2026 Tour de France to begin with a team time trial in Barcelona

Organizers announced that the 2026 Tour de France will start with a team time trial for the first time in the race’s history. 

The 2026 Tour de France will have its “Grand Depart” on July 4 in Barcelona, Spain, starting with a 19.7 km team time trial. This stage will follow a format that was first used in the 2023 Paris-Nice, where the team’s overall time is calculated based on when the first rider crosses the finish line. 

However, for the individual general classification, each rider’s time will be calculated based on their actual time, not the team’s overall time. This means that while the team’s performance is determined by the first rider to cross the finish line, each rider’s standing in the general classification will reflect their personal time for the stage. 

The next stage will also wrap up in Barcelona after covering a distance of 178 km, starting from Tarragona. As for the third stage, it will begin in Granollers, but the organizers have yet to confirm the format and the location of the finish line. Further announcements will be made closer to the event. 

Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni told a press conference: “It is a very special day for the city of Barcelona and the whole of Catalonia. Thank you for your trust and belief in Barcelona… Finally, the city will be linked to this event forever. It will be the culmination of this love story between Barcelona and the Tour.” 

The Tour de France last started in Spain in 2023, when the race began in the city of Bilbao. Looking ahead, the 2025 edition of the world-renowned cycling event will have its Grand Depart in Lille, a city in northern France, marking a return to French soil for the race’s start.