CYCLING’S most prestigious race has landed in Spain after the 2026 edition of the Tour de France officially began on the streets of Barcelona.
The Tour’s first stage kicked off on Saturday afternoon as the world’s best cyclists began their quest to claim the famous yellow jersey.
Barcelona has hosted a Tour stage before, with the most recent one coming in 2009, but it is the first time the city has hosted the opening stage – known as the Grand Depart.
The first stage involves a team time trial through a 19.6km city centre route, passing by some of the Catalan capital’s most iconic monuments including Montjuic and the Sagrada Familia basilica.
An estimated 600,000 spectators are expected to line Barcelona’s famous streets to catch an eye of some of the sport’s top stars, such as Jonas Vingegaard and hot favourite Tadej Pogacar.
Cycling fans unable to make it on Saturday need not worry, with the Tour staying put in Catalunya for two more stages.
On Sunday, the peloton will race along an up-and-down 168.5km route from Tarragona to Barcelona, culminating in three gruelling laps of the Montjuic hill.
Travellers should be aware of several road closures in place, including the A-7, N-340, C-31, BV-2041 and several accesses of the C-32, B-23, B-24 and C-32.
Diversions will also be in place in Torredembarra, El Vendrell, Vilanova i la Geltru, Castelldefels, Sitges, Begues, Vallirana, Molins de Rei, Sant Just Desvern and Espluges de Llobregat.
On Monday, the Tour will depart Granollers and peddle away for nearly 200km through the Catalan countryside before reaching the French border town of Les Angles.
That will lead to disruption on the C-352, C-59, C-37, C-17, C-15 and N-260.
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