How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Course Presentation

Though we’re only a few months removed from the 2025 edition of the Tour de France, it’s already time to get our first look at what the world’s top cyclists will be encountering in the summer of 2026.

We know the storied race will begin in Spain for the third time – after 1992 (San Sebastian) and 2023 (Bilbao) – with the 113th running of the TDF set to kick off in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. 

The Tour de France 2026 doesn’t begin until July 4, but we’re just days away from learning all the specifics about the 21 stages and the always challenging course, which will be revealed Oct. 23 in a formal presentation by the race directors.

Wait, directors, plural? Yes. The presentation will include the introduction of the routes for both the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes (Aug. 1-9).

Dedicated cycling fans in Canada who want to learn more can watch the presentations live on FloBikes on Thursday, beginning at 5 a.m. Eastern.

The announcement of the Barcelona start for the Tour de France 2026 came in February, and it will mark the fourth time the city has welcomed the race.

Barcelona previously hosted stages of the TDF in 1957, 1965 and 2009, and the area has a long history with other top-tier cycling events, too, including the Vuelta a España.

The work to see the Tour de France return to Barcelona began immediately after the last visit, and we already know for sure what the first two stages will look like, with the main Olympic venue from the 1992 Summer Olympics serving as the backdrop.

The opening stage of the TDF 2026, the Grand Depart, will be a 19.7-kilometer team time trial that will begin along the Barcelona waterfront and end with a climb of the famed Montjuïc Hill, ending in front of the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium. 

Stage 2, at 178.4 kilometers, will start in nearby Tarragona, Spain, and showcase the rich history of the area, along with some amazing views and scenery along the coast. Riders then will head back into Barcelona for a final circuit and an uphill finish that mirrors what they saw the day before.

We also know the third day of the Tour de France 2026 will start in Granollers, Spain, and cross into France, but it is only speculation that the stage will conclude at the ski station in Les Angles. 

The remaining stages are expected to take the race through many familiar areas and types of terrain, including an annual ride through the Pyrenees mountains, a day in Massif Central, time in the Alps and, of course, a traditional and ceremonial finish in the heart of Paris.

The last two editions of the Tour de France were won by Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar, giving him four titles overall (2020 and 2021), while Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard won the two years in between (2022, 2023).

Only nine riders have officially won the TDF three or more times, while Pogacar joins Great Britain’s Chris Froome on the list of four-time winners. 

Four other riders – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain have done them one better, winning five times each. Indurain’s victories came consecutively from 1991 through 1995. 

Can Tadej Pogacar win three in a row and join one of the most elite clubs in professional cycling? Or is 2026 the year a sport-changing legacy begins for someone else?

When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?

The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 25. 

The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days.

Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish. 

For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.

How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?

The full course for the Tour de France 2026, always subject to change, will be revealed in a formal presentation on Oct. 23.

How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?

Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and more than 180 competitors in the Tour de France.

How To Watch The Tour de France 2026

The Tour de France will stream live throughout in Canada on FloBikes and the FloSports app. 

Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms. 

In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC network and will stream daily in the United States on Peacock. The entire race will be broadcast on NBC’s channels and USA Network. 

In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.

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