Tour de France Guide: History, Rules, Jerseys, and the 2026 Route

The Tour de France is the world’s largest annual sporting event, but to the uninitiated, it looks like a chaotic, three-week-long rolling picnic through the French countryside. In reality, it is a dense, high-stakes game of “human chess” played at 40 km/h. To understand the Tour, you have to look past the bicycles and see it for what it truly is: a grueling test of endurance where 176 riders fight for individual glory through collective sacrifice.

1. The Core Structure: 21 Stages of Suffering

The Tour isn’t a single race; it is a stage race. It lasts 23 days, consisting of 21 racing stages and only two rest days.

• Flat Stages: The “hunting ground” for sprinters. Teams work to keep the group (the Peloton) together so their fastest rider can launch a 70 km/h burst in the final 200 meters.

• Mountain Stages: Where the Tour is won or lost. These climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees are categorized from 4 (easiest) to HC (Hors Categorie), meaning “beyond categorization.”

• Time Trials: The “Race of Truth.” Riders go solo against the clock. No drafting, no teammates—just pure power.

2. The Language of Jerseys (The “Leaderboard”)

You don’t need to check a scoreboard to know who is winning; you just look at the colors.

3. Team Dynamics: The “Domestique” Logic

While only one person stands on the podium in Paris, cycling is a team sport. Each of the 22 teams has 8 riders.

• The Leader: The “Protected” rider whom the team tries to help win a specific jersey.

• The Domestiques: The unsung heroes. They carry water bottles from the team car, shield their leader from the wind to save them 30% of their energy, and even give up their own bike if the leader has a mechanical failure.

4. 2026 Route Highlights: The Barcelona Grand Départ

The 113th edition of the Tour (July 4 – July 26, 2026) is breaking tradition with a massive start in Barcelona, Spain.

• The “Montjuïc” Kickoff: Stage 1 features a 19.7 km Team Time Trial finishing at the Olympic Stadium. This will immediately create gaps in the General Classification (GC).

• The Alpe d’Huez Double: The 2026 route features a “crescendo” finish with two consecutive summit finishes at the legendary Alpe d’Huez (Stages 19 and 20).

• The Paris Twist: Instead of the usual flat loop, Stage 21 will include a challenging passage through the steep streets of Montmartre before the traditional sprint on the Champs-Élysées.

5. The “Information Gain” FAQ

How do they eat while riding?

Riders burn 5,000–8,000 calories a day. They eat “Musettes” (small bags handed out in feed zones) filled with rice cakes, energy gels, and even small sandwiches. They also drink “bidons” (bottles) of electrolytes and, occasionally, Coca-Cola for a final sugar hit.

What is the “Peloton” and why is it so big?

The Peloton is the main group of riders. By riding close together (drafting), cyclists save immense amounts of energy. If you are in the middle of the pack, you are doing significantly less work than the rider at the front.

Who is the “Lanterne Rouge”?

This is the name given to the rider in last place overall. While it sounds like an insult, being the Lanterne Rouge is a badge of honor—it means you survived the time cuts and finished the hardest race on earth.

How much prize money is involved?

The total pot is roughly €2.3 million. The overall winner takes home €500,000. However, by tradition, the winner splits the entire prize with their teammates and staff to thank them for their work.

What is a “Time Cut”?

In every stage, riders must finish within a certain percentage of the winner’s time. If you are too slow (usually on mountain stages), you are “Outside Time” (OTL) and disqualified from the race.

Why do the riders pee while riding?

When you’re on a bike for six hours, nature calls. There is an unwritten rule in the peloton: when the race leader stops for a “natural break,” the whole pack slows down out of respect. Doing it while moving is a skill reserved for the most desperate moments.