Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[Peyroteo94]

This is sad to read.

'It's a Tour in crescendo' – 2026 Tour de France designed to limit early Tadej Pogačar dominance

'I imagine that when Pogačar sees L'Alpe d'Huez twice, he'll want to win up there' says race director Chirstian Prudhomme

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Lorzenz08]

This is sad to read.

'It's a Tour in crescendo' – 2026 Tour de France designed to limit early Tadej Pogačar dominance

'I imagine that when Pogačar sees L'Alpe d'Huez twice, he'll want to win up there' says race director Chirstian Prudhomme

www.cyclingnews.com

Very sad, but hopefully very motivating.

This is the year for a 5th TdF win, I think he is going to be extra motivated..

Also I think Pogi is someone who is not afraid to make changes, like he did with nutrition and change of trainer in 2024.
I think he will try to do something about his 2025 TdF depression and I wouldn't be surprised if he hires a psychologist to work on his mental side for 3 week races.
And come out in July absolutely HUNGRY TO DEMOLISH THE TDF

 

[scribers]

He already works with a sports psychologist. It’s been quite some time since I saw mention of it so tough to dig up.

 

[AlpRaid]

Yes and Pogacar is Pogacar, and he's contractually obligated to go to the Tour.

Red Bull signs him to go to races like the Tour.

Anyway, he won't win the Giro against Vingegaard, and that would be worse.

Nah. But he could finish second. Better than he will at this TDF. And it’s just one rider that has to have a bad day, or get ill like he did in 2023.

We all know that for the last two years it is scientifically impossible for Pog to have a bad day.

 

[xuziqiangnuctech@outlook.]

This is sad to read.

'It's a Tour in crescendo' – 2026 Tour de France designed to limit early Tadej Pogačar dominance

'I imagine that when Pogačar sees L'Alpe d'Huez twice, he'll want to win up there' says race director Chirstian Prudhomme

www.cyclingnews.com

Actually he has no idea what he is saying, Pog will end the Tour even in Spain after Stage 3 and enter into third week Alps with nearly 10min or even more

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Yawn

 

[proffate]

The press release: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/remco-evenepoel-joins-red-bull-bora-hansgrohe

It would stand to reason it's both things of course. They also mention his Olympic successes. But the above seems a fairly clear statement of why they hired him. Does that mean the Tour exactly? Open to interpretation, as they mention Grand Tours. But they seem to specifically call out Le Tour. So I'm not saying you're wrong, but...hard to image the Tour isn't a lot of it.

"Remco won't improve by another 15%, but I really believe that in the one-day races – I'm not talking about stage races – he can become Pogačar's equal." - his new sports director

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Probably the most interesting mountain stage to me, as I've never seen that approach. Looks like a really tough day out. I can see not calling it a MTF given the...I guess..."rolling" road after the last col, but it looks like one super punchy climb at the end going into town.

Gonna be destruction.

Well, that profile is in the wrong direction, but it looked like they were doing the last 2 or 3 kilometers of the normal climb in the presentation so it‘s still punchy.

 

[red_flanders]

Well, that profile is in the wrong direction, but it looked like they were doing the last 2 or 3 kilometers of the normal climb in the presentation so it‘s still punchy.

Ah, crap you’re right, thanks. The last 2-3 k of the normal climb levels off quite a bit. Still a heck of a stage but ah well.

 

[Netserk]

Probably the most interesting mountain stage to me, as I've never seen that approach. Looks like a really tough day out. I can see not calling it a MTF given the...I guess..."rolling" road after the last col, but it looks like one super punchy climb at the end going into town.

Gonna be destruction.

They do the rolling section on your profile from right to left.

It has been used in this way once before in the 2017 Dauphiné.

 

[Berniece]

Actually he has no idea what he is saying, Pog will end the Tour even in Spain after Stage 3 and enter into third week Alps with nearly 10min or even more

Not gonna happen

 

[OlavEH]

Looking at the profiles published by La Flamme Rouge, there is a couple of things that strikes me:

- Missed opportunities on mountain stages. Like not using Gaborisse on the stage to Gavarnie. And "wrong" side of Peyrol and no Neronne on the Le Lloran stage.
- Too many stages that could be GC relevant in the last half.

For the second point, right now stage 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 could be GC relevant. 13 and 18 to a lesser degree, and these should rather have been replaced by other stages. Especially I miss at least one more breakaway stage like the ones Mohoric and Asgreen battled out in 2023 and Abrahamsen and Groves won this year.

In addition I miss a medium mountain stage with more and steeper climbs and not like these stages to Belfort and Orcieres where the MTF/last climb is somewhat like 6 %.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

As backloaded as this route is there is still a possibility that Teddy & UAE will perform a huge attack on stage 6 (Tourmalet). This is kinda similar to Mortirolo + Aprica. Vingegaard and co have to hope it doesnt end like Hautacam

 

[Monsi]

Looking at the profiles published by La Flamme Rouge, there is a couple of things that strikes me:

- Missed opportunities on mountain stages. Like not using Gaborisse on the stage to Gavarnie. And "wrong" side of Peyrol and no Neronne on the Le Lloran stage.
- Too many stages that could be GC relevant in the last half.

For the second point, right now stage 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 could be GC relevant. 13 and 18 to a lesser degree, and these should rather have been replaced by other stages. Especially I miss at least one more breakaway stage like the ones Mohoric and Asgreen battled out in 2023 and Abrahamsen and Groves won this year.

In addition I miss a medium mountain stage with more and steeper climbs and not like these stages to Belfort and Orcieres where the MTF/last climb is somewhat like 6 %.

I’m not really too bummed about missing the Gaborisse on stage 6. Tourmalet is fine as the penultimate climb. Then they descend Tourmalet and go straight to Gavarnie without any flat valley in between.

 

[YavorD]

This is sad to read.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/it...gned- to-limit-early-tadej-pogacar-dominance/

It's not actually. It's really reasonable and understandable that race director won't want the race to be decided in week one and then the viewing figures to drop.


Although Gavarnie without the steep kilometres and with Tourmalet right before can cause much more damage than a regular MTF.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Why dont they start the race with a normal ITT and scheduled this TTT instead?

 

[Netserk]

Although Gavarnie without the steep kilometres and with Tourmalet right before can cause much more damage than a regular MTF.

Yes, it's like one and a half Aprica. A little longer and a little steeper, with a vertical gain of 693 m vs. 483 m for Aprica (143 %).

 

[Red Rick]

I didn't realise it was that long.

Makes it even worse for a first mountain stage.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I didn't realise it was that long.

Makes it even worse for a first mountain stage.

By worse do you mean that nothing will happen or the opposite?

If UAE drill Aspin and 2/3 of Tourmalet then Pogacars attack in the last, steepest 5 km will be devastating. Its a question if Vingo can stay close (if he can maybe they will cooperate to crush the rest). Then doing that long, steep descent alone is not bad. Shallow climb to Gavarnie is more likely to widen the gaps than allow some small group to recover time.

 

[Netserk]

I didn't realise it was that long.

Makes it even worse for a first mountain stage.

If they start going hard on Tourmalet before they reach La Mongie, it should also break in smaller groups behind the strongest and not just be a peloton that crawls towards the finish after Tourmalet.

 

[Peyroteo94]

By worse do you mean that nothing will happen or the opposite?

If UAE drill Aspin and 2/3 of Tourmalet then Pogacars attack in the last, steepest 5 km will be devastating. Its a question if Vingo can stay close (if he can maybe they will cooperate to crush the rest). Then doing that long, steep descent alone is not bad. Shallow climb to Gavarnie is more likely to widen the gaps than allow some small group to recover time.

The opposite for sure. He has nightmares with Pogacar. And this time he is right, there is a strong chance Pogacar will gain 3 minutes to everyone (except Vingegaard if he doesn't race the Giro).

Edit: the worst part is this is not a classic where the chasing group will go deep to catch Pogacar. No, they will look to each other because there are still +15 stages left.
For example, is Remco dragging all other opponents on his wheel like he did in GdL or ECRR? I don't think so.
We really need a top Vingegaard, if not the race will definitely be over after stage 6.

 

[Netserk]

You can also compare it to a steadier Sestriere:

 

[tigabara]

I'm relatively unfamiliar with the ideal Grand Tour route.

But how much does the route affect the excitement of a race? After all, it ultimately determines the level of competition between the favorites. If Vingegaard can put in an exceptional performance to keep up with Pogacar, the race will be exciting, right?

Okay, maybe a long, flat ITT (50 km?) would have an impact, giving Remco a better chance at the GC? But is that really the case?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

You can also compare it to a steadier Sestriere:

The opposite for sure. He has nightmares with Pogacar. And this time he is right, there is a strong chance Pogacar will gain 3 minutes to everyone (except Vingegaard if he doesn't race the Giro).

Edit: the worst part is this is not a classic where the chasing group will go deep to catch Pogacar. No, they will look to each other because there are still +15 stages left.
For example, is Remco dragging all other opponents on his wheel like he did in GdL or ECRR? I don't think so.
We really need a top Vingegaard, if not the race will definitely be over after stage 6.

The similarity of stage 6 to some iconic Giro stages (with Mortirolo or Finestre) makes me improve a bad first impression of the route. if Vingo is good enough to follow Pog it could still be interesting ( they may be willing to distance the rest).

 

[Red Rick]

By worse do you mean that nothing will happen or the opposite?

If UAE drill Aspin and 2/3 of Tourmalet then Pogacars attack in the last, steepest 5 km will be devastating. Its a question if Vingo can stay close (if he can maybe they will cooperate to crush the rest). Then doing that long, steep descent alone is not bad. Shallow climb to Gavarnie is more likely to widen the gaps than allow some small group to recover time.

It makes it both less likely for something to happen and more likely that if it does, the Tour is over immediately.

The only mitigating factor in this is that Tourmalet isn't really like the Mortirolo where you're absolutely balls to the wall for 40+ minutes and you have much shorter recovery and a technical descent before you start Aprica. Tourmalet is a negative split climb and the last time they went full gas there they only went full gas for 12 minutes.