The 2026 Excursion de France will get started with a staff time trial for the primary time within the race’s historical past because the Grand Départ in Barcelona, Spain.
Riders will face a 19.7-kilometre route that may finish within the shadow of the stadium constructed for the 1992 Olympic Video games on Montjuïc hill.
The organisers additionally showed that the staff time trial will use the timing regulations first observed within the 2023 version of Paris-Great, with each and every rider being given his precise completing time somewhat than all riders completing in combination being given the time of the fourth rider, as has been the custom.
Within the first check of the layout in Paris-Great, Jonas Vingegaard led Jumbo-Visma to the victory on a 32.2km route, completing at the side of teammates Jan Tratnik and Nathan van Hooydonck. Tadej Pogačar soloed in forward of his UAE Group Emirates teammates, giving up 23.5 seconds on his rival.
The timing regulations permit staff leaders a number of staying with their teammates or looking to energy on by myself to a greater completing time.
Barcelona final held a Grand Excursion leave in 2023 when the Vuelta a España started with a 14.8km staff time trial, despite the fact that it used to be run beneath the traditional UCI regulations.
That level used to be steeped in controversy as heavy rains made the route slick and resulted in a large number of crashes. After the end, riders complained of getting to trip six kilometres thru heavy site visitors at the hours of darkness to go back to their staff buses.
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The 2026 Excursion de France could have 3 levels in Spain, with the second one day beginning in Tarragona – which is able to make it the southernmost level visited within the historical past of the Excursion. The level, 178km in period, will end in Barcelona with a 12-kilometre ultimate circuit together with the Montjuïc Citadel ascent – a 1.6-km wall-like climb with a mean gradient of 9.3%.
“There are many roads in this district and as a result plenty of possibilities for drawing up a circuit. I think we have managed to find the most difficult combination possible,” said race director Thierry Gouvenou.
The 3rd level will leave from Granollers with the vacation spot in France nonetheless to be introduced.
