Tour de France 2026: Favourites
fotobureau Cor VosIn the previous Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar won the overall classification, underlining his supremacy with four stage victories. Thymen Arensman and Tim Merlier each won two stages, while the remaining stages were won by individual riders.
Shortly, we’ll publish an article on the main contenders for the yellow jersey.
Please click the links in the table below to access our previews of the stage favourites.
Tour de France 2026 - stage contenders
| # | date | favourites | km | type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4-7 | Who is the best finisher? | 19.6 | TTT |
| 2 | 5-7 | Puncher's Paradise | 168.5 | hills |
| 3 | 6-7 | Yellow for the taking | 195.9 | mountains |
| 4 | 7-7 | Half the peloton rolls the dice | 181.9 | hills |
| 5 | 8-7 | For fast men #1 | 158.3 | flat |
| 6 | 9-7 | Clash in the Pyrenees | 186.2 | mountains |
| 7 | 10-7 | Forst fast men #2 | 175.1 | flat |
| 8 | 11-7 | For fast men #3 | 180.4 | flat |
| 9 | 12-7 | 185.5 | hills | |
| 13-7 | rest day | |||
| 10 | 14-7 | 166.6 | hills | |
| 11 | 15-7 | 161.3 | flat | |
| 12 | 16-7 | 179.1 | flat | |
| 13 | 17-7 | 205.8 | hills | |
| 14 | 18-7 | 155.3 | mountains | |
| 15 | 19-7 | 183.9 | mountains | |
| 20-7 | rest day | |||
| 16 | 21-7 | 26.1 | ITT | |
| 17 | 22-7 | 174.7 | flat | |
| 18 | 23-7 | 185.2 | mountains | |
| 19 | 24-7 | 127.9 | mountains | |
| 20 | 25-7 | 170.9 | mountains | |
| 21 | 26-7 | 133.0 | flat | |
A puncher’s paradise
Stage 2 of the Tour comes to a head on a hilly circuit in Barcelona, tackled three times by the riders, each lap featuring two sharp, punchy climbs. The first is 1.6 kilometres at 9.3%, and the second, which doubles as the finish, is 600 metres at 7%.
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Yellow jersey for the taking
Assuming the overall favourites have already fought it out for the yellow jersey over the first two days, stage 3 offers an ideal opportunity to pass it on to a lesser light. The Tour is still long, and the Pyrenean stage is demanding, but not enough to turn it into a battle among the giants.
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Half the peloton rolls the dice
Stage 4 of the Tour de France is one to watch. It is the sort of stage where half the peloton fancies its chances of the stage win, and that usually leads to a spectacle.
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For fast men #1
All signs point to the Tour de France's first bunch sprint being decided on the streets of Pau. So, gentlemen sprinters, on your marks, get set... go!
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Clash in the Pyrenees
Will we get a GC showdown on the final day in the Pyrenees? Given the demanding route, featuring both the Aspin and the Tourmalet, you would think – and certainly hope – so. Then again, the finale is not especially difficult.
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