Tour de France 2026 Favourites stage 1: Who is the best finisher?

Unlike an oldschool team time trial, where the time of the fifth rider across the line counts, each rider will be credited with his own individual time. The formula for taking the yellow jersey therefore appears straightforward: blast around the Barcelona course as quickly as possible as a team, before the designated leader goes clear in the finale to set the fastest time. To make that work, you need a squad full of strong time trialists who are willing to work for one another, and a leader with a punchy finishing kick.

Seamless teamwork will be crucial during the flat opening section, and that remains largely the case on the first of the two climbs in the finale. It rises for 1.1 kilometres at an average gradient of 5.1%, so some teams may choose to continue from this point with only their strongest climbers. After a short flat section, the road dips slightly before the explosive final ascent of 800 metres at 7%.

Visma | Lease a Bike recently won a team time trial run under the same format at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with Netcompany-INEOS finishing a close second. Comparisons are difficult, however, as the teams will not be lining up at the Tour with exactly the same riders.

We’ll continue to update this article in the build-up to the Tour de France.

Favourites 1st stage - 2025 Tour de France

*** UAE Emirates (Pogacar), Visma | Lease a Bike (Vingegaard)
** Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe (Evenepoel), Netcompany-INEOS (Onley, Vauquelin)
* Lidl-Trek (Ayuso, Skjelmose), Decathlon CMA CGM (Seixas), EF Education-EasyPost (Carapaz)

Another interesting read: route 1st stage 2026 Tour de France.