Tour de France 2026 to start with Barcelona team time trial
TTT will use new timing rules first seen in 2023 Paris-Nice


The 2026 Tour de France is to start with a team time trial in Barcelona, Spain, for the first time in the race’s history.
The Tour organisers, ASO, confirmed some of the details of the Spanish Grand Départ on Tuesday evening. It was also confirmed that rules first seen in the 2023 edition of Paris-Nice will be used on the opening 19.7 kilometre stage.
Traditionally, in a team time trial riders will be given the time of the fourth rider to cross the line in their group, although each rider will be given individual times in Barcelona, meaning the GC action could potentially begin from day one.
The new setup will allow the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar to accelerate and achieve a potentially better time than their teammates. Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team won the Paris-Nice time trial using the new ASO rules in 2023, before UAE Team Emirates did the same last year.
Barcelona last played host to the beginning of a Grand Tour in 2023 when the Vuelta a España began in the city. On that occasion the race also started with a team time trial, but the more typical rider timing rules applied. ASO said that the finish line on the opening day of the Tour will be in the shadow of Barcelona’s Olympic stadium on Montjuïc hill.
The first three stages of the race will be held in Spain. After the first stage in Barcelona, the race will head south to start in Tarragona on stage two, before then returning for a hilly finishing circuit back in the streets of Barcelona. Tarragona will mark the southernmost point that the race has ever visited. Stage three will start in Granollers, but the finishing location has not yet been revealed.
Discussing the finish of the second stage, race director Thierry Gouvenou said the course should provide plenty of entertainment for roadside spectators and those watching on from home. "There are many roads in this district and as a result plenty of possibilities for drawing up a circuit," he said. "I think we have managed to find the most difficult combination possible."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world. As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
Van Rysel's RCR-F finally launches and it's no longer the cheap option
Van Rysel wants more of your money, but promises aero gains and a premium retail experience.
By Joe Baker Published
-
I almost crashed into a canal because of the thumb loops on my jacket – I'm glad cycling brands don't make them like this anymore
Heed my warning: don't use the thumb loops on your old cycling kit
By Hannah Bussey Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard out of Volta a Catalunya after Paris-Nice crash
Visma-Lease a Bike say two-time Tour de France winner needs more time to recover from wrist injury sustained in France last week
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson aiming to 'set the bar higher' and target a Grand Tour after securing second Paris-Nice title
American explained that targeting a win in one of the sport's biggest three-week races was now the logical next step in his career
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson rules out Tour de France leadership after Jonas Vingegaard's withdrawal from Paris-Nice
The American is on the cusp of a second consecutive victory at the Race to the Sun
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Why is Jonas Vingegaard wearing a special helmet at Paris-Nice?
The two-time Tour de France winner’s new helmet is part of a sponsorship deal that will see him wear the lid throughout the year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'When he starts his Tour preparation, we’ll then see Jonas 2.0' - Jonas Vingegaard heads to Paris-Nice almost at full strength, coach says
Tim Heemskerk says the Danish star is not interested in outside noise as he attempts second stage race win of the year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Stage ten of this year's Tour de France will be a 'crazy, crazy day' - Meet one of the people behind the biggest bike races in the world
Yannick Talabardon, Paris-Nice's assistant race director at ASO, takes on the Cycling Weekly Q&A
By Tom Thewlis Published