Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[rghysens]

I miss a good old 7 hours marathon. Something like Gardeccia 2011 or Aprica 2008.

Those would take less than 6h nowadays.

 

[Red Rick]

Or even a stage like the 249k one to Le Creusot in 2021.

That's a much better use of distance anyway, to create pressure on teams and distance to make a big gap if a weird group gets away.

The main reason I think crazy attrition would be good isn't really reallly cause riders would attack it hard, but more that it adds complexity in regards to feeding, recovery, and that that fatigue then affects subsequent days

 

[Red Rick]

Those would take less than 6h nowadays.

They wouldn't go 38 kph average man like what the hell or is my sarcasm defector defectoring

 

[ashhutch1997]

I miss a good old 7 hours marathon. Something like Gardeccia 2011 or Aprica 2008.

Swap Aprica 2008 with Aprica 1996.
Aprica 2008 was a very disappointing queen stage as they decided to finish in Tirano.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Swap Aprica 2008 with Aprica 1996.
Aprica 2008 was a very disappointing queen stage as they decided to finish in Tirano.

It was disappointing because Ricco wasn't able to drop the great one.

 

[Red Rick]

Swap Aprica 2008 with Aprica 1996.
Aprica 2008 was a very disappointing queen stage as they decided to finish in Tirano.

Finishing in Tirano should never the the problem. Just an extra descent + 5.5 km of flat after. It didn't stop old mate Sella to solo another one with all of his 23 kilograms. In theory, I think it's near perfect queen stage design.

 

[ChiefMasterPro]

In my opinion a good Grand Tour should have a mix of short, medium and long mountain stages, as well as a good mix of hilly/medium mountain stages, high mountain stages for long attacks and mountain stages which focus primarily on the final climb.

It makes or breaks the race though, how you mix them (e.g. La Plagne doesn't work so well on a short stage) and how you place them. (e.g. Giro stage to Champoluc was placed badly)

 

[Ulle97]

In my opinion a good Grand Tour should have a mix of short, medium and long mountain stages, as well as a good mix of hilly/medium mountain stages, high mountain stages for long attacks and mountain stages which focus primarily on the final climb.

It makes or breaks the race though, how you mix them (e.g. La Plagne doesn't work so well on a short stage) and how you place them. (e.g. Giro stage to Champoluc was placed badly)

Would it be a good idea to place a couple of dense mountain stages in the first week?
I'm talking about a Bonette/Isola or Galibier/Granon stage in week 1?

It could sort the GC order early and force the riders to attack on lesser stages in week 2/3??


Or what is the ideal 'pacing' for a Tour?

 

[Fyr3]

Would it be a good idea to place a couple of dense mountain stages in the first week?
I'm talking about a Bonette/Isola or Galibier/Granon stage in week 1?

It could sort the GC order early and force the riders to attack on lesser stages in week 2/3??


Or what is the ideal 'pacing' for a Tour?

You can try it for sure but, because these stages are the ones heavily marked by the GC favourites, it's likely the Tour gets decided on that one day, and its just a fight for minor places after that.

I think the 2020 Giro route did a really good job of pacing. You have some early summit finishes and mountain stages that set a GC hierarchy but aren't complicated enough to completely decide the race from the get go. Then some transition days and the first really big summit finish only by the end of the second week to keep the tension until late in the race even in the worst case scenario. The big mountain days come in the 3rd week but it's not completely overloaded (really only 2 big days to Cancano and Sestriere separated by a flat stage). There is always a risk the race is decided before then but you maximize the potential for exciting racing throughout the 3 weeks.

You can replicate this style for the 2026 Tour. First couple of stages are perfect for setting a hierarchy without deciding the race already. If you keep the Pyrenees simple and don't overdo it by using lesser climbs like the rumoured Guzet-Neige, its unlikely Pogacar is going to hard drop everyone and gain minutes deciding the Tour already in the first week. Massif central and Vosges are perfectly placed for several transition days (a couple GC relevant like Le Lioran to keep us on our toes without doing too much), and then the Alps are where its all decided with a couple big days to Solaison and the Alpe. Very simple frame below:

1-3: Depart
4-5: A couple mountain stages on the easier side, potentially allowing a solid breakaway to go and take the yellow jersey for a few days for example.
6-9: transition stages
10-13: Le Lioran, perhaps a TT if not earlier and more transition stages. Its even possible to return to the white paths around Troyes if you really want or to do something like Le Creusot 2021.
14-15: Vosges to bring the GC battle towards a climax without being decisive yet.
16-20: Alps to decide the GC, with some sprint / transition stages somewhere in the mix (probably towards the start of the week).

 

[Ulle97]

A summit finish at the likes of La Mongie or even Ax-3 Domaines would be a nice intro in week one. Enough to establish the GC but not enough to blow gaps wide apart.

 

[ashhutch1997]

A summit finish at the likes of La Mongie or even Ax-3 Domaines would be a nice intro in week one. Enough to establish the GC but not enough to blow gaps wide apart.

Yes, I'd like to see Port de Pailhères/ Ax 3 Domaines return, but there were huge gaps there in 2013, and that was week one.

 

[houtdffan]

A summit finish at the likes of La Mongie or even Ax-3 Domaines would be a nice intro in week one. Enough to establish the GC but not enough to blow gaps wide apart.

summit finishes on Tourmalet typically blow the peloton apart

 

[Valv.Piti]

I think Col de Portet is exactly what you guys are looking for. Enough with this easing riders into the race.

That said a Pailheres-Ax3 combo would be much harder than that was done in 2023 on paper. It really depends on how the riders attack the first mountains, I think nobody expected the amount of carnage we saw in 2023 on relatively weak mountain stages.

 

[ashhutch1997]

I think Col de Portet is exactly what you guys are looking for. Enough with this easing riders into the race.

That would be fine in 2022 or 2023, but these days Pogacar would just destroy everyone and the race would be over after a few days.

 

[rghysens]

Would it be a good idea to place a couple of dense mountain stages in the first week?
I'm talking about a Bonette/Isola or Galibier/Granon stage in week 1?

It could sort the GC order early and force the riders to attack on lesser stages in week 2/3??


Or what is the ideal 'pacing' for a Tour?

At this moment I would say: no mountains in the last 100km of any stage.

 

[maynerdw]

Any chance Tougnete might get included, especially since they just used Col de la Loze this year? Would be awesome to see some fresh climbs.

 

[Peyroteo94]

LPBF is back on the menu

La Planche des Belles Filles rumoured to return for Tour de France 2026

The fabled climb of La Planche des Belles Filles could soon reappear on the Tour de France map, with French outlet L’Est Républicain reporting that it is being lined up for the 2026 edition. For now,...

cyclinguptodate.com

 

[Samu Cuenca]

LPBF is back on the menu

La Planche des Belles Filles rumoured to return for Tour de France 2026

The fabled climb of La Planche des Belles Filles could soon reappear on the Tour de France map, with French outlet L’Est Républicain reporting that it is being lined up for the 2026 edition. For now,...

cyclinguptodate.com

Rumour has it that the mountain will disintegrate if it doesn't get used in races at least 1.6 times a year on average.

 

[houtdffan]

“The Tour will ask Spanish politicians for guarantees” – Tour de France 2026 Barcelona Grand Depart in doubt after Vuelta protests

The 2025 Vuelta a España has come to a turbulent close, with Jonas Vingegaard crowned the winner, but under circumstances unlike any other. What should have been a celebratory final stage in Madrid tu...

cyclinguptodate.com

Grand depart in some question now

As I said in the Vuelta, maybe move this to Nice and either do a heavy Massif Central block or start in the southern Alps like 2020 and do a double Apls as if they cannot start in Spain, the Pyrenees may be impossible as well

 

[HashRouge]

“The Tour will ask Spanish politicians for guarantees” – Tour de France 2026 Barcelona Grand Depart in doubt after Vuelta protests

The 2025 Vuelta a España has come to a turbulent close, with Jonas Vingegaard crowned the winner, but under circumstances unlike any other. What should have been a celebratory final stage in Madrid tu...

cyclinguptodate.com

Grand depart in some question now

As I said in the Vuelta, maybe move this to Nice and either do a heavy Massif Central block or start in the southern Alps like 2020 and do a double Apls as if they cannot start in Spain, the Pyrenees may be impossible as well

What "guarantees" do they expect, exactly? They couldn't/ didn't secure the Vuelta, they won't be able to secure the Tour.

 

[houtdffan]

Vuelta a España protests 'call into question Spain's ability to host major international sporting events', says UCI

Barcelona set to welcome Tour de France Grand Départ in 2026

www.cyclingweekly.com

Sounds like not only will this be moved, but a suspension of Spain itself may be coming.

Which could mean no vuelta next year as well

 

[Berniece]

Vuelta a España protests 'call into question Spain's ability to host major international sporting events', says UCI

Barcelona set to welcome Tour de France Grand Départ in 2026

www.cyclingweekly.com

Sounds like not only will this be moved, but a suspension of Spain itself may be coming.

Which could mean no vuelta next year as well

Create a new 3 week race in Switzerland/Austria

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Create a new 3 week race in Switzerland/Austria

Nah, Tour de Swiss and Romandie are great. Better to go to USA or South America instead.

 

[Rou]

Vuelta a España protests 'call into question Spain's ability to host major international sporting events', says UCI

Barcelona set to welcome Tour de France Grand Départ in 2026

www.cyclingweekly.com

Sounds like not only will this be moved, but a suspension of Spain itself may be coming.

Which could mean no vuelta next year as well

A lot of BS from the UCI.
No Vuelta is a direct hit to ASO who pull the strings in World Cycling. It's never gonna happen.
Removal of the Vuelta means removal of the Spanish calendar which means a slow and painful death to cycling.
So the UCI can say what they want but they will bend the knee.
IPT won't race in Spain - simple as that.

 

[ice&fire]

Someone needs to remind ASO that the mayor of Barcelona has been officially banned from entering Israel, just in case that helps them making a decision.