Late Barcelona team time trial revives Vuelta memories, but Tour avoids darkness gamble

The opening stage, held on Saturday, July 4, will see the peloton tackle a 19.7-kilometre team time trial through Barcelona. The first squad is due to start at 17:05, with the last team rolling down the ramp at 18:55. The stage is expected to be wrapped up by around 19:15.

The relatively late start time inevitably brings back memories of the chaotic opening team time trial at the 2023 Vuelta a España, which was also held in Barcelona. On that occasion, the race took place in late August, when daylight fades earlier, and the stage was hit by heavy rain, standing water and poor visibility. A number of teams crashed as conditions deteriorated.

Remco Evenepoel was among the most outspoken critics that evening. The Belgian was furious after the finish, arguing that the organisers had placed riders in an avoidably dangerous situation by sending them out in darkness and torrential rain, especially as the weather had been far better earlier in the day.

There should be far less concern about darkness at the Tour. In early July, Barcelona still has plenty of daylight at that hour. By contrast, the final team at the 2023 Vuelta set off around 90 minutes later than the last squad is scheduled to start in the 2026 Tour opener.

The format of the stage, however, will be anything but conventional. Unlike a standard team time trial, where a team’s time is usually taken on its fourth or fifth rider, each rider will be given an individual time at the finish. That creates a very different tactical challenge.

Rather than simply trying to keep a group together all the way to the line, teams will likely use the opening kilometres to shelter their leaders before the strongest riders are set loose in the finale. With the route finishing on Montjuïc, the stage could become a high-speed lead-out for the general classification contenders, followed by a sharp individual effort on the closing climbs.

The Tour will also finish in the evening again, with the Paris finale retaining the Montmartre climb. Last year, the addition of the Butte Montmartre did not change the fight for yellow, as Tadej Pogačar had already secured overall victory and heavy rain led to the final 50 kilometres being neutralised for the general classification. It still produced a thrilling final phase, with Wout van Aert beating Pogačar to the stage win.

For 2026, organisers have adjusted the finale slightly. The riders will again climb Montmartre three times, but after the final passage by the Sacré-Cœur, 15 kilometres will remain, including one lap of the traditional Champs-Élysées circuit. That should at least keep the door open for the strongest sprinters to fight for the final stage win of the Tour.