Tour de France 2026 ***Spoilers***

[No Ta Doctor]

In today's news, Affini will make the start after all, but The Col de Sarenne might not

https://www.domestiquecycling.com/e...-of-tour-de-france-queen-stage-to-alpe-dhuez/

 

[mididoctors]

In today's news, Affini will make the start after all, but The Col de Sarenne might not

https://www.domestiquecycling.com/e...-of-tour-de-france-queen-stage-to-alpe-dhuez/

That's hard to secure ...it's the precarious rocks up slope you need to prevent moving .

 

[Dorset Boy]

There were massive thunderstorms in the Alps yesterday, and torrential rain causing lots of slides.
It will be a shame as they had laid beautiful new tarmac up the Sarenne.
So it could be the classic Marmotte route instead.

 

[phreak]

There were massive thunderstorms in the Alps yesterday, and torrential rain causing lots of slides.
It will be a shame as they had laid beautiful new tarmac up the Sarenne.
So it could be the classic Marmotte route instead.

That would mean d'Huez two days in a row? Could they switch it and do Deux Alpes instead?

 

[Blazing Saddles]

The full list of tv broadcast channels for this years Tour. I note that besides S4C, several others that should be free to air.

https://www.letour.fr/en/broadcasters

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Some detail on what tools are available to The Tour to deal with high temps - stage changes, neutralisations and cancellation remain possible in the worst heat
https://www.domestiquecycling.com/e...uld-the-heatwave-mean-for-the-tour-de-france/

 

[Dorset Boy]

That would mean d'Huez two days in a row? Could they switch it and do Deux Alpes instead?

Not a chance. Alpe d'Huez have paid for 2 finishes. L2A haven't paid.
The Sarenne route takes them to the eastern edge of the resort, they then drop down the road the tour doesn't use, to rejoin the traditional ascent between what I think is bends 3 and 4. It then follows the traditional route to the finish.

Also, there are actually 22 hairpins on the traditional ascent, not 21, and an argument could be made that the left turn after the tourist office is also a hairpin. The following right hand hairpin is marked as turn 0.

 

[phreak]

Not a chance. Alpe d'Huez have paid for 2 finishes. L2A haven't paid.
The Sarenne route takes them to the eastern edge of the resort, they then drop down the road the tour doesn't use, to rejoin the traditional ascent between what I think is bends 3 and 4. It then follows the traditional route to the finish.

Also, there are actually 22 hairpins on the traditional ascent, not 21, and an argument could be made that the left turn after the tourist office is also a hairpin. The following right hand hairpin is marked as turn 0.

Fair. I wonder how much they'll smash Pantani's record by?

 

[TomDW]

Some detail on what tools are available to The Tour to deal with high temps - stage changes, neutralisations and cancellation remain possible in the worst heat
https://www.domestiquecycling.com/e...uld-the-heatwave-mean-for-the-tour-de-france/

I was looking at the temperatures predicted around Toulouse next week. Are they really going to do a normal race in 38C ?

 

[Dogtrousers]

The heat will mean that Jonas probably won't be able to repeat his cunning plan of wearing fisherman's waders. Which is a good job because the UCI, ever on the alert for real existential threats to cycling, have taken steps to ban such disreputable behaviour.

https://www.domestiquecycling.com/en/news/has-the-uci-just-banned-vingegaards-paris-nice-trick/

 

[mjr]

The full list of tv broadcast channels for this years Tour. I note that besides S4C, several others that should be free to air.

https://www.letour.fr/en/broadcasters

S4C still having much live coverage should be interesting for Freesat viewers and anyone near Welsh Freeview transmitters.

 

[mjr]

https://inrng.com/2026/06/roads-to-...um=rss&utm_campaign=roads-to-ride-col-du-haag was an interesting traveloguey review of part of the Vosges stage ending in Markstein.

 

[Alex321]

S4C still having much live coverage should be interesting for Freesat viewers and anyone near Welsh Freeview transmitters.

Or anyone live streaming via a smart TV or other device such as Roku.

 

[mjr]

Or anyone live streaming via a smart TV or other device such as Roku.

Do you think it still won't be postcode-locked or similar this year?

 

[rich p]

The heat will mean that Jonas probably won't be able to repeat his cunning plan of wearing fisherman's waders. Which is a good job because the UCI, ever on the alert for real existential threats to cycling, have taken steps to ban such disreputable behaviour.

https://www.domestiquecycling.com/en/news/has-the-uci-just-banned-vingegaards-paris-nice-trick/

Who says the UCI aren't on top of the big issues...