Back in Spain

Start of the Tour de France 2026 in Barcelona

The Tour de France will start in Barcelona in 2026, returning to Spain after 2023. This was announced by Tour director Christian Prudhomme on Tuesday. "We like big cities," said Prudhomme. 

"In the case of Barcelona, the political will was there, but also the sporting interest" with the 1992 Olympic site on Montjuic. The road cycling world championships were also held in the Catalan metropolis in 1973 and 1984.

In Barcelona for the fourth time
The first stage will take place in Barcelona on July 4, 2026. On the following two days, the stages will be held in the city's surrounding areas. This will be the fourth time the Tour has visited Barcelona after 1957, 1965 and 2009. However, the city has never before had the honor of hosting the so-called Grand Départ.

The decision follows the Tour's trend towards more starts abroad. Last year, the first stages were held in the Basque Country, and this year's Tour starts in Florence next Saturday.

As the Grand Loop started in Copenhagen two years ago, the Tour will only have started once in the Grand Nation between 2022 and 2026. Next year, the start is planned for Lille.