Tadej Pogačar is on the verge of one of the most dominant performances in modern Tour de France history, with the Slovenian all but locking up his fifth yellow jersey as this year's race enters its final two days. Here are 10 things to know about the 2026 edition of cycling's biggest event.

1. The race started in Spain for just the third time ever

The 113th Tour de France opened in Barcelona on July 4, marking the first time the Grand Départ has been held in Catalonia and only the third time Spain has hosted the race's start, following San Sebastián in 1992 and Bilbao in 2023. Barcelona is the most southerly city ever to launch the Tour. Race director Christian Prudhomme said the route was built to keep the overall competition unsettled deep into the final week. "It's designed to maintain the suspense until the end," Prudhomme said when the route was unveiled last October.

2. It opened with an unusual team time trial

Stage 1 featured a 19.7-kilometer team time trial through Barcelona, including two climbs up Montjuïc — a rare choice for a Tour opener. It was the first time the race began with a team time trial since 1971, when Eddy Merckx's Molteni squad won an 11-kilometer test in Mulhouse. This year's version also introduced a new scoring wrinkle: rather than every rider on a team receiving the same time, each individual's own time counted toward the........

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