Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[houtdffan]

Imagine being signed to win the Tour for ungodly amounts of $$ only to then immediately skip it because the route isn't enough to your liking.

I'd say winning the giro and Vuelta would more than make up for that

 

[houtdffan]

A quick reminder that Remco lost 3 minutes only in Hautacam . No route will ever be good. Or yes, three time trials and 18 stages for sprinters .

The reality is that Remco has never been able to stay on the wheel of Pogacar or Vingegaard in the high mountains. It's impossible for him to think about winning a Tour.

Indurain not only managed to hold his own in the mountains against the best climbers, sometimes won in the high mountains and even holds the record climb on La Plagne.

You're debating as if Remco were Indurain, and he isn't. Remco would have lost minutes in those mountains in Indurain's Tours.

Unless they eliminate the high mountains, and they've made a point of doing so in the 2026 Tour, someone who loses time on every mountain stage won't win the Tour. What he gain in 50km time trial, he´ll lose in two mountain stages...... or in one like Hautacam.

Utterly fake news

He dropped Vingo on stage 18 of 2024 and finished at the same time as Vingo the next day

 

[E_F_]

Eh...

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

A quick reminder that Remco lost 3 minutes only in Hautacam . No route will ever be good. Or yes, three time trials and 18 stages for sprinters .

It's a big mistake to think that winning or not is the only measurement for a parcour being good or bad for a specific rider.

In the case of Remco, a good route for him will be a route where he is getting relatively close to Pogacar and Vingegaard and a bad route will be a route where he is much further away.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Utterly fake news

He dropped Vingo on stage 18 of 2024 and finished at the same time as Vingo the next day

Stage 17, but that doesnt count as "high mountains"

 

[Red Rick]

I'd say winning the giro and Vuelta would more than make up for that

He's yet to do 2 GTs in 2 years succesfully, I'm not convinced doing 2 in 1 year is a great bet.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

He's yet to do 2 GTs in 2 years succesfully, I'm not convinced doing 2 in 1 year is a great bet.

Also not in a year where everyone is screaming for him to ride San Remo.

 

[Cycling111]

I think around 2005-2012 would be the most Remco friendly parcour.

2005 perhaps? Stage 15 to Pla dAdet would've been a real challenge.
2006 definitively. Two long ITTs and not very hard mountain stages (with steep climbs) outside the Morzine stage.
2007 maybe?
2009 only had like one really hard mountain stage to Le Grand Bernard.
2010? Brutal Madeleine stage and not a second long ITT.

And to clarify: if you read this post and think Im saying Remco could beat Pog on these parcours, then you are the problem.

Someone who can't keep the wheell of two riders (no one, two), in the high mountains isn't going to win the Tour.
Indurain sometimes won in the mountains. There's a huge difference.

And Wiggins' Tour wouldn't serve as an example because Wiggins's biggest rival was his teammate . Froome, if he wants, could have won that Tour.

There isn't a single mountain stage in which Remco hasn't lost time against Pogacar and Vingegaard. And besides, there are stages in which he's lost all the time he would have gained in a long time trial, so it's impossible if he continues losing time in all the mountain stages.

Unless they eliminate all the high mountains, and in that respect, he can't complain because the 2026 route isn't particularly tough in the mountains.
The mountains are a joke in this Tour, would b worse for Remco a long time trial with 7 high mountain stages.

By the way, neither Pogacar nor Vingegaard are as bad as Quintana in Tour time trials. What they lose on a really bad day, they recovered against Remco in two stages.

 

[Mayomaniac]

It will be Roglic Pellizzari Giro and Remco Lipo Tour I think.
The route ist good for Lipo and not so for Remco. They will go with Remco as clear leader but Lipo in his shadow.

Unless Lipo really pushes for the Giro.
Still, since Hugo Boss is their jersey sponsor they might as well go full Axis Powers and have Lipo + Pellizzari at the Tour.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Someone who can't keep the wheell of two riders (no one, two), in the high mountains isn't going to win the Tour.

Again:

It's a big mistake to think that winning or not is the only measurement for a parcour being good or bad for a specific rider.

In the case of Remco, a good route for him will be a route where he is getting relatively close to Pogacar and Vingegaard and a bad route will be a route where he is much further away.

There isn't a single mountain stage in which Remco hasn't lost time against Vingegaard

Last year there was 2, the one over Galibier and the one over Bonette to Isola. You dont need to come up with fake stats to prove that Vingegaard is a better climber than Remco, everyone agrees on that.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

If I was Belgien I would be very happy , it's a great route for the best Belge rider.

 

[rghysens]

Some good stages. Le Lloran, Le Markstein and second Alpe d'Huez stage are good. Orcieres and first Alpe are awful. At least one of these should much rather have been replaced by a tough medium mountain stage.

Saddest thing is that it´s not that difficult to make Orcières-Merlettes a very difficult medium mountainstage.
Use Laffrey (6.5km @ 9%) instead of Monteynard and throw in Chaillol 1600 (7km @7.5%) and Serre Eyraud (5km @ 9%) in in the last 40 km (similar to the 1982 stage).
Time differences will be smaller with the current proposal, though, leading to some fake tension.

 

[Gigs_98]

I think with this route the ASO is essentially telling Pog, "if you want a big lead before the penumtimate weekend you'll have to work for" it and I kinda like this approach. People complain about artificially close races but I think I still prefer an artificially close race over Pog being ahead by 3 minutes going into week 2. Maybe that will happen regardless but if he has to attack on the Tourmalet then at least that is kinda epic.

Also dont mind the boring mountain stages on stage 18 and 19. Anything else just would have made the race crazy backloaded and at least stage 20 is genuinely fantastic. In return I would have wished for a somewhat more interesting stage design on either stage 14 or 15 instead. Oh well, I don't love it, but I dont hate it either.

 

[Red Rick]

Saddest thing is that it´s not that difficult to make Orcières-Merlettes a very difficult medium mountainstage.
Use Laffrey (6.5km @ 9%) instead of Monteynard and throw in Chaillol 1600 (7km @7.5%) and Serre Eyraud (5km @ 9%) in in the last 40 km (similar to the 1982 stage).
Time differences will be smaller with the current proposal, though, leading to some fake tension.

All those 4 climbs in the last 40km? Because that would be a really good medium mountain stage indeed.

 

[Cycling111]

I think with this route the ASO is essentially telling Pog, "if you want a big lead before the penumtimate weekend you'll have to work for" it and I kinda like this approach. People complain about artificially close races but I think I still prefer an artificially close race over Pog being ahead by 3 minutes going into week 2. Maybe that will happen regardless but if he has to attack on the Tourmalet then at least that is kinda epic.

Also dont mind the boring mountain stages on stage 18 and 19. Anything else just would have made the race crazy backloaded and at least stage 20 is genuinely fantastic. In return I would have wished for a somewhat more interesting stage design on either stage 14 or 15 instead. Oh well, I don't love it, but I dont hate it either.

This is the only professional sport where artificiality is required to prevent the best from winning.
They should give Duplantis a smaller pole to make it more exciting, or Bolt jumping over hurdles.

You can't plan a route like that. If Pogacar retires on the second stage due to an accident, you'll have a Tour that's been stalled until stage 20, just like in the 2023 Giro.

 

[OlavEH]

Saddest thing is that it´s not that difficult to make Orcières-Merlettes a very difficult medium mountainstage.
Use Laffrey (6.5km @ 9%) instead of Monteynard and throw in Chaillol 1600 (7km @7.5%) and Serre Eyraud (5km @ 9%) in in the last 40 km (similar to the 1982 stage).
Time differences will be smaller with the current proposal, though, leading to some fake tension.

If they did this, I would rather have seen something different in stage 19 than a Alpe d'Huez MTF. Something like a good medium mountain stage in Vercors suited for breakways.

 

[rghysens]

All those 4 climbs in the last 40km? Because that would be a really good medium mountain stage indeed.

No, only the last three. Laffrey would be around km50.

 

[Netserk]

If they did this, I would rather have seen something different in stage 19 than a Alpe d'Huez MTF. Something like a good medium mountain stage in Vercors suited for breakways.

I don't think you can get stage 20 as it is without stage 19. I think it's a good bundle, even if it would necessarily squash stage 18. Say the alternative is a better stage 18, breakaway stage on 19, and then stage 20 finishes with the traditional ascent of Alpe d'Huez.

 

[OlavEH]

I don't think you can get stage 20 as it is without stage 19. I think it's a good bundle, even if it would necessarily squash stage 18. Say the alternative is a better stage 18, breakaway stage on 19, and then stage 20 finishes with the traditional ascent of Alpe d'Huez.

You mean that those who pays for the stage would not accept only a Sarenne - AdH finish? So if they had only one AdH stage, it would be the traditional ascent?

 

[Netserk]

You mean that those who pays for the stage would not accept only a Sarenne - AdH finish? So if they had only one AdH stage, it would be the traditional ascent?

Yes. But as much as a demand from ASO to have the iconic finish included.

 

[Cycling111]

He fears it will make the stages tougher? But if the sprinters rest half of the Tour.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1981345937650757719

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1981345937650757719

 

[proffate]

This is the only professional sport where artificiality is required to prevent the best from winning.

Other sports have salary caps to make matches more competitive.

 

[nightowl]

This route is a massive let down after that seemed like promising rumours in the last few weeks.

Stage 6 is good but why is it the only Pyrenees stage? Especially with no more mountains until the end of week 2?

What on earth possessed them to turn stage 10 into a misc breakaway stage instead of guaranteed GC action by removing Neronne-Peyrol?

Why forgo the tried and tested combo of Petit Ballon - Platzerwasel on stage 14 for a stage where only the last climb matters? Only to include a much harder MTF (in a glorified unipuerto stage too to add insult to injury) the next day, just to really make sure nothing happens on Haag?

There aren’t even many compelling breakaway stages like stage 10 from this year. Just super uninspiring all-round.

 

[Red Rick]

No, only the last three. Laffrey would be around km50.

Still really good I think. I hadn't realised how wwell the final climb links to Orcieres-Merlette.

Gotta give it to the ASO, they love to miss a chance for open goal.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

this is similar to 2024.

Maybe it's even worse (depending on what you think will happen on stage 6).