This hilly parcours offers could play out any number of ways.
Updated July 6, 2026 02:19PM
Carcassone – Foix: 181.9km / 2,700m+
Bonjour!
The carnival begins properly on stage 4. Rolling out of the medieval city of Carcassone, this stage across the hills of the Ariège is the first fully-French day of the Tour de France.
What to expect? It’s very hard to say with four medium profile categorized climbs in store, none greater than category 2.
The lumpy middle of the stage could be too hard for the pure heavy sprinters. Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen might not even bother given they’re being served a pancake-flat sprint a day later on stage 5.
However, the more versatile speedsters could see a glimmer of opportunity in the downhill and flat finale. That is, if the GC hopefuls are content to let anyone have an opportunity; they’ve hotly contested the first two road stages of this Tour, starting the yellow jersey fight well before the hardest mountain stages.
The section will be made on the tricky final climb to Col de Montségur. Anyone still in contention at the summit could see victory 35km later.
Start: 7:10 a.m. ET
Est. Finish: 11:23 a.m. ET