It’s no surprise that ice hockey reigns supreme in Canada, but are the numbers shifting after a successful couple of years for Canadian sports teams beyond the rink?
The Toronto Blue Jays just reached the World Series for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993, a run that was followed by more than two decades without a playoff appearance.
The Toronto Raptors, who won their first NBA championship in 2019, returned to the playoffs this year for the first time since 2022.
And, just like the 2026 Winter Olympics at the start of the year, the 2026 FIFA World Cup now has sparked a global passion for soccer and patriotism.
So, why can’t an elite event like the Tour de France 2026 be another reason for Canadian sports fans to rally around their TVs to cheer for their favorite riders or just enjoy the dominance of generational talent Tadej Pogačar?
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For those Canadians who already are cycling fans, FloBikes and the FloSports app again will be the exclusive home of the Tour de France in 2026, and this is the perfect opportunity to share their love of life on two wheels with more of their sports-crazed friends and neighbors.
This year’s TDF, the 113th edition of the race, will take place from July 4-26, which coincides with World Cup soccer action from the Round of 16 to the title match (July 4-19), so why not just keep the party going all day and night?
If the thrill of victory and agony of defeat aren’t reason enough to tune in to FloBikes’ coverage of the Tour de France, here are a few more things that might make it worth checking out:
The Tour de France Has More Than 125 Years Of History
The Tour de France pre-dates many of the world’s most popular sporting events, including the Indianapolis 500, Winter Olympics, modern NHL Stanley Cup Final, NBA Finals, golf’s Masters, the Super Bowl and more.
The TDF debuted in 1903, along with the World Series, and that’s some pretty good company.
The Tour de France was created to help increase sales of the newspaper L’Auto, and it has been a July staple almost every year since the inaugural event.
Though the race has evolved, and the route changes annually, the riders continue to be challenged by a variety of terrain across France and several foreign countries, which includes more than three dozen foreign starts over the years, expanding the sport’s footprint and helping to grow the popularity of cycling across the globe.
This year’s race will begin in Barcelona, Spain, marking the third time the Grand Depart has taken place within Spain’s borders – San Sebastian (1992) and Bilbao (2023).
Barcelona is no stranger to the TDF, however, having hosted stages in 1957, 1965 and 2009, along with other top-tier races and the 1992 Summer Olympics.
The first three stages this year will take place in Spain, and then the peloton then will cross into southern France. The event will roll through seven French regions and 29 departments.
For the first time since 1971, the Tour de France will begin with a team time trial, which will come as a 19.6-kilometer trek across Barcelona.
Only nine riders have officially won the TDF three or more times, while Pogačar joins Great Britain’s Chris Froome on the list of four-time winners.
Four other riders – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain have done them one better, winning five times each. Indurain’s victories came consecutively from 1991 through 1995.
The winner of the Tour de France 2026 will take home the coveted yellow jersey and €500,000 from a total prize purse of 2.3 million euros.
The big question is, can Pogačar win the TDF for the third consecutive year and join the upper echelon of the sport with five overall victories?
The Tour de France Has Some Fierce Rivalries And Amazing Storylines
The last two editions of the Tour de France were won by Pogačar, a 27-year-old Slovenian superstar, giving him four titles overall (2020, 2021, 2024, 2025), while Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard won the two years in between (2022, 2023).
In 2021, 2024 and 2025, Vingegaard was the runner-up.
Both riders are enjoying memorable seasons that include significant victories.
Vingegaard is coming off a thrilling win in his debut at the Giro d’Italia, and Pogačar is days removed from adding the five-stage Tour de Suisse to his list of victories.
There’s no doubt the two once again are the clear favorites for victory in Paris next month, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many other stars and up-and-comers ready to share, or steal, the spotlight.
The list of riders to keep an eye on during the upcoming edition of the Tour de France includes 19-year-old French newcomer Paul Seixas, Giro d’Italia 2025 breakout star Isaac del Toro, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe teammates Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz, Pogačar’s former teammate Juan Ayuso and countless other riders talented enough to win stages or make noise in the General Classification.
Coverage Of The Tour de France On FloBikes Is Unrivaled
The FloBikes team for the Tour de France is unmatched.
This year’s coverage plan again will feature expert commentary and analysis during each stage, on-site reporting and written previews and recaps of every stage.
Viewers can enjoy all 21 stages of the journey through Barcelona and all corners of France, which has been providing picturesque backdrops for the event since the inaugural edition in 1903.
Even those who are new to the sport should find each day of action entertaining and easy to understand, thanks to the team behind the mics. They’re there to explain every nuance, obstacle, tactic and decision, while talking about the routes, race and rider backgrounds, and every kilometer of the beautiful and historic landscape along the way.
English commentary of the Tour de France 2026 will be provided by longtime British cycling broadcaster Anthony McCrossan and Ireland’s Nicolas Roche, who competed in the TDF 10 times. A French broadcast also will be available.
Gregor Brown, the international producer for FloBikes, will be on the ground to provide all the behind-the-scenes content, interviews and breakdowns of each stage, offering both previews and an explanation of how things unfolded during every challenging segment of the race.
Read More About The TDF
- Tour de France 2027 To Start In Great Britain
- Jonas Vingegaard Targets Giro d’Italia & Tour de France Double In 2026
- Tour de France 2026 Route Announced: What To Know
- Tour de France Jersey Color Guide
Tour de France 2026 Riders By Continent
*As of June 24
- Europe – 101
- Australia – 6
- North America – 5
- South America – 5
- Africa – 1
- Asia – 0
- Antarctica – 0
Why Subscribe To FloBikes?
A FloBikes subscription provides access to the Tour de France for Canadian fans, and so much more throughout the year.
In addition to live races, FloBikes subscribers can check out replays, highlights, breaking news, interviews, schedules and other exclusive content.
The calendar includes the Flanders Classics, the UCI World Championships, USA Cycling events and everything from road races to mountain biking to BMX action.
How To Watch The Tour de France 2026
For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms.
In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network.
In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.
When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?
The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26.
The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).
Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish.
For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.
The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4.
How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?
The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.
The race is 21 stages.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?
- Stage 1 (TTT) – July 4: Barcelone – Barcelone (19.6km)
- Stage 2 – July 5: Tarragone – Barcelone (168.5km)
- Stage 3 – July 6: Granollers – Les Angles (195.9km)
- Stage 4 – July 7: Carcassonne – Foix (181.9km)
- Stage 5 – July 8: Lannemezan – Pau (158.3km)
- Stage 6 – July 9: Pau – Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
- Stage 7 – July 10: Hagetmau – Bordeaux (175.1km)
- Stage 8 – July 11: Périgueux – Bergerac (180.4km)
- Stage 9 – July 12: Malemort – Ussel (185.5km)
- Rest Day – July 13: Cantal
- Stage 10 – July 14: Aurillac – Le Lioran (166.6km)
- Stage 11 – July 15: Vichy – Nevers (161.3km)
- Stage 12 – July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours – Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
- Stage 13 – July 17: Dole – Belfort (205.8km)
- Stage 14 – July 18: Mulhouse – Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
- Stage 15 – July 19: Champagnole – Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
- Rest Day – July 20: Haute-Savoie
- Stage 16 (ITT) – July 21: Évian-les-Bains – Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
- Stage 17 – July 22: Chambery – Voiron (174.7km)
- Stage 18 – July 23: Voiron – Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
- Stage 19 – July 24: Gap – Alpe d’Huez (127.9km)
- Stage 20 – July 25: Le Bourg d’Oisans – Alpe d’Huez (170.9km)
- Stage 21 – July 26: Thoiry – Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)
How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?
Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.
Here’s the list for 2026:
- Alpecin – Premier Tech
- Bahrain – Victorious
- Caja Rural – Seguros RGA
- Cofidis
- Decathlon CMA CGM Team
- EF Education – EasyPost
- Groupama – FDJ United
- Netcompany INEOS
- Lidl – Trek
- Lotto Intermarché
- Movistar Team
- NSN Cycling Team
- Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team Jayco AlUla
- Team Picnic PostNL
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- TotalEnergies
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- UAE Team Emirates – XRG
- Uno-X Mobility
- XDS Astana Team
Who Won The Tour de France In 2025?
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar added to his growing legacy by winning the Tour de France in 2025.
It was his second consecutive victory at the event, and fourth overall (2020, 2021), making him the sixth rider in history to win four times.
Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain all have won five times, while Chris Froome joins Pogačar with four.
On his way to securing the yellow jersey in 2025, Pogačar was the pre-race favorite.
His title defense featured four stage wins (4, 7, 12, 13), and he finished more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Jonas Vingegaard. Florian Lipowitz was third, 11 minutes behind Pogačar, who also won the King of the Mountains jersey.
Pogačar owns five Grand Tour victories overall, including the Giro d’Italia in 2024, which was part of a historic Giro-TDF double, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1998.
In 2026, Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, will be looking to match the effort after claiming the GC title at the Giro d’Italia in May and becoming the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours at least one time.
Merckx has the most GC wins in Grand Tours with 11, followed by Hinault, who has 10.
Pogačar has maintained his elite form in 2026 and started the year with four wins in his first five events. He then added four stages wins on the way to the GC crown at the five-stage Tour de Romandie.
The Tour de France 2026 Is Loaded With Superstars
The Tour de France 2026 is almost here, and Canadian cycling fans have plenty of reasons to get excited.
With Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock, Paul Seixas and Isaac del Toro all set to race, this year’s TDF promises unforgettable battles from Barcelona to Paris.
Gregor Brown breaks down three reasons Canadian fans should watch every stage live on FloBikes, including the fight for the yellow jersey, a spectacular route featuring the Pyrenees and Alps, and access to both the World Feed and French Feed throughout the race.
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