The 2026 Tour de France got off to a strong start on Saturday, starting with a team time trial for the first time since 1971 and showcasing Spain’s warm hospitality on the first of three days of competition.
Each day in Spain will become increasingly challenging and will potentially provide an opportunity for different riders or riders to shine before heading to France for Stage 4.
The second stage on Sunday is almost 10 times longer than the TTT and will take participants to 2,500m during the hilly journey.
As always, cycling fans in Canada can watch the race live on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
The first stage featured two-time TDF winner Jonas Vingegaard and the Visma team | Lease a Bike made a big announcement when there was so much talk about two-time defending champion Tadej Pogačar and 19-year-old French sensation Paul Seixas.
Vingegaard finished the 19.6-kilometer time trial in 21:47, eight seconds ahead of Italy’s Filippo Ganna. Pogačar was the last one who had the opportunity to beat Vingegaard, but he was 12 seconds short.
As the top player, Vingegaard can now wear the yellow leader’s jersey, something he has not done since winning the GC title in 2023 despite finishing second in 2024 and 2025.
For viewers in Canada, FloBikes Stage 2 coverage will begin at 7:35 a.m. ET and is expected to end around 12:10 pm ET.
Here’s what you need to know about the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France, a 168.5-kilometre ride from Tarragona back to Barcelona:
Stage 2: Tour de France 2026
The first half of the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France is relatively flat, but the second part includes several category climbs: a category 2 opening stage and a series of category 3 climbs over the final 25 kilometers.
Some riders may be familiar with the area if they have competed in the Tour of Catalunya. Athletes who have won here during this race and are known to be able to handle a series of such climbs include Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogačar and Primoz Roglic, all of whom should be fresh and ready to continue this success during the TDF.
The day will conclude with two laps of the final circuit, which takes riders around the famous Montjuïc hill. The Côte du Château de Montjuïc reached a gradient of 9.3%.
This stage will see some of the best names, as well as the most versatile competitors and some of the best punchers in the sport, set off early fireworks and battle it out for stage wins.
Kilometers to miles: what is the duration of the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France?
The length of the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France is 168.5 kilometers or approximately 104.7 miles.
Profile of the second stage of the Tour de France 2026
Here’s what the route looks like for Stage 2:
How to watch Tour de France 2026 Stage 2
For Canadian viewers, the 2026 Tour de France is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and other latest news, including reviews and driver interviews, will be available on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be televised on NBC and will air daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, as well as replays of the performances, will air on USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year agreement that will keep NBC Sports as the US home of the Tour de France until 2029.
Who won the second stage of the Tour de France in 2025?
The second stage of the 2025 Tour de France gave fans a hilltop battle between Mathieu van der Poel and eventual champion Tadej Pogačar that was exciting and memorable, but also only delayed the inevitable.
The win was the second of Van der Poel’s TDF career and also gave him the chance to take on the leader’s yellow jersey for stage three. His first TDF win came in 2021.
By ahead of Pogačar, he deprived the Slovenian star of his 100th career victory and the opportunity to take the lead in the GC sooner or later.
Pogačar took the first of his four stage 4 wins and ended up wearing the yellow jersey for more than a dozen of the 21 days of racing, including the final trip to Paris, where he claimed his fourth GC title at TDF.
Tour de France 2026 results: here’s who won every stage
When does the 2026 Tour de France start?
The 2026 Tour de France starts on July 4 and ends on July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two days of rest (July 13 and 20).
Every day the cyclists start together. Each stage varies in distance and physical challenge, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should succeed or how the race should end.
For example, some stages have a flat surface, meaning that sprinters will likely have to fight for victories on these stages.
The three weeks of racing in Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hill days, an individual time trial and a team time trial, starting on July 4th.
How long is the Tour de France 2026?
The 2026 Tour de France route will be 3,333 kilometers, or just over 2,071 miles.
The race consists of 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What is the schedule for the 2026 Tour de France?
- Stage 1 (TTT) – July 4: Barcelona – Barcelona (19.6 km)
- Stage 2 – July 5: Tarragona – Barcelona (168.5 km)
- Stage 3 – July 6: Granollers – Les Angles (195.9 km)
- Stage 4 – July 7: Carcassonne – Foix (181.9 km)
- Stage 5 – July 8: The next day – Po (158.3 km)
- Stage 6 – July 9: Pau – Gavarni-Gedr (186.2 km)
- Stage 7 – July 10: Hagetmau – Bordeaux (175.1 km)
- Stage 8 – July 11: Périgueux – Bergerac (180.4 km)
- Stage 9 – July 12: Malemort – Yussel (185.5 km)
- Rest day – July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 – July 14: Aurillac – Le Lioran (166.6 km)
- Stage 11 – July 15: Vichy – Nevers (161.3 km)
- Stage 12 – July 16: Route Nevers Magny-Cours – Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1 km)
- Stage 13 – July 17: Dole – Belfort (205.8 km)
- Stage 14 – July 18: Mulhouse – Le Markstein Fellering (155.3 km)
- Stage 15 – July 19: Champagnole – Plateau de Solezon (183.9 km)
- Rest day – July 20: Haute Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) – July 21: Evian-les-Bains – Thonon-les-Bains (26.1 km)
- Stage 17 – July 22: Chambery – Voiron (174.7 km)
- Stage 18 – July 23: Voiron – Orcières-Merlette (185.2 km)
- Stage 19 – July 24: Gap – Alpe d’Huez (127.9 km)
- Stage 20 – July 25: Le Bourg d’Oisans – Alpe d’Huez (170.9 km)
- Stage 21 – July 26: Thoiry – Paris, Champs Elysees (133 km)
How many teams/riders compete in the Tour de France?
Traditionally, the Tour de France has 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 participants. This year there will be 23 teams.
Here is the list for 2026:
- Alpecin – Premier Tech
- Bahrain – Victorious
- Rural Bank – RGA Insurance
- Do you trust
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education – EasyPost
- Groupama – FJ United
- Network company INEOS
- Lidl – Track
- Lot Intermarche
- Movistar Team
- Cycling team NSN
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
- Sudal Quick-Step
- Team Jako AlUla
- PostNL Picnic Team
- Visma Team | Rent a bike
- TotalEnergy
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Emirates Team – XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who won the Tour de France in 2025?
Slovenian Tadej Pogacar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive win at the event and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain won five times, while Chris Froome joined Pogačar with four wins.
On his way to winning the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense included four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13) and he finished more than four minutes ahead of second-placed Jonas Wingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar has five Grand Tour victories, including the 2024 Giro d’Italia, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat not accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to repeat his efforts after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least once.
Merckx has the most GC Grand Tour wins with 11, followed by Hinault who has 10.
Pogačar continued his elite form into 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stage wins en route to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
Jonas Vingegaard makes an early announcement on the first stage of the 2026 Tour de France
Jonas Vingegaard and the Visma-Lease a Bike team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2026 Tour de France, beating Team Ineos by just seconds in the first team time trial over 19.6km in Barcelona.
More importantly, Vingegaard gained his first advantage over his main rival Tadej Pogačar in the fight for the yellow jersey.
Hear from Vingegaard, Juan Ayuso, Mathieu van der Poel and several other riders as the Tour de France begins with one of the most dramatic team time trials in recent history.
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