Stage 20 Breakdown:

Stage 20 takes the riders on a mountainous 170.9km journey from Le Bourg-d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez. The queen stage of the 2026 Tour features a staggering 5450m of climbing and serves as the final opportunity to reshape the general classification before the procession to Paris. With four legendary Alpine climbs packed into a single day, this is arguably the hardest stage of the race and one where the strongest climber will have every opportunity to make the difference.

The action begins almost immediately with the hors catégorie Col de la Croix de Fer, a long and demanding ascent that will set the tone for the day. After a lengthy descent and valley roads, the riders face the Col du Télégraphe, which acts as the gateway to the iconic Col du Galibier. The two climbs combine for nearly 30 kilometres of continuous climbing, taking the peloton above 2,600 metres before a spectacular descent towards Bourg-d’Oisans. There is barely any respite before the final obstacle, the Col de Sarenne, climbed from its steeper and less familiar side. After cresting the summit, a technical descent leads directly onto the lower slopes of Alpe d’Huez, where the riders tackle the famous final kilometres and its 21 legendary hairpins to decide the stage.

The GC teams are expected to control the race from the very beginning, as there is simply too much at stake to allow dangerous rivals too much freedom. However, with such an enormous amount of climbing, the strongest breakaway specialists could still survive if the favorites hesitate. More likely, the repeated Alpine giants will gradually isolate the GC contenders before the decisive attacks arrive on the Col de Sarenne or the final ascent to Alpe d’Huez. With Paris only one day away, every remaining second will be fought for on the slopes of one of cycling’s most iconic climbs.

Favorites:
| +++ | Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro
| ++ | Richard Carapaz, Paul Seixas
| + | Tobias H. Johannessen, Thymen Arensman