Stage 13. Dole – Belfort. 205km / 2,500m ascent. Fri 10th July

This is the longest stage of the 2026 Tour, and links two of the five French mountain ranges, starting in the shadow of the Jura, and finishing in the Vosges. It’s very much a day of two halves, with almost all of the climbing happening in the final 50km – something worth remembering, as we charge along the gently undulating roads of Haute-Saône in the morning.

We set out from Dole, birthplace of Louis Pasteur, and for the first few hours we follow the valley of the River Doubs, rolling past wooded hills and the occasional limestone outcrop, especially as we pass the ancient fortified city of Besançon, whose towering citadel is now a UNESCO heritage site.

Although this stage is essentially flat for the first 100km, the route starts to undulate more as the shadows of the Vosges mountains begin to loom on the horizon. Passing through the historic city of Lure, and then Thibault Pinot’s home village of Mélisey (the finale of this stage is very much conceived as a Pinot tribute), we warm our legs up on the 679m Col de Croix, whose average gradient of 3.4% shouldn’t trouble us too much.

Following a brief descent into the Moselle Valley, we then pay a visit to what is arguably the Tour’s oldest col. Ballon d’Alsace was the first major mountain scaled by the race, when René Pottier beat the rest of the peloton to the summit in 1905. We’ll probably find it easier than he did, on modern groupsets and flawless tarmac, though the 6.9% average gradient (with some sections of 8%) isn’t to be taken lightly. There’s a small monument to him at the top, where we get to celebrate the last of the day’s climbing, and look forward to the long descent to Belfort.

Tour logisitics
Start: Transfer to Dole
Finish: Belfort hotel

Stage 14. Mulhouse – Le Markstein. 155km / 3,800m ascent. Sat 11th July

Today’s scenery is second-to-none, as we ride a lofty circuit of the Vosges mountains. Expect winding climbs and glorious balcony roads, with panoramic views out across the blue hilltops to the west, and over the Rhine Valley to Germany’s Black Forest to the east. We revisit the Tour’s oldest climb, as well as getting to ride one of its newest: the freshly surfaced Col du Haag.

The climbing begins about an hour into our day’s ride, after a gentle roll-out from Mulhouse, through fields and vineyards that cling to the Vosges’ lower slopes. The road up to the Grand Ballon is long, at 21.5km, but its relatively benign gradients (averaging 4.8%) will leave us some spare attention for the increasingly spectacular views, as we emerge from the trees, and up into the wide-open grasslands that crown this mountain. We keep our elevation for a while (ie. two summits for the price of one), as we follow the beautiful Route des Crêtes for our first visit to Le Markstein – where we finish our day’s ride, in just over 100km.

Descending into the next valley, we find ourselves on a winding road that takes us up to the Col du Page, flanked by mature trees and some lovely shelter from the sun. Following a brief visit to the quiet town of Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle, a left turn takes us onto the hallowed tarmac of the Tour’s original mountain: Ballon d’Alsace. This ascent will be slightly steeper than the first two, but it’s worth saving some energy for later, because ahead of us lies one of this year’s big challenges: the Col du Haag. This brand new climb is closed to motorised vehicles, and is eye-wateringly steep, with plenty of 10% sections as we work our way up through the trees from the valley floor. We pop out on a road that feels decidedly familiar, and from here it’s a 5km victory lap along the ridgeline (ie. the work is done; the altitude is gained), back to Le Markstein.

Tour logisitics
Start: Transfer to Mulhouse
Finish: Transfer back to the Belfort hotel (2nd night in the same hotel)

Stage 15. Champagnole – Plateau de Solaison. 184km / 3,950m ascent. Sun 12th July

This long and rugged Alpine stage actually starts in the Jura range, and the climbing starts as soon as we set off from Champagnole, known for its watch-making. A series of steep ramps and long drags take us up through fields and woodland to the Col de la Savine, a shade over 1,000m above sea level.

Following a brief descent to cheesemaking capital Morbier, our route slices across the green, corrugated landscape of the Jura, and arrives in the small border town of La Cure. The road hugs the Swiss border for several kilometres, without actually crossing it, before swerving back into France, and descending via the long scenic valley of Valserine.

After crossing the Rhône near Collonges, we’re treated to a brief flat section, as we cross the valley that divides the Jura from the Alps. But don’t get over-excited, because today’s steepest climb is coming up, and we see it looming over us as we approach. Mont Salève features in a famous scene from Frankenstein, in which a flash of lightning shows the monster escaping over this “nearly perpendicular” mountain. We may write a horror story of our own as we ascend its fiendish hairpins, whose gradients frequently exceed 12%, but the view from the top will make up for it (hopefully!); on a clear day you can see two mountain ranges, the city of Geneva, and much of Lac Leman.

The enjoyably wiggly descent takes us down into the Arve Valley, from which we approach our final climb of the day. Almost twice as long as Salève, and slightly steeper, this twisting road is a true challenge for tired legs and lungs. We just have to hope that the pristine Alpine scenery, the cowbells and the pretty wooden chalets that dot the surrounding meadows, make up for it.

Tour logisitics
Start: Transfer to Champagnole
Finish: Transfer to Chambery hotel (for 2 nights)

Rest Day 2: Monday 13th July

Plenty of time for a huge lunch, some bike tinkering and a visit to the launderette

Stage 17. Chambéry – Voiron. 175km / 2,220m ascent. Tue 14th July

This stage feels, in a good way, like cheating; a full day of mountain scenery, but with a far more modest elevation gain than you’d expect for a ride in the Alps. Instead we ride a rolling route, overlooked by the hulking limestone crags of the Chartreuse and the Massif des Bauges.

Setting off from Chambéry, we ride alongside the gorgeous Lac du Bourget for a few kilometres, before turning into the hills and tackling the climb that accounts for over half of the day’s elevation. We’re going uphill for around 30km, but the average gradient is a reasonable 3-4%, so it shouldn’t feel too difficult, and we enjoy a rare glimpse into the interior of the Massif des Bauges, which the Tour usually only skirts on its way to somewhere else.

After whizzing our way down the hairpins back to Chambéry, we set off south into the Chartreuse range, with paragliders joining in and giving us yet more to look at. Following another, much lower col we enjoy a brief sprint out into the Rhône valley, via the tranquil riverside town of Le-Pont-de-Beauvoisin, then there’s another long drag up through the foothills, a visit to the pretty Lac de Paladru, and a fast finale, on flat and downhill roads, into our finish in Voiron, a small, pretty town to the north of Grenoble.

Tour logistics
Start: Chambery hotel
Finish: Voiron hotel

Stage 18. Voiron – Orcières-Merlette. 185km / 3,800m ascent. Wed 15th July

Scene of a famous showdown between Merckx and Ocaña in 1971, the climb up to Orcières-Merlette inevitably forms the centrepiece of today’s stage. But there’s plenty more uphill before we get there, via several rarely visited Alpine ascents – such as the Côte d’Engins, which we meet a few kilometres into our ride, after warming our legs up in the flat Isère Valley from Voirons.

It’s a fairly steady climb, with an average gradient of just over 5%, and no nasty surprises, and we’re treated to spectacular views of Grenoble on the descent (you may be surprised to learn that it’s France’s flattest city). From here we spend an hour or so tackling the false flat that leads us along the valley to the foot of our next climb – the Côte de Monteynard, whose gradients are similarly gentle, and whose slopes overlook the Lac de Notre-Dame de Commiers.

Our next few hours are spent following various scenic balcony roads through the steep-sided valleys of the Hautes-Alpes, overseen by ever higher peaks as we make our way towards the outrageous stack of hairpins that make up the final climb to Orcières-Merlette. This is our steepest ascent of the day, and we’re greeted by vast green Alpine meadows, and scattered chalets, as we arrive at the ski resort, and a hero’s welcome.

Tour logistics
Start: Voiron hotel
Finish: Orcieres Merlette hotel

Stage 19. Gap – Alpe d’Huez. 128km / 3,500m ascent. Thu 16th July

Today’s stage is shorter than most, but don’t underestimate the challenge it brings, as there are 3,500m of ascent – and four categorised climbs – squeezed into its 128km.

The climbing starts the moment we leave Gap, with a brisk ascent out of the valley that starts at the first roundabout. It’s the Col Bayard (7.2%) followed swiftly by the even steeper Col du Noyer. Yes, it averages over 8%, but it’s also a beauty: a narrow ribbon of flawless tarmac, edging its way across the scree and strata of the mountainside, with the valley falling away beneath, and a panoramic view of the surrounding peaks. To add to the magical experience of this little-known col, the descent takes us into a magical new world, of vast green steppes and scattered pine trees.

There’s a long downhill to the picture-perfect Lac du Sautet, from which we skirt the valley for a bit, before turning back into the mountains and heading for the Col d’Ornon, via a scenic road that follows a deep valley, gradually emerging from woodlands into pastures as it approaches its apex.

And after this, there’s nothing more than a long descent to Bourg d’Oisans, and the mythical 21 hairpins of Alpe d’Huez, where we get to see the names of our heroes and heroines painted on the road, pass the legions of fans already setting up camp for the following week, and enjoy the experience of riding one of the most iconic climbs in cycling.

Tour logistics
Start: Transfer to Gap
Finish: Alpe d’Huez hotel (1st of 2 night stay)

Stage 20. Bourg d’Oisans – Alpe d’Huez. 171km / 5,600m ascent. Fri 17th July

With more vertical gain than any other Tour stage within recent memory, this behemoth of a stage showcases a whole parade of the Alps’ superstar climbs, with a new take on Alpe d’Huez for the grand finale.

First we have the beautiful Col de la Croix de Fer, with its deceptively gentle gradient of 5.2%. Don’t be fooled – this average hides all manner of unpleasant surprises, and you’ll find that several kilometres of the ascent approach 10%.

Following a long descent into the Maurienne Valley, we undertake one of the most storied sequences of Alpine climbs: the Col du Télégraphe, followed by the incomparable Col du Galibier – the highest point of this year’s Tour route.

There follows over 30km of descent, and a chance to spectate this region’s glorious mountain scenery at our leisure, before a right turn takes us up the Col de Sarenne – Alpe d’Huez’s little-known B-side, making its Tour debut (if we discount 2013, where it appeared as a descent). There’s no way you won’t love this wild and beautiful climb. It’s longer than the main route up to Alpe d’Huez, and less steep overall, though it still has plenty of sections that will make you wince. As you ride through its serene Alpine pastures, listening to the marmots scuttling and whistling on the hillsides, you’ll feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of cycling’s nearby Mecca. And you’re guaranteed to feel a sense of shock when we pop out near the top of the main road, among crowds of tourists and fellow cyclists, wondering if perhaps it was all a dream…

Tour logistics
Start: Alpe d’Huez hotel
Finish: Alpe d’Huez hotel