Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[rghysens]

When is the presentation?

Next thursday, around 11.30 am local time.

 

[HashRouge]

Cycling News suggesting no Tourmalet for stage 6. They're saying Col d"Aubisque and Col du Soulor.

 

[gavia88]

that would be so typical for the tour. That stage for the route du Sud was perfect. But no, let's do 20 k of false flat valley before the final climb instead.

 

[Netserk]

Cycling News suggesting no Tourmalet for stage 6. They're saying Col d"Aubisque and Col du Soulor.

Starting from Pau, that's the big fear. It'd be such a shame when they are doing the Pyrenees from the east. Had they done Lannemezan > Gavarnie, they could have had an arbitrary amount of climbing before Tourmalet too.

A realistic design, not asking for too much:

Lannemezan > Gavarnie-Gèdre

149.0 km, +4582 m. Bike ride in La Barthe-de-Neste, Occitanie

ridewithgps.com

 

[Ulle97]

One thing is for certain. This will not be a route for Remco Evenepoel. I hope he prioritises the Giro or Vuelta. Hopefully one of them will have a route that will suit him.

 

[Netserk]

One thing is for certain. This will not be a route for Remco Evenepoel. I hope he prioritises the Giro or Vuelta. Hopefully one of them will have a route that will suit him.

What makes you say that? It seems the most friendly to him since 2021, and if stage 8 is an ITT then the most friendly since 2012.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Putting a 2014 Bergerac - Perigueux style ITT would be really good for the race IMO, atleast give remco a chance.

 

[Ulle97]

What makes you say that? It seems the most friendly to him since 2021, and if stage 8 is an ITT then the most friendly since 2012.

He needs two long time trials at least with some gentler climbs. He'll lose minutes on some of the rumoured MTFs. Plateau de Solaison is not for him.

 

[Netserk]

He needs two long time trials at least with some gentler climbs. He'll lose minutes on some of the rumoured MTFs. Plateau de Solaison is not for him.

That sounds to me like the Tour is not for him, not this particular route.

 

[houtdffan]

What makes you say that? It seems the most friendly to him since 2021, and if stage 8 is an ITT then the most friendly since 2012.

Stage 8 as a TT would finally start to revert the race back to the TDF, not the world climbing championships it became starting when Gouvenou took over

 

[Ulle97]

During the 2000s, the Giro got plaudits for introducing mountainous routes. The Tour, in comparison with 8/9 sprint stages appeared to look bland. The opinions have come full circle now, with clamour for less mountains and a variety of stages, including a couple of decent length TTs.

 

[houtdffan]

During the 2000s, the Giro got plaudits for introducing mountainous routes. The Tour, in comparison with 8/9 sprint stages appeared to look bland. The opinions have come full circle now, with clamour for less mountains and a variety of stages, including a couple of decent length TTs.

not necessarily fewer mountains, just a better balance between the climbs and the TTs

Also, we need that epic 7 hour slog stage back, that Gouvenou also removed.

 

[OlavEH]

The opinions have come full circle now, with clamour for less mountains and a variety of stages, including a couple of decent length TTs.

The Tour is better now regarding hilly and medium mountain stages. There should really not be more than something like 5 or 6 stages that ends in a mass sprint.

 

[OlavEH]

Also, we need that epic 7 hour slog stage back, that Gouvenou also removed.

7 hours. Have we seen this to any extent since the 1990s?

 

[Red Rick]

What's the obsession with 7 hour stages? They'll just go slower and attack in the final km

 

[OlavEH]

What's the obsession with 7 hour stages? They'll just go slower and attack in the final km

He only acknowledge Tour design like in the early 90s or something like that. 100 km+ of ITT and 7 hour mountain stages.

 

[Peyroteo94]

What's the obsession with 7 hour stages? They'll just go slower and attack in the final km

Endurance IMO. You mock Del Toro when he can't be strong enough to fight for long classics (over 200 km) but now you are underestimating long stages.
Even if they go slow, the lenght is still significant to punish riders. If not MSR would be a dreadful race IMO.

 

[OlavEH]

As far as I can find, there hasn't been a 7 hour mountain stage in the Tour since Andorra 1997. The longest I could find in the 2000s were a 6 hour 23 min stage to Alpe d'Huez in 2001 and Col de Aubisque in 2007.

I would welcome longer stages, but it does not need to be mountain stages. Actually I would like better a couple of longer medium mountain stages in each version. Something in the Massif Central or Vosges. Or zig-zag through Vercors with a finish at one of the ski stations there.

 

[Netserk]

As far as I can find, there hasn't been a 7 hour mountain stage in the Tour since Andorra 1997. The longest I could find in the 2000s were a 6 hour 23 min stage to Alpe d'Huez in 2001 and Col de Aubisque in 2007.

I would welcome longer stages, but it does not need to be mountain stages. Actually I would like better a couple of longer medium mountain stages in each version. Something in the Massif Central or Vosges. Or zig-zag through Vercors with a finish at one of the ski stations there.

Tour de France 2000 Stage 14 results

Tour de France 2000 Stage 14 from Draguignan to Briancon was won by Santiago Botero before Paolo Savoldelli and Marco Pantani. Lance Armstrong was leading the general classification.

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[OlavEH]

Tour de France 2000 Stage 14 results

Tour de France 2000 Stage 14 from Draguignan to Briancon was won by Santiago Botero before Paolo Savoldelli and Marco Pantani. Lance Armstrong was leading the general classification.

www.procyclingstats.com

Okay. I missed that one. But still that didn't create much gaps in the GC. Something like a 150 km stage with Saisies, Aravis, Colombiere, Joux-Plane and a finish at Les Gets would probably be a more interesting GC stage than this Briancon stage.

 

[HashRouge]

Starting from Pau, that's the big fear. It'd be such a shame when they are doing the Pyrenees from the east. Had they done Lannemezan > Gavarnie, they could have had an arbitrary amount of climbing before Tourmalet too.

A realistic design, not asking for too much:

Lannemezan > Gavarnie-Gèdre

149.0 km, +4582 m. Bike ride in La Barthe-de-Neste, Occitanie

ridewithgps.com

The proposed 2026 Pyrenees stages are also really making me appreciate how easy last year was as a spectator. I spent three days in the Pyrenees and watched stages 12-14, with a fairly limited amount of driving in between. Next year looks like it will be a bit more challenging.

 

[pman]

The proposed 2026 Pyrenees stages are also really making me appreciate how easy last year was as a spectator. I spent three days in the Pyrenees and watched stages 12-14, with a fairly limited amount of driving in between. Next year looks like it will be a bit more challenging.

In general it looks like the Pyrenees stages this year will be scattered. For my money, I’d stay close to Foix for stage 4 and just use that as a base. Skip stage 5 which looks like a sprint and then hit up stage 6. I know hotels in that area are looking hard to find. Or just use a spot between Pau and Foix as my base. Foix at least has a train station. Assuming it’s a mountain top finish as it’s rumored to be, that plus stage 6 would be a fun combo.

 

[HashRouge]

In general it looks like the Pyrenees stages this year will be scattered. For my money, I’d stay close to Foix for stage 4 and just use that as a base. Skip stage 5 which looks like a sprint and then hit up stage 6. I know hotels in that area are looking hard to find. Or just use a spot between Pau and Foix as my base. Foix at least has a train station. Assuming it’s a mountain top finish as it’s rumored to be, that plus stage 6 would be a fun combo.

Thank you, this is really helpful advice! I've seen a couple of AirBnBs in Gavarnie and I'm tempted to just book one with free cancellation before the route is released, as I think once it is anything available will be booked up so quickly. If they do go up Tourmalet I'd like to watch there though, and stay somewhere like Luz-Saint-Sauveur.

 

[pman]

Thank you, this is really helpful advice! I've seen a couple of AirBnBs in Gavarnie and I'm tempted to just book one with free cancellation before the route is released, as I think once it is anything available will be booked up so quickly. If they do go up Tourmalet I'd like to watch there though, and stay somewhere like Luz-Saint-Sauveur.

So much of going to the Tour comes down to availability and determination. Of course, that rumored time trail on stage 16 looks to be just about the perfect stage. It’s a time trial. It’s easy to get to through transit and it’s in a gorgeous location.

 

[pman]

Plus tons of hotels in that area