Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[Red Rick]

I wonder if someone left autotranslate on/off or clicked a wrong knop

 

[gavia88]

Wrong language, mate.

They are starting from Granollers and then supposedly going via Collada de Toses and entering France in Bourg-Madame, that would already be a >180k stage via the shortest route so the big detour to take in Llose or Creu is almost certainly not happening. Calvaire is possible, but the hardest side they can do is 12.4k at 5.1% and that would be at 19k to go at a minimum if they don't go through the centre of Les Angles (unlikely) and at 23k to go if they do, so that won't do much.

Guzet-Neige is apparently out and we are going to Foix again instead (possibly a descent finish, possibly the return of Prat d'Albis).

damn, typing in Dutch was a bit silly. But yeah, with Guzet-Neige out, it's already a bit of a different story indeed about my story about the
originality of the Pyrenees stages

 

[gavia88]

I wonder if someone left autotranslate on/off or clicked a wrong knop

no, just switching bad between languages haha

 

[tobydawq]

It sounds like there will be no Planche des Belles Filles next year. Will the forum be able to recover from this disappointment?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

It sounds like there will be no Planche des Belles Filles next year. Will the forum be able to recover from this disappointment?

I‘m trying to cope, I‘ve read that, should Cross become an Olympic sport in 2030, the race could be held on Planche des Belles Filles.

 

[HashRouge]

Last thing I read was an article shared on Reddit claiming stage 14 would finish on Planche des Belles Filles. I can't wait till the route is announced. I was hoping there would be another group of Pyrenees mountain stages but not sure that will happen based on the rumours I've seen.

 

[rghysens]

Course so far:
1) ttt Barcelona
2) Tarragona - Barcelona: hilly final around Montjuic
3) Granollers - Les Angles: medium mountain with rolling final (breakaway stage or big group uphill sprint)
4) Limoux - around Foix: mountainous
5) Lannemezan - Pau: can be anything, but probably flattish
6) Pau - Gavarnie: massive mountain stage
7) to Bordeaux: flat
8) Bergerac - Perigueux: rolling stage in the Dordogne region or itt
9) Malemort - Ussel: very hilly stage, similar to the stage Healy won this year, and even more to the stage Hirschi won in 2020.
Restday
10) Aurillac - Le Lioran: see 2024
11) Vichy - around Nevers: flat
12) Moulins - Chalons-sur- Saône: depends. Immediately south of Chalons there are some nasty hills, but when coming from the north(west), probably flat
13) Dole - Belfort: probably not very difficult, but is possible to include the Ballon d´Alsace as historical reference. That, however, would only avoid a mass sprint.
14) to Le Markstein: difficult Vosges stage, similar to the 2023 stage, but probably witb col du Haag (most difficult side of Grand Ballon - 12.5 km @ 7.5% or thereabouts)
15) Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison: hc mtf
Rest
16) Evian - Thonon: itt?
17 - 20) unclear, but a finish in Alpe d´Huez and a stage to Orcières-Merlettes similar to the 1982 one seem garanteed.
21) Paris montmartre

So, all in all a very backloaded route, and with the dominance of Pog that´s all we can hope for.

 

[Monsi]

Course so far:
1) ttt Barcelona
2) Tarragona - Barcelona: hilly final around Montjuic
3) Granollers - Les Angles: medium mountain with rolling final (breakaway stage or big group uphill sprint)
4) Limoux - around Foix: mountainous
5) Lannemezan - Pau: can be anything, but probably flattish
6) Pau - Gavarnie: massive mountain stage
7) to Bordeaux: flat
8) Bergerac - Perigueux: rolling stage in the Dordogne region or itt
9) Malemort - Ussel: very hilly stage, similar to the stage Healy won this year, and even more to the stage Hirschi won in 2020.
Restday
10) Aurillac - Le Lioran: see 2024
11) Vichy - around Nevers: flat
12) Moulins - Chalons-sur- Saône: depends. Immediately south of Chalons there are some nasty hills, but when coming from the north(west), probably flat
13) Dole - Belfort: probably not very difficult, but is possible to include the Ballon d´Alsace as historical reference. That, however, would only avoid a mass sprint.
14) to Le Markstein: difficult Vosges stage, similar to the 2023 stage, but probably witb col du Haag (most difficult side of Grand Ballon - 12.5 km @ 7.5% or thereabouts)
15) Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison: hc mtf
Rest
16) Evian - Thonon: itt?
17 - 20) unclear, but a finish in Alpe d´Huez and a stage to Orcières-Merlettes similar to the 1982 one seem garanteed.
21) Paris montmartre

So, all in all a very backloaded route, and with the dominance of Pog that´s all we can hope for.

Hmm I don't think it's backloaded at all as of now. Foix (and possibly Prat d'Albis) and possibly Tourmalet-Gavarnie in the first week. Le Lioran, Le Markstein, and Solaison in the second week. The ITT and Alpe d'Huez (possibly twice) in the third week.

 

[Netserk]

It's looking very good. Possibly excellent (modolo expectations).

I hope stage 8 is like the 2014 ITT.

I hope the last week is:

16 - mountain stage to Chambéry
17 - Orcières
18 - AdH
19 - breakaway stage
20 - ITT
21 - Montmartre

 

[Jan the Man]

With the TTT would probably be surprising to see 2 other ITTs but that would be my preferance.

 

[OlavEH]

I like the rumours for the two first weeks here, not so much the last week. AdH is a bit "meh, and even more so a MTF at Orcieres. There are so many and better climbs or combo of climbs in the French Alps than these.....

 

[Netserk]

I like the rumours for the two first weeks here, not so much the last week. AdH is a bit "meh, and even more so a MTF at Orcieres. There are so many and better climbs or combo of climbs in the French Alps than these.....

Theoretically, those could be awesome stages back-to-back.

 

[hayneplane]

Course so far:
1) ttt Barcelona
2) Tarragona - Barcelona: hilly final around Montjuic
3) Granollers - Les Angles: medium mountain with rolling final (breakaway stage or big group uphill sprint)
4) Limoux - around Foix: mountainous
5) Lannemezan - Pau: can be anything, but probably flattish
6) Pau - Gavarnie: massive mountain stage
7) to Bordeaux: flat
8) Bergerac - Perigueux: rolling stage in the Dordogne region or itt
9) Malemort - Ussel: very hilly stage, similar to the stage Healy won this year, and even more to the stage Hirschi won in 2020.
Restday
10) Aurillac - Le Lioran: see 2024
11) Vichy - around Nevers: flat
12) Moulins - Chalons-sur- Saône: depends. Immediately south of Chalons there are some nasty hills, but when coming from the north(west), probably flat
13) Dole - Belfort: probably not very difficult, but is possible to include the Ballon d´Alsace as historical reference. That, however, would only avoid a mass sprint.
14) to Le Markstein: difficult Vosges stage, similar to the 2023 stage, but probably witb col du Haag (most difficult side of Grand Ballon - 12.5 km @ 7.5% or thereabouts)
15) Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison: hc mtf
Rest
16) Evian - Thonon: itt?
17 - 20) unclear, but a finish in Alpe d´Huez and a stage to Orcières-Merlettes similar to the 1982 one seem garanteed.
21) Paris montmartre

So, all in all a very backloaded route, and with the dominance of Pog that´s all we can hope for.

That is potentially one of the better paced GTs in recent years especially with regards to having promising stages in the weekend stages before the rest days (8-9 and 14-15).

There should be some proper gaps on GC before we get to the first flat sprint day so hopefully less crash filled chaos.

A super hilly stage on Stage 9 at the longest point in the race without a day off can be very attritional and cause bigger gaps even than traditional MTF.

 

[nightowl]

Course so far:
1) ttt Barcelona
2) Tarragona - Barcelona: hilly final around Montjuic
3) Granollers - Les Angles: medium mountain with rolling final (breakaway stage or big group uphill sprint)
4) Limoux - around Foix: mountainous
5) Lannemezan - Pau: can be anything, but probably flattish
6) Pau - Gavarnie: massive mountain stage
7) to Bordeaux: flat
8) Bergerac - Perigueux: rolling stage in the Dordogne region or itt
9) Malemort - Ussel: very hilly stage, similar to the stage Healy won this year, and even more to the stage Hirschi won in 2020.
Restday
10) Aurillac - Le Lioran: see 2024
11) Vichy - around Nevers: flat
12) Moulins - Chalons-sur- Saône: depends. Immediately south of Chalons there are some nasty hills, but when coming from the north(west), probably flat
13) Dole - Belfort: probably not very difficult, but is possible to include the Ballon d´Alsace as historical reference. That, however, would only avoid a mass sprint.
14) to Le Markstein: difficult Vosges stage, similar to the 2023 stage, but probably witb col du Haag (most difficult side of Grand Ballon - 12.5 km @ 7.5% or thereabouts)
15) Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison: hc mtf
Rest
16) Evian - Thonon: itt?
17 - 20) unclear, but a finish in Alpe d´Huez and a stage to Orcières-Merlettes similar to the 1982 one seem garanteed.
21) Paris montmartre

So, all in all a very backloaded route, and with the dominance of Pog that´s all we can hope for.

If stage 8 really is an ITT it basically has to be 50km+ long to get between Bergerac and Perigeaux.

It would be an extremely pleasant surprise to get a TTT, a 50km ITT, and presumably a shortish 30km TT on stage 16 all in one race. Given the direction of race design in the last decade or so though, I’m going to wait to see it to believe it!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If stage 8 really is an ITT it basically has to be 50km+ long to get between Bergerac and Perigeaux.

It would be an extremely pleasant surprise to get a TTT, a 50km ITT, and presumably a shortish 30km TT on stage 16 all in one race. Given the direction of race design in the last decade or so though, I’m going to wait to see it to believe it!

It will almost certainly be a road stage, even though bringing back the 2014 ITT route would be way better from a balancing and pacing perspective.

I also don't see how Ussel is going to be a very hard hilly stage, the good climbs in the region are pretty far away from that town. Will by necessity be an easier stage than the one Hirschi won not too far away in 2020. In fact, if stage 8 finishes in Périgueux rather than Bergerac then that's a better opportunity for a hard hilly stage on the second weekend.

 

[HashRouge]

Does anyone have any more info (or rumours) about the Gavarnie stage? I went to the Pyrenees last year and I'd quite like to go again this year. Stages 3, 4 and 6 look like they might be quite good if I can sort accommodation again.

 

[Netserk]

Does anyone have any more info (or rumours) about the Gavarnie stage? I went to the Pyrenees last year and I'd quite like to go again this year. Stages 3, 4 and 6 look like they might be quite good if I can sort accommodation again.

Probably finish at ski station like in 2017 of route du sud. I hope they do Tourmalet as penultimate climb.

 

[houtdffan]

Probably finish at ski station like in 2017 of route du sud. I hope they do Tourmalet as penultimate climb.

which mountain is that ski station on?

 

[Cookster15]

which mountain is that ski station on?

Plateau de Saugué ?

Plateau de Saugué from Gavarnie Gèdre - Profile of the ascent

Plateau de Saugué from Gavarnie Gèdre is a climb in the region Hautes-Pyrénées. It is 6.8km long and bridges 602 vertical meters with an average gradient of

climbfinder.com

6.8km @ 8.8%

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Plateau de Saugué ?

Plateau de Saugué from Gavarnie Gèdre - Profile of the ascent

Plateau de Saugué from Gavarnie Gèdre is a climb in the region Hautes-Pyrénées. It is 6.8km long and bridges 602 vertical meters with an average gradient of

climbfinder.com

6.8km @ 8.8%

No, it's this climb until Station de Gavarnie-Gèdre.

You can't go all the way to the actual summit in a pro race because you enter the most protected zone of the national park at ~1.7k below the col, and there isn't really anywhere with enough space to put a finish between that point and the ski station, so just like in the 2017 Route du Sud you basically have to finish there.

By the way, that Route du Sud stage was an absolute cracker in terms of route and racing alike:

Route du Sud 2017 - featuring the peloton losing control of a strong breakaway on the first stage and finishing six minutes down. It should have been an easy win for a young Richard Carapaz from there… but Silvan Dillier, who had also been part of that break, entered the breakaway once again on a very hard Pyrenean queen stage, with the likes of Rolland and Moscon. Dillier was dropped from that breakaway on both Tourmalet and Gaborisse (the first 2/3 of Luz Ardiden via the back road), but successfully chased back on the descents. He was dropped for good on the final climb to Gavarnie, and Rolland went on to win the stage. Meanwhile, Carapaz had attacked from the peloton, passed Dillier at the last, but the Swiss rider had amassed exactly enough bonus seconds to take the race lead by a single second and successfully defended it on the final day. Not bad for someone who’s better known for a second place at Paris-Roubaix…

 

[OlavEH]

By the way, that Route du Sud stage was an absolute cracker in terms of route and racing alike

That Gaborisse climb, is that part of the climb to Luz Ardiden?