In 2026, Tour de France will start from Barcelona (Spain). The first stage, held on 4th July 2026 will be a 19 km long team time trial.
___________________________________
I can't explain, but I really don't like team time trials
Probably the key to this mistery is the word "team". Also, it might be a question of aestetics, tbe visual message sent by the look of the cyclists during a team time trial I find displeasing. Also this feeling might be very similar why I don't like track cycling and care about road cycling only.
Also, the story of a time trial (either individual or team) is hard to tell, unlike a mountain stage, for example. Since I started blogging about road cycling in 2009 (that was the very first verdion of my Hungarian road cycling project TOURázzunk együtt), narratability plays an important role in my interest. I tend to skip time trial days, only get a glimpse at the results of them. Which leads a more complex questioj about my fading interest in modern day road cycling events loke Tour de France.
________________________________
When Tour de France visits neighbour countries
There is something odd about the fact, that Tour de France visited neighbour countries earlier than the central parts of its own terrirory.
The first time the peloton crossed the border, only for a really little time, happened in 1906, during the 4th edition (meanwhile the organizers gave up the idea that the route should be the widest circle possible and created a program reaching also the central regions of France only in 1951). The first finish on foreign soil happened one year later.
Ironically, and much likely also intentionally, knowing Henri Desgrange's political views, Metz became the first city ever to host a Tour de France finish abroad. Of course, nowadays Metz located in France, as has been for centuries, but between the Franco-Prussian War and World War I the city was part of the German Empire.
This is one of the most fascinating tiny details from the early days of Tour de France one day I would like to dive deeper into. The impact of the Great War on road cycling history has been always one of those topics I just return to them again and again, and this historical nuance is something would be great to tell in the form of microhistory.
Nevertheless, the next big milestone came with the first Grand Depart in 1954. The 41th edition of Tour de France started in Amsterdam, and ever since foreign Grand Departs are freqently, mostly in every second years, hosted by foreign cities in all over Europe.
When Tour de France goes to Spain
The famous 1949 edition, arguably one of the best Tour de France editions ever partially thanks to the Fausto Coppi vs Gino Bartali tension inside the Italian team, witnessed the finish in Spain, more precisely in the Basque Country, because Stage 9 finished in San Sebastian. (And on the next day, Stage 10 departed from the very same place.)
Since then Basque Country is a frequent destination of Tour de France in Spain, it's a very obviois choice considering the location of the Pyrenees, playing a key role in the outcome of the race since 1910.
Even the first Grand Départ in Spain happened in San Sebastian in 1992.
Barcelona, the capital of the autonomous community of Catalona hosted a Tour de Frsnce finish (and even a rest day) for the first time in 1957. A Tour de France stage ended in Barcelona also in 1965 and 2009.
But 2026 will be the very fist time the city will host a Grand Départ.
Interestingly, the last time Tour de France visited its southern neighbour was only 3 years ago, in 2023, whe. Bilbao hosted the very first stage of the competition.
Starting the program in Spain usually means an early arriving of the Pyrenees stages, and that will happen also in 2026.
_____________________
On this day in Tour de France history
4 July 1952 - Tour de France visiting Alpe d'Huez for the very first time
It was the year that went down in Tour de France history as the race for second place. Fausto Coppi, leader of the general classification, seemed to compete on an entirely different plane. His dominance was so absolute that it surprised no one when he claimed victory on all three summit finishes of that year's route. A fact especially remarkable given that summit finishes had only been introduced to the race for the very first time.
Race organizers had long set their sights on a particular climb: Alpe d’Huez, rising steeply in the heart of the Alps. But they were also keenly aware of the logistical challenges that came with ending a stage atop a mountain. Transporting equipment, securing spectator access, and ensuring adequate space for team vehicles and media infrastructure were all substantial concerns.
Yet the place was worth giving a try.
The narrow road, the relentless gradient, and the dizzying sequence of hairpins offered the perfect theater for cycling drama.
The 1952 Tour de France began with several stages that set the tone for the race but did not yet define its outcome. The early route moved through northern and western France, following a familiar pattern of long flat or rolling stages, opportunities for breakaways, and a few early tests of strength.
By Stage 6, which included a time trial, the race began to stretch out slightly. Coppi performed well, reminding his rivals of his strength without yet dominating the event. Still, nothing in the opening week suggested the scale of advantage he would later build in the mountains.
The remaining stages leading toward the Alps were mostly transitional. They brought some wear and tear (heat, crashes, and accumulated fatigue), but no decisive action. Riders knew that the real race would begin as soon as the Tour crossed into the high mountains.
Then the day, 4th of July 1952, arrived when the peloton would climb Alpe d'Huez for the very first time.
The early part of the stage was steady, with breakaway attempts forming and being brought back. Most riders were careful not to spend unnecessary energy, aware that the final climb would determine the day.
When the race reached the foot of Alpe d’Huez, the group began to split almost immediately. The slope was steep from the first meters, and the peloton thinned without any dramatic attacks.
Partway up the climb, Fausto Coppi increased his pace. It was not a sharp move but a calm change of rhythm that most riders could not follow. Jean Robic, however, managed to stay with Coppi for a short while. Robic, known for his toughness in the mountains, matched the Italian’s tempo through several bends of the ascent. For a brief period, the two rode together, separated from the rest.
Eventually Coppi’s steady acceleration proved too much. Robic was the last to lose contact, and once he dropped back, Coppi continued alone. His lead grew steadily, and by the summit he had established a clear winning margin.
After Alpe d’Huez, Coppi maintained his advantage through the remaining mountain stages and the long rides back toward Paris. He rode steadily, letting his team control the peloton and preventing rivals from gaining time. Jean Robic and the other contenders gradually fell further behind, and although sprinters and breakaways won a few stages, they did not affect the overall classification.
Coppi’s dominance was so complete that the organizers faced an unusual situation: with him almost certain to win, the race for second place became the main point of competition. To make it worthwhile for the other riders, they doubled the prize money for second place, encouraging the peloton to continue racing seriously despite Coppi’s lead.
By the final stage, Coppi’s lead was unassailable, and he crossed the finish in Paris to claim a decisive victory, demonstrating both his strength in the mountains and the growing impact of summit finishes on the Tour.
_____________________
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Yes, yes, eveeyone knows what happened in Philadelphia on the 4th of July in 1776, but I'd like to show you other events too, like this one.
The beginning of The Siege of Nándorfehérvár (1456)
On 4 July 1456, one of the most decisive confrontations of the Ottoman-Hungarian wars began: the Siege of Nándorfehérvár, known today as Belgrade. This clash would become a defining moment in late medieval European history, halting Ottoman expansion into Central Europe and cementing the city's strategic importance at the crossroads of empires.