Tour de France 2026 starts in 4 stages in Barcelona

• The Tour de France 2026 starts in Barcelona with Stage 4 ending in Perpignan after 26 stages.
• The opening stage will be a team time trial; Barcelona will host the Grand Départ.
• How to watch the Tour de France in the UK: TNT Sports and HBO Max will show the race, while Channel 5 will air highlights from 7pm BST.

The Tour de France 2026 will begin in Barcelona in Stage 4, with the race ending in Perpignan in Week 26. According to the material, the race will include 21 stages overall.

The next stage will take place in the same format as the opening stage, with the Grand Depart in Barcelona. NBC News reports that the first race will be the same as the Grand Départ, and that the second will be a time trial from 1971, in which the Tour starts with the opening stage.

According to Independent, the favorites for the title are Tadej Pogacar. The paper also says that Jonas Vingegaard is the biggest contender.

Independent also believes that Remco Evenepoel will be unable to repeat the feat, which would be a big surprise. The paper also notes that Paul Seixas is hoping for a win in the Tour de France.

As Independent points out, for the year in question, the Tour de France in the UK will not be broadcast without a subscription, with only ITV not showing the race after 2025. The race will be shown on TNT Sports and HBO Max, and there will also be an uninterrupted live highlights broadcast at 7pm BST on Channel 5; TNT Sports will be the broadcaster for the Tour, which starts at 0:00.

Tags: Football/Sport/Europe