The 2026 Tour de France will see a slight alteration to its route during the Grand Départ in Barcelona.
On Thursday, it was confirmed that the race will not pass through the Collserola area on the second stage (July 5) due to the threat of African swine fever in this region on the outskirts of Barcelona.
This decision follows a request made by the Catalan government to the Tour on April 30 to avoid the area, as access restrictions have been in place since an outbreak of swine fever was detected last November, with cases among local wild boar increasing in recent weeks.
In a statement released Thursday, the Catalan government explained the reasons for the change and outlined how it will affect the route.
“With this modification, proposed by the city council at the request of the Catalan government and agreed upon with the Tour organization, priority has been given to altering the route as little as possible. It will involve a quick entry into the city after leaving behind the municipalities of Baix Llobregat. This ensures that the entire race route can accommodate spectators, promoting a city-wide celebration of cycling. Under the original route, the Collserola Natural Park section would have been closed to the public due to restrictions. With the new route, the course is extended and modified to pass through Molins de Rei, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, and Esplugues de Llobregat.”
The cancellation of the Collserola section means the peloton will not climb the Santa Creu d’Olorda ascent. Instead of entering Barcelona through the Sarria-Sant Gervasi district, it will enter via Les Corts, then rejoin the planned route that finishes atop Montjuïc, next to the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. Additionally, the stage distance will be reduced from the originally planned 182 kilometers to 168 kilometers.
