An entire stage of the 2026 Tour de France will take place in the southwest department of Dordogne. There will be a stage of the Tour de France in Dordogne next summer, the department has announced. The authorities have for several years bid to host a full stage of the race, and the southwest region will now host one from 11th July 2026.
"I had many reasons to smile this morning. Back on the bike, and shared a bit of my ride with this beautiful humans Urška Zigart and Tadej Pogačar."
"I had it on my phone while we were here yesterday doing the team presentation, I was watching. I was super happy for Niamh, and it's a bit of inspiration for this week, too. I think it could be a good one," Fisher-Black said.
"The change of the stage route has had multiple side-effects, amongst them the delaying of the winner's final, full-length press conference, traditionally held the night before, until the late evening after stage 21's conclusion."
The riders begin today at the Tour's most westerly point in Brest at the start of what is officially classed as a flat stage. However, this stage includes three Cat. 4 climbs and one Cat. 3 climb, introducing technical challenges for sprinters and making a sprint finish less certain. The course favors all-rounders, evidenced by previous performances, particularly from strong competitors like Marianne Vos, who won the first stage and currently holds the yellow jersey.
Stage 19 of the 2025 Tour de France has been shortened from 129.9 kilometres to just 95km and two classified climbs eliminated from the route, race organisers announced late on Thursday.