The 2026 Tour de France includes seven flat stages, according to organiser ASO, but Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) counted just six after looking at the route map, knowing the fast finishers face a battle of survival in the Alps if they are to have an outside chance at a final sprint win in Paris.
Merlier won two stages in the 2025 Tour, battling with Jonathan Milan, who also won twice and the green points jersey. The placing of late climbs and then attacks and aggressive racing from Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel limited the sprinters' chances in 2025. The addition of the climb to Montmartre made stage 21 to Paris a day for the attackers, with Wout van Aert winning via a late solo attack.
The 2026 Tour starts in Barcelona with a team time trial and then climbs over the Pyrenees, meaning the first sprint opportunity only comes on stage 5. That hasn't been the case since 2015, and then as far back as 1992.
“It will be a matter of gritting your teeth until day 5,” Merlier told Sporza after seeing the Tour de France route presentation on Thursday.
"I see six opportunities but some could even fall away if the racing has been difficult. For me, there could be more sprinter opportunities but they want more excitement in the Tour, so they're taking out the 'boring' stages."
Merlier was referring to the Tour's desire for daily exciting racing and a strategy of including late climbs and other points for riders to attack the peloton. This year, technical director Thierry Govenou threatened to cut the number of flat stages after the peloton opted not to race hard on stage 8.
Stage 5 is from Lannemezan to Pau and finally offers the sprinters a shot at success. Stages 7 to Bordeaux and 8 to Bergerac are also flat, and so the sprint teams are likely to control the racing and the sprinters dominate the story lines. They also have back-to-back chances on stage 11 to Nevers and stage 12 to Chalon-sur-Saône. However, after that, the Tour climbs in the Vosges and the Alps, with the final decisive double finish at L'Alpe d'Huez.
"One climb to L'Alpe d'Huez was enough for me…" Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenwegen joked after seeing the 2026 Tour route.
Race director Christian Prudhomme denied there was a "lack of love" for sprinters when speaking to L'Equipe about the 2026 route, citing racing speeds and safety problems due to traffic furniture for the lack of sprint finishes.
The sprinters used to battle over the mountains to finish the Tour, knowing they had a chance of victory in the traditional Champs-Élysées sprint in Paris.
The climb to Montmartre has changed the racing on the final stage. The 2026 Paris stage has been changed for security and safety reasons, but will still climb up to Montmartre three times. The final climb ends 15km from the finish line, with the riders returning to the Champs-Élysées via the Arc du Triomphe for a final lap of the traditional circuit.
"I don't think we'll have a bunch sprint but a sprinter capable of overcoming the hills, like Mads Pedersen, will have every chance," Prudhomme suggested.
Merlier is not sure if he can fight for the win in Paris.
"I hope to sprint on the Champs-Élysées one day, that hasn't happened to me yet," he said.
"It'll remain difficult for the sprinters especially because of those extreme stages beforehand.
"After the Alps, there'll be a long transfer, so the sprinters' legs will hurt. I'd hoped the organisers would go back to the classic finish. That would have been great."
