Article by Luminița Paul – Published on Thursday, 23 October 2025, 18:47 / Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2025 18:48
The organizers of the Tour de France have made public the route of next year's edition, 2026, for both men and women. Starting in Barcelona and the last stage in Montmartre, Tadej Pogacar and the others will attack the fight for the final victory, while the cyclists will reach Mont Ventoux for the first time.
The 2026 men's Tour de France will for the second year in a row include a final stage on Paris's Montmartre hill, following two grueling stages to the top of Alpe d'Huez, organizers announced on Thursday, promising a route that will keep the suspense going until the end.
After kicking off in Barcelona on July 4, the 113th edition of cycling's premier race will culminate on July 26 with a spectacular climb up the cobbled Rue Lepic in Montmartre – a feature first introduced in 2025, when the round was won by the Belgian Wout van Aertafter a fierce duel with the four-time champion Tadej Pogacar.
“Laurent Nunez, who is now Minister of the Interior, has authorized us to return to Montmartre, and we are obviously very happy about that“, race director Christian Prudhomme told reporters.
“Last year's success was phenomenal thanks to the Paris Olympics. Without the Games, the Tour would never have been able to pass through Montmartre. The enthusiasm and atmosphere on Rue Lepic was incredible,” he added.
Tour de France, series of grueling mountain stages
Prudhomme said the organizers wanted the race to remain a draw until the end, with a series of grueling mountain stages leading up to the conclusion.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme and the 2026 route Photo: Imago Images
“There is a real desire to place the most difficult stages at the end – three uphill finishes in the last four days, two consecutive stages on Alpe d'Huez and what is probably the most difficult mountain stage in Tour history on the eve of the final dayhe said.Regardless of the yellow jersey advantage 48 hours before Paris, no one will be able to say it's over“, assured Prudhomme.
The peloton will climb the legendary Alpe d'Huez twice in a row — first through its famous 21 switchbacks on stage 19, then again the next day from the Col de Sarenne, after a 171km stage with 5,600 meters of elevation gain.
The race will enter France early through the Pyrenees, with a first mountain test between Pau and Gavarnie-Gedre on stage 6, with the Col du Tourmalet included. The route returns to several battlefields of the rivalry Pogacar–Vingegaardincluding Le Lioran and Le Markstein.
A 26km individual time trial between Evian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains is scheduled for stage 16. “We want a Tour that grows in intensity,” Prudhomme said.
Women's Tour de France on Mont Ventoux
The Women's Tour de France, which will run from August 1-9 for the fifth time since its relaunch in 2022, will include the legendary Mont Ventoux for the first time. The 'Giant of Provence' will be climbed on Stage 7, before the race concludes with a 99km circuit around Nice.
🤩 Did you want it? Well, you'll get it! See you on the slopes of the Giant of Provence!
🤩 Did you want it? Et bien vous l'aurez! Rendez-vous sur les pentes du Géant de Provence!
👋 @GoZwift it #TDFF2026 | #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/RQNAKJqKQa
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) October 23, 2025
“It is the most difficult women's Tour to date, with almost 19,000 meters of climbing” said race director Marion Rousse. “I made it a little more difficult because the platoon is stronger. It's a smart route – every stage has a potential pitfall“.
The women's race will also bring back the individual time trial, a 21km event between Gevrey-Chambertin and Dijon in stage 4.
