The Spanish leg of the Tour de France 2026 concludes with a 195.9-kilometre cross-border stage between Granollers and Les Angles, two towns making their debut on the route. In the second half of the day, the riders will encounter the majestic Pyrenees, where the first ascent is always a highlight of the race. This third stage features four categorised climbs, with the Col de Toses (9.3 km at 6.5% / category 1) serving as a Catalan ‘dessert’. The French starters also promise to be exciting: the Col du Calvaire (11.4 km at 4.1% / category 3) will precede the summit finish at Pla del Mir, in Les Angles (1.7 km at 6.5% / category 3).
A battle at the summit can be expected between Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates XRG). The winners of the last six Tours de France are level at one apiece this year: the Dane ruled the team time trial in Barcelona (stage 1), whilst the Slovenian responded by finishing ahead of him at the same location the following day (stage 2), although he let his teammate Isaac del Toro take the win. Six seconds now separate Pogacar from the Maillot Jaune, but Vingegaard is determined to defend his lead against the attacks of his eternal rival.
Other climbers who have been in fine form since the start also have a chance to make their mark, such as Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who finished third at Montjuïc. The finale is also open to many tactical options that could favour different types of riders, including French champions heading into their country. The increased elevation gain (3,850m) could hamper the ambitions of Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ)… and inspire his countrymen Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious). They are all hoping to follow in Del Toro’s footsteps and claim their first stage win.
