It's that time again.
The 2026 Tour de France starts Saturday, July 4 and with a nod to our American readers, we expect some fireworks. Things kick off with a team time trial in Barcelona before a lumpy stage 2 and an early visit to the Pyrenees on stage 3 (the first real mountain stage isn't until stage 6, however).
The field is its usual stacked lineup, with Tadej Pogačar looking to join the five-time winners' club and his perennial rival, Jonas Vingegaard, fresh off a Giro d'Italia win and hoping to add the Giro-Tour double to his own palmarès. That's been the durable storyline of the last four Tours, but into the mix this year comes young Paul Seixas, with hopes and hypes that exceed his slim resumé but not his talents. Add in past podium finishers like the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe tandem of Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz, plus a host of outside threats, and it's shaping up to be a most intriguing race.
Dane Cash
We have a full route preview, plus a contenders breakdown posted already. There's a look at who will be this year’s “Sprinter du Tour,” a deeper look at all 23 teams' rosters and objectives, and countless other pieces of lead-up coverage – all free to read this week.
Our full coverage once the race starts will feature daily stage reports, news and analysis, all the latest tech, a daily Spin Cycle podcast, and photos from our partners Gruber Images, Kristof Ramon and Cor Vos. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the race at home.
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