Tadej Pogacar leads field at 2026 Tour de France launch in Barcelona

The 113th Tour de France begins on 4 July 2026 with a team‑time‑trial start in Barcelona, Spain. A 19.6‑km course winds past the Sagrada Familia before climbing the Montjuïc hill, with 184 riders from 23 teams setting off between 17:05 and 19:15.

Slovenian champion Tadej Pogacar arrives as the favorite, aiming for a historic fifth yellow jersey to join Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. He will be challenged by two‑time winner Jonas Vingegaard, who seeks a rare Giro‑Tour double, and 19‑year‑old French prodigy Paul Seixas, the youngest French contender in 89 years. Other notable rivals include Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso, and a strong UAE Team Emirates squad.

Organisers warn that soaring temperatures – up to 35‑33 °C in the opening stages and higher later in the Pyrenees – could trigger an exceptional heat‑related stage cancellation to protect athletes and spectators. French authorities have confirmed the contingency plan as the race heads from Catalonia into France for the remainder of the three‑week tour.