The 2026 Tour de France is about to kick off, which means it’s time for the world’s best riders to take on the world’s biggest race, while the rest of us sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. And also try our best to predict who will win.
Download our fantasy game on the App Store (iOS) or the Play Store (Android).
That's right, it's time to dive into fantasy cycling! The Escape Collective Fantasy Competition is live, which means you can join in on the action. And you should, because it's as fun as it is simple – and this year, we have added a whole new way to play. In addition to our classic stage-by-stage game, we now have a team competition that will run all season long in which players can put together a full squad of riders using a limited budget.
The bigger names will cost you more in the team game, so you will have to be judicious about allocating your budget to make sure you are investing in the best combination of contenders.
As for the classic game, here's how it works. Every day, you pick a different very real rider to represent your very made up team in each of the stages of the race. That rider then scores points based on how he does on that stage. You can only pick a rider one time throughout the whole race, so once you've used up your sprinter pick on a sprint stage or your mountain goat pick on a climbing stage, that's it, you can't pick them anymore and you'll have to find someone else!
Whoever scores the most points at the end of the tour wins. Simple as that!
Just because it's simple to play, however, doesn't mean it's easy to win. Here are a few tips on how to excel in both Escape Collective Fantasy games.
The team game: Get the most out of your budget
Success in the new team game is all about maximizing the value of your budget. You'll be able to pick up a few of the biggest stars, and although the new ability to make rest day transfers will help mitigate the impact of any injuries, you will really need to nail those high-value picks.
Did we do a good job with this story?
