The 2026 Tour de France will make history by starting with a team time trial in Barcelona, Spain, marking the first time the race has opened with this format. Organizers, ASO, confirmed the details of the Spanish Grand Départ on Tuesday evening, revealing that the event will feature new timing rules introduced in the 2023 Paris-Nice.
In a departure from tradition, where the time of the fourth rider across the line typically sets the team’s official time in a team time trial, the 2026 opening stage will use individual times for each rider. This shift could mean that general classification (GC) standings may begin to take shape from the very first stage.
The new rules allow riders such as Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar to push their limits and possibly achieve better times than their teammates. Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team claimed victory in the 2023 Paris-Nice time trial under these new regulations, and UAE Team Emirates followed suit in 2024.
Barcelona previously hosted the start of a Grand Tour in 2023, when the Vuelta a España kicked off with a team time trial. However, the Vuelta adhered to the traditional timing system. For the Tour de France, ASO confirmed that the finish line on day one will be situated near the iconic Olympic stadium on Montjuïc Hill.
The first three stages of the 2026 Tour will take place in Spain. After the opening team time trial in Barcelona, the race will head south to Tarragona for stage two, the southernmost point the Tour has ever visited. Stage three will start in Granollers, although the finish location has not yet been disclosed.
Race director Thierry Gouvenou highlighted the challenges posed by the second stage, noting that the district offers numerous route possibilities. “There are many roads in this area, providing plenty of options for creating a circuit,” he said. “I believe we have found the most difficult combination possible.”
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