MADRID, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The 2026 Tour de France gets underway with the Grand Depart in Spain's Barcelona on Saturday, with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard renewing their rivalry in what promises to be an epic edition of cycling's most prestigious race.
Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates, is seeking a third consecutive title and a fifth Tour de France crown overall, while Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike is chasing his third Tour victory after finishing runnder-up to the Slovenian in 2024 and 2025. The Dane also arrives in top form after winning last year's Vuelta a Espana and this year's Giro d'Italia.
Pogacar and Vingegaard appear set to battle for the yellow jersey once again, but French hopes will be pinned on 19-year-old sensation Paul Seixas, who rides for the Decathlon CMA CGM team.
Seixas was outstanding in his Tour of the Basque Country win and in the one-day La Fleche Wallonne, raising the hopes that a French rider can win the Tour for the first time since Bernard Hinault in 1986.
The first stage is a relatively flat 19.6-kilometer team time trial through the streets of Barcelona, and neither Pogacar nor Vingegaard will want to concede valuable seconds that could prove decisive in the mountains.
Meanwhile, teams such as Netcompany Ineos, Lidl-Trek and Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe can all be expected to put in strong displays on a thrilling opening day. ■
