence on the street to Bergerac — coming from nearly 30 meters behind the leaders to take his second successive stage. On one other boiling day, he staggered inside with second-place Biniam Girmay looking for air-conditioning, collapsing on the press centre ground.

Stage 9 – Sunday, July 12: Malemort to Ussel. Winner: Mathieu van der Poel

(LUCA BETTINI / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP by way of Getty Images)

This was a Tour for the large hitters. Stage 9 was essentially the most aggressively fought breakaway stage of the race, with simply making it into the lead group a close to impossibility. Once he made the ultimate choice, Mathieu van der Poel was the most important fish by far. Better nonetheless was to return.

Stage 10 – Tuesday, July 14: Aurillac to Le Lioran. Winner: Tadej Pogacar

(Loic VENANCE / AFP by way of Getty Images)

Tadej Pogačar misplaced to Vingegaard in Le Lioran two years in the past. Defeats reside in Pogačar’s thoughts, he’s meticulous about correcting them. The revenge Tour gathered tempo along with his stage 10 triumph within the Massif Central.

Stage 11 – Wednesday, July 15: Vichy to Nevers. Winner: Søren Wærenskjold

(Jeff PACHOUD / AFP by way of Getty Images)

France’s empty inside can go years with out seeing a Tour stage. Nevers acquired two bites on the cherry — the native authority paying organizers a charge to host each the end of stage 11 and the beginning, at close by Magny-Cours, the next day. Søren Wærenskjold was essentially the most shock stage winner of this 12 months’s race.

Stage 12 – Thursday, July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours to Chalon-Sur-Saône. Winner: Tim Merlier

(Etienne Garnier – Pool/Getty Images)

The ache and the glory. Netcompany-INEOS’ Dorian Godon, mendacity down in gray, was dogged by the accidents he suffered within the remaining dash at Chalon-Sur-Saône for the remainder of the race. “Since the fall, I had trouble breathing through my diaphragm,” he mentioned after narrowly avoiding the time reduce every week later within the Alps. “I said yes in my mind, but then even my brain couldn’t force it anymore. I was on the verge of crying at the same time.”

Stage 13 – Friday, July 17: Dole to Belfort. Winner: Mauro Schmid

(LUCA BETTINI / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP by way of Getty Images)

Tom Pidcock rocketed up into the final classification reckoning in Belfort — however missed out on the stage win he craved to Mauro Schmid. This was an odd Tour for the UK’s prime rider. He succeeded in securing his first ever prime 10 Tour end — however had he let that go, would possibly he have been in a position to hunt phases.

Stage 14 – Saturday, July 18: Mulhouse to Le Markstein Fellering. Winner: Tadej Pogacar

(Bernard PAPON / POOL / AFP by way of Getty Images)

On his option to victory at Le Markstein, Pogačar needed to make clear that he was not smiling however grimacing. “When I suffer, I feel this is my suffer face,” he mentioned. “Some people might think I’m smiling, but how do I explain it’s when you suffer, but in a good way, when you’re not completely gone.”

Stage 15 – Sunday, July 19: Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison Brison. Winner: Remco Evenepoel

(Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP by way of Getty Images)

Vingegaard descending in stage 15. He entered the Tour concentrating on the third week. He didn’t even obtain the chance to try it. The Dane’s damaged collarbone late on this present day was a tragic finish to his run of 5 successive podium finishes — the hope is that the Tour sees him again.

Stage 16 – Tuesday, July 21: Évian-Les-Bains to Thonon-Les-Bains TT. Winner: Remco Evenepoel

(Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

Teams described the 25km time trial route round Thonon-Les-Bains as a pure check of capability — that includes a steep ascent, technical descent, and a difficult flat run-in to the end. Remco Evenepoel dominated the sphere to take the fourth Tour stage win of his profession, however teammate Florian Lipowitz, one other podium contender, crashed out.

Stage 17 – Wednesday, July 22: Chambery to Voiron. Winner: Jasper Philipsen

(LUCA BETTINI / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP by way of Getty Images)

The Redemption of Jasper. Philipsen had endured a brutal Tour — getting into because the anticipated quickest man on the race, he repeatedly failed to complete after being well-placed by his teammates, tossing his helmet from the workforce bus after second-week disappointment. Stage 17 appeared like a day for the breakaway, and it was, however one which contained Philipsen, who hit the entrance within the remaining metres to win — and shortly afterwards collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed.

Stage 18 – Thursday, July 23: Voiron to Orcières-Merlette. Winner: Richard Carapaz

(PETE GODING / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP by way of Getty Images)

It is unattainable to catch the essence of Carapaz in a nonetheless; the Ecuadorian a swaying pendulum as he climbs, hunched over the handlebars. His assaults — and pursuit of the polka dot jersey towards the courageous Valentin Paret-Peintre — animated the ultimate days of the race.

Stage 19 – Friday, July 24: Gap to Alpe d’Huez. Winner: Tadej Pogacar

(Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

Like Moses sweeping his hand, Pogacar parted the crowds to ship one among his biggest victories on France’s iconic mountain of the individuals. He hauled again a spot of three minutes and 30 seconds on the backside of Alpe d’Huez — shattering Marco Pantani’s 29-year-old climbing report. But after a number of spectator-related incidents over the course of the stage, what’s the mountain’s race future?

Stage 20 – Saturday, July 25: Le Bourg D’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez. Winner: Richard Carapaz

(Jeff PACHOUD / AFP by way of Getty Images)

The Col de Sarenne is a protected nature reserve — with crowds banned from the ultimate excessive mountain go of this 12 months’s race. After being surrounded by the eyes of the nation for 3 weeks, Paul Seixas, France’s 19-year-old phenom, lastly discovered his limits as Del Toro secured third — however he’s nonetheless the primary teenager to complete within the prime 10 in over a century.

Stage 21 – Sunday, July 26: Paris. Winner: Mathieu van der Poel

(LUCA BETTINI / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP by way of Getty Images)

Fini. Van der Poel delivered the superhuman and curled up like a child, struggling coursing by each nerve finish. Attacking on Montmartre with Pogacar, the duo rode by their limits because the Dutchman delivered one of the vital lovely finishes ever seen on the Champs-Elysées. Vive le Tour.