About Tour de France 2026
The 113th Tour de France sets off on July 4, 2026 with a Grand Départ in Barcelona — only rarely does the world's greatest bike race begin outside France. This countdown tracks the days until the peloton rolls out for three weeks and roughly 3,300 kilometers of racing.
The Tour is sport at its most epic: 21 stages over 23 days, crossing flat sprinters' country, brutal high-mountain passes in the Pyrenees and Alps, and time trials that can decide everything. The leader wears the famous yellow jersey (maillot jaune); green rewards the best sprinter, polka-dot the king of the mountains, and white the best young rider.
Up to 12 million spectators line the roads each July — it is free to watch the world's best athletes pass your front door — and a billion more follow on television, drawn as much by the helicopter shots of châteaux and lavender fields as by the racing. The 2026 route winds from Catalonia back into France before the traditional finale on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
FAQ
When does the Tour de France 2026 start?
July 4, 2026, with a Grand Départ in Barcelona, Spain — the countdown above ticks down to the start.
How long is the Tour de France?
21 stages raced over 23 days in July, covering roughly 3,300 km including high-mountain stages in the Pyrenees and Alps.
Why does the Tour start in Barcelona?
The Tour regularly awards its Grand Départ to cities outside France — recent editions have started in Copenhagen, Bilbao and Florence. 2026 is Barcelona's turn.
What is the yellow jersey?
The maillot jaune is worn by the overall race leader — the rider with the lowest cumulative time — and winning it in Paris is cycling's greatest prize.