Tour de France 2026
Barcelona Makes History while Pogačar Wins Hearts
For the first time in Tour de France history, the world’s biggest cycling race started in Barcelona, Spain — and what a way to begin the 2026 edition. For three unforgettable days, the vibrant and culturally rich Catalan capital became the centre of the cycling world, welcoming riders and fans with incredible energy, packed streets and a backdrop unlike anywhere else on the Tour calendar. Catalonia lit up the scene, and the greatest cycling event in the world became a festival of sport and Catalan culture.
Celebrations began with the official team presentation in front of the iconic Gaudi Cathedral of Sagrada Família, before the peloton rolled out for an exciting opening weekend that showcased Barcelona at its very best. Being in the heart of this activity was exciting, nerve racking and emotional, all rolled into one – an experience of a lifetime that will stay will me forever. And, as the cycling began, riders passed some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, from the Mediterranean waterfront and Passeig de Gràcia to Gaudí’s architectural masterpieces, before tackling the legendary climb to Montjuïc.
Yes, the combination of world-class racing, historic scenery and passionate fans created an atmosphere that felt more like a festival than the opening of a three-week cycling Grand Tour.
A Catalonia cycling festival in Barcelona
With only three days to capture as much as I could, I set about maximising my time – which included leading out the Q36.5 team and Tom Pidcock! Then, the opening team time trial immediately delivered drama. Team Visma | Lease a Bike executed a near-perfect ride, placing Jonas Vingegaard into the first yellow jersey of the race. A marker had been placed early, and I was there to capture it all. The new team time trial format, where riders received individual times depending on when they crossed the finish line, added another tactical dimension and rewarded both teamwork and individual strength. It was an exciting way to launch the Tour and set the tone for what would ultimately become another memorable edition.
But while Barcelona provided the perfect stage, the real story of this Tour was once again Tadej Pogačar. We’ve become used to watching the Slovenian do extraordinary things on a bike. His accelerations in the mountains almost seem effortless, his descending is fearless, and his race instinct is second to none. Yet what stood out even more this July wasn’t simply another overall victory — it was the way he raced. His whole attitude, demeanour and activity.
One of the defining moments came on Stage 2. Isaac Del Toro, UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s young Mexican star, attacked on the final climb to Montjuïc with Pogačar glued to his wheel. Most riders chasing a fifth Tour title would instinctively sprint for every possible victory. This time, Pogačar did the opposite. He sat up, celebrated with his teammate and allowed Del Toro to take the biggest win of his young career. After all, winning a Grand Tour requires teamwork, and Del Toro would repay this in spades as the tour progressed towards Paris.
And, that single moment perfectly summed up why Pogačar has become one of the most respected riders in professional cycling. He wins often, yes; but he never forgets the people around him – about the team. Throughout the Tour he consistently praised his teammates, acknowledged the work they did to protect him and made it clear that success belongs to the entire team — not simply to the rider wearing yellow.
Stage by stage,history is written
Later in the race, when Del Toro was battling illness while fighting for the white jersey and a podium place, Pogačar again put the team first. Rather than chasing another stage victory for himself, he helped his young teammate defend his position. Those gestures rarely appear in the final results sheet, but they say far more about a champion than another statistic ever could. Watching this close up, I was able to see the bonds that riders had and how teams interacted – it was enlightening and yes, kind of emotional. For three weeks they are a close-knit family, sharing raw emotions. In Barcelona, the smiles were of course evident. However, once the racing began, we can never see all that takes place behind the scenes pre-race and post-race. We can only watch in awe and soak it all up… and I did.
Of course, the racing itself delivered everything fans could hope for. The battle between Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard looked set to produce another thrilling chapter before Vingegaard’s Tour dramatically and unfortunately ended prematurely, following a crash. Remco Evenepoel then stepped up and into the void, to become Pogačar’s closest challenger, while the mountains once again belonged to the Slovenian. His breathtaking climbing performances — including a record ascent of Alpe d’Huez — underlined exactly why he continues to set the standard in modern cycling.
By the time the peloton reached Paris, with thousands of kilometres in the legs and hearts filled with emotions, Pogačar had secured his fifth Tour de France title, further cementing his place among the greatest riders the sport has ever seen. But statistics alone don’t explain why this Tour felt so special.
Celebrating cycling and its global family
The 2026 edition reminded us what makes cycling unique. It delivered unforgettable racing, stunning scenery and incredible crowds from Barcelona to Paris, but it also highlighted the values that make the sport so compelling: teamwork, respect and humility. Yes, I had witness history, and I had been fortunate to be at Barcelona and at Paris. I had been a part of events at Barcelona close-up, and I had talked with riders, with their support crews and with others. I had immersed myself totally in this unique and quite wonderful race, and I had loved every moment of it.
Barcelona had made history, by hosting the Tour de France for the first time, giving global cycling fans an opening weekend they will remember for years to come. And Pogačar had reminded us that the greatest champions are defined not only by how often they win, but by how they treat the people around them. Sometimes you see, the biggest victory isn’t crossing the finish line first. Sometimes, it’s earning the respect of the entire peloton — and in that regard, Tadej Pogačar may already be in a league of his own. Is he the greatest of all time – who can say. He is up there now, with the likes of Hinault, Induráin and Merckx. He has beaten times set by the great climbers such as Pantani, and he continues to ride into our hearts, challenging everything set before him.
The 2026 Tour de France may be concluded, but it still lives. It built on that unmistakeable global cycling community feeling and camaraderie that is cycling, and it showed me why cycling is so special. As Pogačar and Van der Poel raced through the cobbled streets of Montmartre, they weren’t just riding through the suburb of artists, they were painting history itself, and it was magical in its brilliance!
