1. Alpe d’Huez & other previous guesses: In our last blog we spoke about (= put money on!) some early Pyrenean stages, the Massif Central, the Vosges and Alpe d’Huez. We’re still pretty confident in all those predictions with the Planche des Belles Filles (in the Vosges) and Alpe d’Huez as good as confirmed (tweets by Mayors, local newspaper articles, tourist board confirmations).

 

2. Time Trials: The quantity and timing of time trials matters a lot to Le Loop cyclists. They’re an opportunity to enjoy a leisurely half day ride and visit a laundrette or dip in a hotel pool; in short, it’s almost like an extra rest day and having 2 rather than 1 makes a massive difference. For 2026 it’s still unsure as to where this/these might fall but a short Individual Time Trial in the Alps with a summit finish (similar to the 2025 Pyrenees TT which finished at the top of the Peyragudes climb) looks pretty likely. If the Tour would like to add in another speedy, flat Time Trial, I don’t think we’d offer many complaints!

 

3. The Mountains: we already spoke about an early Pyrenees visit but instead of being 2 or 3 stages, there are now rumours that would cover four week-one Pyrenees stages. Either the rumours have run away with themselves or the Tour is going rogue with so much early climbing. Or will a couple of these stages be a slightly less up/down profile with “gentler” or shorter Pyrenean stages? We don’t have enough intel to say more yet, suffice to say that distances as well as transfers will make a huge difference to how brutal this will feel to our Le Loop riders.

 

As for the Alps, it looks like we’ll have a mega-mix of 3 distinct stages and regions; one in the Samoens/Morzine/Col de Ramaz/Col de la Colombière area, one focusing on Alpe d’Huez, possibly with a descent of the Col de Sarenne, and one that takes us further south towards Gap and/or Orcieres with the Col de Manse and Orcieres Merlette climb being highlights of the stage. There’s some debate about the order of these stages, as well as the route (and timescales) for how the Tour will get from the Alps to Paris. Again, it’s another space to watch… the 23rd October will give us the answers we’re after!

 

4. The Vosges/ The Jura: If you believed all the rumours, you’d be looking at a Tour with only one or two flat-ish stages and we doubt that can be true. However there are credible rumours of stages in the Massif Central, the Vosges and the Jura which would point towards another year that covers all the French mountain ranges and necessarily gives us a good dose of vertical ascent. The devil is in the detail on this… how long are the stages? How many valleys, gorges and “gentle” days? How many pure-climb stages? This is where we’ll have to wait to know where the respite is and how much of it there’ll be!

 

5. Rest days?: These look interesting with the first likely to fall before or during the Massif Central stages (Aurillac would make for a very relaxed day off) and the second most likely to be the calm before the Alps storm! With any luck, we won’t need to transfer during the rest days and can stay a couple of nights in the same place, making for a change of pace and the opportunity to stop and take in our surroundings. 

 

We’ll keep our eyes and ears peeled and we’ll share our findings in another few weeks. And remember, if you haven’t bought a deposit yet, there’s still time. Our Guaranteed Loops have sold out but we still have 3 Priority Deposits available.

 

 

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