France 18 Jun – 20 Jun 2026 Class 2.1 – Stages – Class 1
Website https://www.laroutedoccitanie.fr/
Here is the preliminary startlist for La Route d’Occitanie – CIC 2026 (taking place from June 18 to June 20, 2026).
Please note: Since the race has not yet started, this roster is subject to final confirmation by the teams.
WorldTeams
- Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
- Noa Isidore, Gianluca Pollefliet, Alexis Bouteloup, Valentin Martinet, Conor Murphy
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- Davide Piganzoli, Anton Schiffer, Axel Zingle, Tijmen Graat, Tim Rex, Pietro Mattio, Loe Van Belle
- EF Education – EasyPost
- Madis Mihkels, Lukas Nerurkar, Matthias Schwarzbacher, Juan Felipe Rodriguez, Jardi Christiaan Van Der Lee
- Groupama – FDJ
- David Gaudu, Thibaud Gruel, Brieuc Rolland, Tom Donnenwirth, Josh Kench, Esteban Foucher, Olivier Le Gac
ProTeams
- Cofidis
- Ion Izagirre, Jamie Meehan, Sylvain Moniquet, Simon Carr, Yaël Joalland, Edoardo Zamperini
- TotalEnergies
- Sandy Dujardin, Jason Tesson, Joris Delbove, Fabien Doubey, Alan Jousseaume, Valentin Retailleau, Théo Lévêque
- Unibet Rose Rockets
- Wout Poels, Odd Christian Eiking, Cedrik Bakke Christophersen, Jannis Peter, Killian Verschuren, Eivind Broholt Fougner, Colin Savioz
- Burgos-BH
- Jesús Herrada, Clément Alleno, José Luis Faura, Daniel Cavia, Tomoya Koyama, Martín Rey, Eric Antonio Fagúndez
- Equipo Kern Pharma
- Urko Berrade, Ibon Ruiz, Nil Gimeno, Sergio Romeo, Ibai Azanza, Pablo Carrascosa
- Team Polti VisitMalta
- Mattia Bais, Fernando Tercero, Aidan Buttigieg, Diego Pablo Sevilla, Andrea Mifsud, Javier Serrano, Tommaso Bessega
- Euskaltel – Euskadi
- Txomin Juaristi, Nicolás Alustiza, Mikel Bizkarra, Danny Van Der Tuuk, Iker Mintegi, Jokin Murguialday, Jordi López
- Bardiani CSF Faizanè
- Luca Paletti, Filippo Turconi, Lorenzo Conforti, Vicente Rojas, Martin Santiago Herreño, Edward Cruz, Mattia Stenico
- Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
- David De La Cruz, Thomas Gloag, Damien Howson, Sjoerd Bax, Joseph Pidcock, Milan Vader, Matteo Badilatti
- Solution Tech NIPPO Rali
- Kamiel Bonneu, Alexandre Balmer, Roberto Carlos González, Tommaso Nencini, Valerio Conti, Matteo Regnanti, Luca Verrando
Continental Teams
- BIKE AID
- Kristiāns Belohvoščiks, Oliver Mattheis, Yoel Habteab, Even Yemane, Victor Vidal, Baptiste Huyet, Nahom Efriem
- CIC Pro Cycling Academy
- Axel Mariault, Maxime Vezie, Léandre Lozouet, Lenaic Langella, Jean-Loup Fayolle, Victor Guernalec, Joris Chaussinand
- St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93
- Thomas Champion, Théo Delacroix, Lucas Bénéteau, Simon Guglielmi, Morné Van Niekerk, Yohann Simon, Antoine Berger
- Van Rysel – Roubaix
- Louis Hardouin, Maxime Jarnet, Arnaud Tendon, Kenny Molly, Rémi Capron, Antoine Raugel, Léandre Huck
- Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur
- Tom Mainguenaud, Victor Papon, Jaakko Hänninen, Jahkim Carty, Laurens Huys, Carter Guichard, Baptiste Gillet
The official program and stage schedule for the La Route d’Occitanie – CIC 2026 (UCI 2.1) features a 3-day route running from Thursday, June 18 to Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Spanning a total of 547.8 kilometers through Southwestern France, the race features a mix of rolling terrain and a demanding final mountain showdown in the Pyrenees.
The Stage Schedule
| Date | Stage | Route | Distance | Key Terrain |
| Thursday, June 18 | Stage 1 | Bram $\rightarrow$ Saint-Paul-Cap-de-Joux | 171.5 km | Rolling hills ($2,200\text{ m}$ elevation gain) |
| Friday, June 19 | Stage 2 | Cordes-sur-Ciel $\rightarrow$ Saint-Gaudens | 200.4 km | Hilly transition ($1,750\text{ m}$ elevation gain) |
| Saturday, June 20 | Stage 3 | Loures-Barousse $\rightarrow$ Loudenvielle | 175.9 km | High Mountains ($3,500\text{ m}$ elevation gain) |
Stage Breakdown
- Stage 1: A tricky opening day starting in Bram. With over 2,200 meters of climbing, it favors puncheurs or strong sprinters who can survive the relentless mid-stage hills before a fast finish into Saint-Paul-Cap-de-Joux.
- Stage 2: The longest stage of the race at just over 200 km. It begins in the historic village of Cordes-sur-Ciel and heads south toward Saint-Gaudens. Expect a fierce battle between the breakaway and the sprinter teams.
- Stage 3: The undisputed Queen Stage. Starting in Loures-Barousse, the riders hit the high Pyrenean cols, racking up 3,500 meters of elevation. The GC (General Classification) title will be decided on the final climbs before descending or punching up into Loudenvielle.
How to Watch
In France and across Europe, the race will be broadcast live each day starting around 14:00 (2:00 PM) CET via:
Official La Route d’Occitanie-CIC Facebook Live page.
Eurosport / Eurosport Max
France.tv
Origins and Name Changes
The race was founded in 1977 by former professional cyclist Jacques Esclassan. Over its history, the event has undergone several name changes, primarily reflecting changes in sponsorship and regional branding:
- 1977–1981: Tour du Tarn (focused primarily on the Tarn department)
- 1982–1987: Tour Midi-Pyrénées (expanded to cover the wider Midi-Pyrénées region)
- 1988–2017: Route du Sud (the longest-standing and most widely recognized name)
- 2018–Present: La Route d’Occitanie (renamed to align with the newly created Occitanie administrative region in southern France)
Strategic Calendar Position
The race occupies a highly strategic slot on the UCI calendar, typically held in mid-June.
Because it takes place in the Pyrenees just a few weeks before the Tour de France, it serves as a crucial final mountain preparation race for Grand Tour contenders. Riders often use its demanding climbs to test their climbing legs and recon potential Tour de France mountain passes under race conditions.
The Route and Terrain
While the race occasionally features individual time trials or flat stages for sprinters, its identity is firmly rooted in the high mountains.
The race traditionally features a “Queen Stage” that tackles legendary Pyrenean climbs. Passes like the Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin, Col de Peyresourde, and the brutal Port de Balès have frequently decided the overall winner.
Notable Winners
La Route d’Occitanie has a prestigious roll of honor, featuring some of the greatest climbers and Grand Tour champions in cycling history.
- Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle won the inaugural edition in 1977.
- Legendary French climbers Bernard Hinault (1982) and Laurent Jalabert (1996) have claimed victory.
- International Grand Tour winners like Michael Rogers (2010), Nairo Quintana (2012, 2016), and Alberto Contador (2015) used the race as a successful springboard for their summer campaigns.
- In 2018 and 2019, local French favorite Alejandro Valverde dominated the race following its rebranding.
Record Holders
The record for the most overall victories is held jointly by three riders who have each won the race three times:
- Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (France) – 1977, 1980, 1983
- Armand de Las Cuevas (France) – 1993, 1995, 1998
- Thomas Voeckler (France) – 2006, 2011, 2013
