The 113th Tour de France kicked off on Saturday with a team time trial in Barcelona. The format returned to the Grand Boucle for the first time since 2019 and the first opening team time trial since 1971. Jonas Vingegaard was the fastest chap of Visma-Lease a Bike, the fastest team, and takes the first yellow jersey. Derek Gee-West starts the Tour in 45th place, +2:03.
Among the GC favourites, Tadej Pogačar was the best of the rest, 11 seconds back. Juan Ayuso was +0:16, Remco Evenepoel +0:19, Isaac del Toro +0:26 and Paul Seixas +0:39.

The Stakes of the 113th Tour

The 2026 Tour is the seventh round of Pogačar vs Vingegaard, the Slovenian leading 4-2. The world champion was poised to join four others in the Five Yellow Jersey Club.

The four-time champion at Thursday’s team presentation. Photo: Sirotti

Derek Gee-West, a late addition to the Lidl-Trek lineup, was the sole Canadian.

Gee-West, Juan Ayuso and Lidl-Trek on the start ramp.
The Course

Almost 20 km long, there were two climbs in the final 4 km, including an uphill finish in Montjuïc Park. Three intermediate time checks came at the 5.1-km, 10.5-km and 15.9-km points. Each rider would be given an individual time, rather than all riders who finish together receiving the same time.

The 2026 Tour’s Grand Départ in Barcelona. Image by La FlammeRouge
The Early Action

ProTeam Caja Rural was the first to roll out of the start house, finishing 22:59 later. Teams launched five minutes apart, Gee-West’s Lidl-Trek fourth from last to start. After 11 teams had finished, Groupama-FDJ led with 22:28. Mathieu van der Poel then cracked its time by two seconds.

The Second Half of the Order

Netcompany-Ineos was going great guns, but their GC man Kévin Vauquelin got a puncture. Worse, Egan Bernal couldn’t hang on. However, Filippo Ganna, as last Ineos standing, beat van der Poel’s time with 21:55.

The great Ganna and Netcompany Ineos was in the hot seat for a long time.

Gee-West was dropped on the final climb as Ayuso and Mathias Vacek sped towards the line. Ayuso was eight seconds adrift of Ganna. Evenepoel was 11 seconds slower.

Visma-Lease a Bike had all the best times at the intermediate checks. Vingegaard went solo on the final climb and beat Ganna by seven seconds.

Pogačar and del Toro were the last UAE-Emirates riders left. The Mexican led the Slovenian onto the climb, but the world champion came up a little short.

Stage 2 concludes with three ascents up to Montjuïc Park, a traditional climb of the Volta a Catalunya.

2026 Tour de France, Stage 1
1) Visma-Lease a Bike 21:47
2) Netcompany-Ineos +0:07
3) UAE-Emirates +0:11