Cycling’s most famous race, the Tour de France, will commence from Barcelona in 2026, the third time the race has started in Spain in over a century, the organisers announced on Tuesday.
‘Barcelona is a prestigious city and it is a city of sport,’ Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said.
Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni called it ‘a historic milestone’ for the city, confirming ‘Barcelona’s role as an international sports capital’.
He said two complete stages would take place in Catalonia and the third stage would also begin there before crossing into France. The race started in Saint Sebastian in 1992 and in Bilbao last year.
This year the Tour starts in the Italian city of Florence on 29 June before reverting to Lille next year.
This year’s Tour de France will end in Nice on 21 July in a change from its normal route because of the preparations for the Olympics in Paris.
💛 After 1957, 1965 (Photo 1) and 2009 (Photo 2), the 2026 of the Tour de France will be the 4th to visit Barcelona !
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 18, 2024
🏆 See you on 4 July 2026 to find out who will succeed 🇧🇻 @ThorHushovd, winner in 2009!
💛 Après 1957, 1965 (Photo 1) et 2009 (Photo 2), l’édition 2026 du Tour… pic.twitter.com/aghlTBLXnB
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