Barcelona will become the cycling capital of the world from July 4 to 6, 2026. For the first time in history, the Tour de France will start from the Catalan capital, with three initial stages that will cross part of the territory of Catalonia before crossing the border into France.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, highlighted that the city “will organize a unique Grand Départ, which will unite sport, culture and architecture”, and that this event “represents the culmination of a love story between Barcelona and the Tour”. Collboni also recalled that in 2026 the city will also be the World Capital of Architecture, reinforcing the link between the two milestones.
Three stages in Catalan territory
The Grand Départ will be held between July 4 and 6.
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First stage (July 4): a 19-kilometer team time trial that will start at the Parc del Fòrum and finish at Montjuïc, passing through emblematic sites such as the Sagrada Família and the seafront.
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Second stage (July 5): it will start in Tarragona and will reach Barcelona after 182.4 kilometers through towns such as Torredembarra, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Sitges, Castelldefels, Begues or Molins de Rei. The finish will include a circuit with a climb to the Montjuïc castle, which the cyclists will crown three times.
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Third stage (July 6): it will start from Granollers and will reach Les Angles, in France. The route will go through Vic, Manlleu, Ripoll, Ribes de Freser, the resort of La Molina, Puigcerdà and Llívia, the last Catalan town of the Grand Départ.
Before the start of the race, on July 2, the official presentation of the participating teams will be held in two iconic settings of the city: the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site and the Sagrada Família.
A worldwide event
The 2026 Tour de France will be held from July 4 to 26 and will feature 21 stages, culminating, as is tradition, on the Champs Elysées in Paris.
With this edition, Barcelona will join the list of other major European cities that have hosted the start of the Tour, after Copenhagen (2022), Bilbao (2023) and Florence (2024). The race will turn the Catalan capital into the world epicenter of cycling and will reinforce its historical link with the sport: the city has already hosted three stages of the Tour (1957, 1965 and 2009), all of them passing through Montjuïc.
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