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Yesterday, the curtain was lifted on the 2026 Tour de France route, and if you thought you knew what a tough Grand Tour looked like, prepare yourself.

Clocking in at 3,333km and featuring a staggering 54,450m of total elevation, for the amateur riders of The Tour 21, taking on every kilometre one week ahead of the professionals to raise vital funds for Cure Leukaemia, this is the most challenging, most meaningful opportunity of a lifetime.

The 2026 Tour 21 begins in Spain for a fiery Grand Départ in Barcelona. It then crosses four of France’s great mountain ranges; the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Vosges, and the Alps, before its grand finale in Paris.

Stage 1Sat27-JunBarcelona – Barcelona19km
Stage 2Sun28-JunTaragone – Barcelona182km
Stage 3Mon29-JunGranollers – Les Angles196km
Stage 4Tues30-JunCarcassinne – Foix182km
Stage 5Wed01-JulLannemezan – Pau158km
Stage 6Thurs02-JulPau – Gavarnie Gedre186km
Stage 7Fri03-JulHagetmau – Bordeaux175km
Stage 8Sat04-JulPerigueux – Bergerac182km
Stage 9Sun05-JulMalemort – Ussell185km
Rest DayMon06-JulRest Day – Aurillac
Stage 10Tues07-JulAurillac – Le Lioran167km
Stage 11Wed08-JulVichy – Nevers161km
Stage 12Thurs09-JulCircuit Nevers Magny Cours – Chalon sur Saone181km
Stage 13Fri10-JulDole – Belfort205km
Stage 14Sat11-JulMulhouse – Le Markstein155km
Stage 15Sun12-JulChampagnole – Plateau De Solaison184km
 Rest DayMon13-JulRest Day – Thonon Les Bains
Stage 16Tues14-JulEvian Les Bains – Thonon Les Bains26km
Stage 17Wed15-JulChambery – Voiron175km
Stage 18Thurs16-JulVoiron – Orcieres Merlette185km
Stage 19Fri17-JulGap – Alpe D’Huez128km
Stage 20Sat18-JulLe Bourg Doisans – Alpe D’Huez171km
Stage 21Sun19-JulThoiry – Paris130km

Three Iconic Stages to put you to the test:

1. The Vosges Wall: Stage 14 – Mulhouse to Le Markstein

The Vosges stages are famously punchy, but 2026 has dialled up the difficulty with the inclusion of the Col du Haag. This new climb; an 11.2km bike path averaging 7.3%, has been highlighted as a potential game-changer. For The Tour 21 team, the Haag will be a relentless climb, but summiting it will cement a bond of perseverance that few other challenges can forge.

2. The Final Double-Header: The Alpe d’Huez Duet (Stages 19 & 20)

This is unheard of. A back-to-back summit finish on the most famous climb in cycling.

  • Stage 19 gives you the 21 bends, a chance to feel the history and the passion, with every switchback a step closer to the summit!
  • But it’s Stage 20 that is truly monstrous. The Queen Stage. With the Croix de Fer, Télégraphe, and Galibier all packed into a single day. The final ascent is via the back door of the Col de Sarenne, a rugged, steep track that has only been used once before, before dropping you onto the Alpe for the finish. Completing this 5,600m day, just 24 hours after the first Alpe summit, will require a level of physical and mental endurance that epitomises the fight against blood cancer. This is the ultimate test for our team.

3. The Grand Finale: Stage 21 – Thoiry to Paris Champs-Élysées

No gentle roll-in to Paris this year. After conquering 20 brutal stages, you have to earn your place on the Champs-Élysées podium with three ascents of the Rue Lepic to Montmartre. The feeling of turning onto the Champs-Élysées after 3,333km and 54,450m of climbing, knowing you did it for a vital cause, will be the memory of a lifetime.

The road is set. The mountains are waiting. It’s time to prepare for the ride of a lifetime. Are you All In?


Ben

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